Entrepreneurs
Dave Portnoy Net Worth
| Net Worth: | $120 Million |
|---|---|
| Age: | 49 |
| Born: | March 22, 1977 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| Source of Wealth: | Entrepreneur |
| Last Updated: | Aug 17, 2026 |
Introduction
Dave Portnoy is an American entrepreneur and sports media personality with an estimated net worth of $120 Million.
This profile highlights our research into Dave Portnoy’s net worth, income sources, and earnings from Barstool Sports. We’ll also review the financial issues he faced in the earlier years of his life, and some of the ways he spends his wealth.
Quick Facts
- Filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2004
- Sold Barstool Sports to Penn National Gaming for $600+ million
- Bought back the company for just $1 in 2023
- Lost as much as $500,000 betting on a single game of football
- Holds a real estate portfolio valued at nearly $100 million
Early Financial Issues
While studying at the University of Michigan for a degree in education, Dave Portnoy founded TheGamblingMan, a sports betting website. He used the website to publish his weekly picks, a forerunner of his move into sports media and online newspapers.
This is important to note because Portnoy has always been “The Gambling Man,” pun intended. According to reports, several years after graduating, he owed roughly $77,000 in gambling debts. Roughly $59,000 of this debt was owed to credit card companies, and the additional $18,000 came from a loan from his father. As a result, he was forced to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2004.
Portnoy still gambles extensively today, often betting as much as $500,000 on a single game. In fact, he’s mentioned in past interviews that his biggest loss was half a million dollars on a college football game between Virginia Tech and North Carolina. The difference is that today he has hundreds of millions of dollars to his name. Thus, he’s unlikely to ever need to file for bankruptcy again.
Barstool Sports
Barstool was the natural evolution of TheGamblingMan. Dave Portnoy launched Barstool in 2003, which initially was a free print newspaper in the Boston, Massachusetts area. The newspaper provided readers with sports news and Portnoy’s gambling picks, primarily focusing on Boston-based teams. This included the likes of:
- NFL – New England Patriots
- MLB – Boston Red Sox
- NBA – Boston Celtics
- NHL – Boston Bruins
In its earlier years, the Barstool newspaper was marketed and distributed at local subway stations and sports bars, before the official website, BarstoolSports.com, launched. The company recognized the growth of the internet and quickly began using blogging and social media to build its fan base of “Stoolies.” During this era, several figures led the charge, including Dan “Big Cat” Katz, Kevin “KFC” Clancy, and Alex Cooper.
Revenue Sources
Today, Barstool Sports has over 200 million social media followers and hosts hundreds of shows, including One Bite, Wake Up Barstool, Barstool Radio, Big Boys Club, and Fantasy Football Factory. The company generates income predominantly through advertising revenue, brand sponsors, merchandising, and additional partnerships.
The Chernin Group Acquisition
In January 2016, Dave Portnoy sold a 51% stake in Barstool to The Chernin Group, in a deal valued at between $10 million and $15 million. This was the first outside investment that Barstool had received, helping drastically increase its growth rate. Some reports suggest that the Chernin Group later invested an additional $15 million in 2018, bringing their total investment to $25 million. Their stake was also reportedly increased to 60%.
Despite selling a majority stake in Barstool, Portnoy retained full creative control, deciding which content would and wouldn’t be published on Barstool outlets.
Penn National Gaming Acquisition
When Penn National Gaming acquired a 36% stake in Barstool Sports in early 2020, the deal valued the company at approximately $450 million. Penn paid $163 million for its stake, including $23 million for convertible preferred stock in Penn Gaming. When converted, this stock equated to 0.5% of the company’s market cap.
However, following its investment in Barstool, Penn Gaming’s stock price went on quite the rollercoaster ride. Days after the announcement, it was trading at $38 per share. In the midst of the 2020 pandemic, the price crashed to $7 per share. Between May 2020 and March 2021, Penn Gaming’s share price exploded to $130 per share.
During this time, the company’s market cap peaked at roughly $20 billion. Given that Portnoy reportedly received one-third of the 0.5% stake in Penn Gaming, his share was potentially worth as much as $33 million. Of course, there’s no telling whether or when he sold the stock, or how much he sold it for.
At this point, Dave Portnoy and several Barstool executives held a combined 28% stake in the company. The Chernin Group owned a 36% stake, and Penn Gaming the remaining 36%.
Final Acquisition
Shortly thereafter, Penn National Gaming increased its stake in Barstool to 50%, reportedly paying an additional $62 million. In 2022, the company acquired the other half of Barstool for a reported $387 million, valuing the entire company at $774 million.
Barstool Sports Buyback
By the grace of the gods, Dave Portnoy was blessed with an incredible opportunity in August 2023. At the time, Penn National Gaming had just signed a 10-year, $2 billion betting partnership contract with ESPN that would see them help launch ESPN Bet. However, the network didn’t want to be associated with the Barstool brand, and under the terms of the deal, requested that Penn exit Barstool Sports.
The company was willing to take an $850 million loss on Barstool to make the $2 billion ESPN deal possible, and thus, they presented Portnoy with an opportunity.
Penn Gaming would sell the company back to Dave Portnoy for just $1, under one condition: they would receive 50% of the proceeds if he decided to sell Barstool again in the future. The founder also signed a non-compete preventing him from working with any other betting company.
Real Estate
Since selling (and technically reacquiring) Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy has invested a significant chunk of his wealth into real estate.
In September 2023, Dave paid $42 million for two properties in Nantucket, Massachusetts, totaling 1.2 acres. This transaction was reported in the media as the “most expensive home in Massachusetts history,” which is slightly misleading, since the purchase wasn’t for a single home. The two properties combined comprise 8,625 square feet of living space, six bedrooms, and eleven bathrooms.
More recently, in October 2025, the founder of Barstool Sports acquired a 10,228-square-foot, eight-bedroom, ten-bathroom mansion in Ismorada, Florida. He splurged $27.8 million on the property, which also broke a local sales record.
Entrepreneurs
Avram Glazer Net Worth
| Net Worth: | $1 Billion |
|---|---|
| Age: | 65 |
| Born: | October 19, 1960 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | Unknown |
| Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| Source of Wealth: | Entrepreneur |
| Last Updated: | Aug 18, 2026 |
Introduction
Avram Glazer is an American businessman and sports team owner with an estimated net worth of $1 Billion.
This profile covers our extensive research into Avram Glazer’s net worth and investments, including ownership of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United.
Quick Facts
- Debuted on the Forbes Billionaires Index in 2024
- Holds an estimated 16.7% stake in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- That stake is now worth $900+ million
- Acquired a 68% controlling stake in Manchester United for $1.46 billion
- Sold a 25% stake of the team to James Ratcliffe for $1.3 billion in 2023
Net Worth History
| Year | Net Worth |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $1.7 billion |
| 2025 | $1.7 billion |
| 2026 | $2 billion |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Acquisition
Avram’s father, Malcolm, was a dedicated sports fan and had been desperately trying to secure ownership of a franchise team within both the NFL and the MLB. This included attempts to acquire or establish franchises for the New England Patriots, the Baltimore Orioles (now the Baltimore Ravens), the San Diego Padres, and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
After Hugh Culverhouse, the then-owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, passed away in August 1994, Malcolm finally managed to acquire a team. Malcolm purchased the Buccaneers for a reported $192 million, placing two of his sons, Joel and Edward, in leadership positions. All six Glazer siblings received an ownership stake in the team, which they still hold today. The exact split has never been confirmed, but assuming it’s an even split, this would bring Avram’s stake to roughly 16.7%.
In August 2024, Forbes valued the Buccaneers at $5.4 billion, indicating that the franchise’s value had increased by approximately $5.2 billion over the previous 29 years. Assuming Avram has always held 16.7%, his stake would have been worth $32.06 million in 1995 and is currently worth approximately $901.8 million.
Manchester United Acquisition
In May 2005, Avram and the Glazer family acquired a 68% majority stake in the EPL soccer team, Manchester United, through their company Red Football Ltd. The deal reportedly cost the family £800 million ($1.46 billion USD), placing the club’s valuation at approximately £1.18 billion ($2.15 billion USD).
However, the majority of the £800 million was secured by borrowing against Manchester United’s assets, which quickly put the club in financial trouble. This left the club obligated to pay £60 million per year in interest alone on its total debts. Although no longer a dominant force in the English Premier League, Manchester United won the league in five of the first seven years following the Glazers’ acquisition.
As of May 2025, the club’s market valuation is approximately $2.4 billion. According to various reports, the Glazer family still holds approximately 71%, but it’s unknown exactly how the shares are split between the family members. Nonetheless, a 71% stake in Manchester United, based on its current valuation of $2.4 billion, would equate to roughly $1.7 billion.
Financial, Tax, & Legal Issues
In December 2023, Avram Glazer’s family sold a 25% stake in Manchester United to British billionaire James Ratcliffe for $1.3 billion. This sale valued the football club at $5.2 billion, over five times its 2005 leveraged buyout price of $1 billion. However, many Manchester United fans expressed frustration, attributing years of poor club performance to mismanagement under the Glazer ownership.
The sale drew further attention because Glazer used complex tax exemption strategies through the Cayman Islands, reportedly avoiding a $100 million capital gains tax bill. While legal, it reignited debates about fair tax practices among high-net-worth individuals.
Philanthropy
The Glazer Family Foundation, founded in 2000, has maintained a strong focus on community programs despite recent financial difficulties. In 2023, the foundation reported a $121,000 deficit, with assets of $17,700 and liabilities totaling $26,600. Even so, it supports initiatives like the Glazer Children’s Museum, which nurtures educational play through donor funding.
The foundation also supports youth sports leagues that provide equipment and coaching to over 500 underserved children annually, encouraging teamwork and physical activity. Its scholarship programs have awarded over $1 million to help more than 100 students access higher education, reducing financial obstacles for their families. The foundation has also focused on health-related efforts, such as vision screenings and eyeglass donations, which have reached more than 2,000 children in the Tampa Bay area and addressed critical needs in local communities.
Together, these initiatives reflect the Glazer family’s commitment to meaningful community support, even during periods of financial strain.
Highlights
Here are some of the best highlights of Avram Glazer’s career:
- Owner of the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 1995
- Executive Co-Chairman of Manchester United (2005)
- Former chairman and chief executive officer of Zapata Corporation (1995 – 2009)
Entrepreneurs
Jordan Belfort Net Worth
| Net Worth: | -$100 Million |
|---|---|
| Age: | 64 |
| Born: | July 9, 1962 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| Source of Wealth: | Entrepreneur |
| Last Updated: | Aug 17, 2026 |
Introduction
Jordan Belfort is an American motivational speaker and author with an estimated net worth of $1 Million.
In this profile, we’ll discuss our research into Jordan Belfort’s net worth, income sources, legal issues, and any other events that have affected his finances.
Quick Facts
- Peak annual income of $50 million
- Ordered to pay $110.4 million in restitution to Stratton Oakmont victims
- His legal obligation to do so expired in April 2026
- Paid less than $14 million in total (roughly 12.6%)
- Victims allegedly lost $200 million in total
- Earned $1.045 million from selling the film rights to his memoirs
$110 Million Judgment
Belfort is known to the public for his legal issues involving a scheme he ran through his former brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont. Between 1989 and 1998, the firm engaged in a range of illegal trading practices while Belfort and his coworkers earned millions of dollars. These illegal practices included:
- Money laundering
- Pump and dump schemes
- Stock price manipulation
- Securities fraud
During Belfort’s 1999 trial, he pleaded guilty to money laundering and securities fraud and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in their investigation. Investors allegedly lost as much as $200 million from their dealings with Stratton Oakmont. Belfort was later sentenced to four years in federal prison and was released after serving 22 months.
In addition to his conviction, Jordan Belfort was ordered to pay restitution of $110,362,993.87 to his 1,513 victims. Since he obviously didn’t have this kind of money upfront, the payments were court-ordered to be taken from his gross income. He was also required to continue paying restitution to his victims on the $110.4 million judgment until April 2026.
Restitution Payments
So now that this date has passed, how much money did he pay in total?
Here’s the thing: Belfort could only make restitution payments based on the amount of money he earned following his release from prison. His conviction permanently barred him from re-entering the U.S. securities industry. This meant he was starting from the bottom again with a brand-new career and unlikely to fulfill the judgment by 2026.
Now, back in 2013, court filings revealed that Belfort had paid a total of $11,629,143.64. However, roughly 86% of this figure ($10 million) came from the government’s asset seizures of his properties. Those assets were sold at the beginning of the 2000s, which means he paid roughly $1.6 million in restitution from his income between then and 2013.
The reason 2013 is such a key year is that, prior to this, Belfort was obligated to put 50% of his gross income toward restitution. That obligation expired in 2013, though Jordan allegedly stopped complying with it three years earlier.
Historical Payments
Here are some of Belfort’s confirmed annual payments, according to the U.S. government:
- 2007 – $382,910
- 2008 – $148,799.19
- 2009 – $170,000
- 2010 – $0
- 2011 – $21,000
- 2012 – $158,000
In 2011, Belfort paid just $21,000 in restitution despite receiving $940,000 for selling the film rights to his life story to Red Granite Pictures. The following year, he also received an additional $250,000 from the company, but the government caught on quickly. They intervened before the payment was made, instructing Red Granite to pay $125,000 into the restitution fund.
Some reports suggest that from 2013 onwards, Belfort was required to pay a minimum of $10,000 per month into the fund. This is nothing in the grand scheme of things, since he had a remaining balance of roughly $98.73 million. At $10,000 per month, it would have taken him 822 years and 10 months to cover the full judgment.
The last official court filing made public was in 2018. It stated that Belfort had paid a total of $12,843,845.19 in restitution since the original judgment. His legal obligation expired in April 2026; therefore, the remaining balance has been wiped. We can assume that he probably paid a little more than $13 million in total.
Real Estate
Jordan Belfort previously owned an 8,706-square-foot, five-bedroom, eight-bathroom home in Glen Head, New York, before his arrest. This property features an outdoor pool, billiards room, bar, walk-in closets, and a squash court. Federal authorities seized the home in 2001 and sold it for $2.53 million to help pay restitution to his fraud victims.
Entrepreneurs
Changpeng Zhao Net Worth
Find out how Changpeng Zhao’s net worth has changed in recent years, from early successes to the major fluctuations over time.
| Net Worth: | $110 Billion |
|---|---|
| Age: | 48 |
| Born: | September 10, 1977 |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Country of Origin: | China |
| Source of Wealth: | Entrepreneur |
| Last Updated: | Aug 17, 2026 |
Introduction
Changpeng Zhao is a Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur and business executive with an estimated net worth of $110 Billion.
Zhao earned his billions as the founder, former CEO, and controlling shareholder of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. He launched the company in July 2017, raising $15 million through an initial coin offering. Today, Binance generates an estimated $16 billion in annual revenues and is valued at approximately $100 billion.
In this profile, we’ll discuss Changpeng Zhao’s net worth history, Binance fortune, additional business ventures, and some of the legal issues he’s faced.
Quick Facts
- Debuted on the Forbes Billionaires Index in 2018
- Launched the Binance cryptocurrency exchange a year prior
- Holds an estimated 90% stake in the company
- Net worth crossed the $100 million milestone in 2026
- Sentenced to four months in federal prison for violating the Bank Secrecy Act
Net Worth History
| Year | Net Worth |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $1.4 Billion |
| 2019 | $1.2 Billion |
| 2020 | $1.5 Billion |
| 2021 | $1.9 Billion |
| 2022 | $65 Billion |
| 2023 | $10.5 Billion |
| 2024 | $33 Billion |
| 2025 | $62.9 Billion |
As we briefly mentioned in the introduction, Changpeng Zhao’s net worth is primarily derived from his reported 90% stake in Binance. The most impressive aspect of his fortune is that Zhao became a billionaire less than a year after launching the company. He debuted on the Forbes Billionaires Index in 2018, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion. For the next few years, things actually remained relatively stable, though he briefly dropped off the Forbes list in 2020.
It’s important to note that, given the nature of Zhao’s business, his net worth is considered cyclical. What we mean is that cryptocurrency markets typically have cycles lasting three to four years. This is based on Bitcoin’s halving cycle, in which mining rewards are halved every time 210,000 BTC blocks are mined. Thus, setting off a chain reaction of events that ultimately results in a bull market. At least, this is what cryptocurrency’s short history has shown us.
During bull markets, Bitcoin has exploded to all-time highs, and there’s normally significant FOMO within the industry. In turn, this leads to increased activity on trading platforms like Binance and to parabolic increases in altcoin prices, such as Binance’s own BNB.
Why is this important?
Two reasons: Firstly, Changpeng Zhao has a substantial cryptocurrency portfolio, including 94 million BNB tokens and an estimated 1,400 BTC. Secondly, Binance’s valuation will naturally fluctuate between bull and bear markets.
How has this played out in terms of his net worth?
In the 2021/2022 bull market, BNB’s coin price rose to an all-time high of $650 per token. With an estimated 94 million BNB tokens in his portfolio, they would have been briefly worth up to $61.1 billion. By 2023, the price had crashed to $200 per token, reducing his stake to roughly $18.8 billion.
Forbes’ estimates differ slightly. The publication reported Zhao’s net worth at $65 billion in 2022, up from $1.9 billion in 2021, then down to $10.5 billion in 2023.
In 2025, BNB’s token price hit a new all-time high of $1,170 per coin, and Binance reportedly had a valuation of $100 billion. Zhao’s fortune rebounded from $10.5 billion to $62.9 billion in just two years. In 2026, his net worth reached $110 billion, and he’s currently ranked as the 17th richest person in the world.
Cryptocurrency Holdings
In February 2025, Changpeng Zhao publicly listed his cryptocurrency holdings in a Twitter post, though only in percentage terms, stating, “I’m a boring guy.” His holdings were as follows:
- BNB (Binance coin) – 98.6%
- BTC (Bitcoin) – 1.3%
- EURI (Eurite) – 0.17%
- USDT (Tether) – 0.03%
While exact numbers weren’t listed, reports suggest that Zhao holds 94 million BNB and 1,400 BTC. It’s not clear whether this has always been the case, but assuming it has, we can roughly calculate how much his portfolio has been worth at key points in time.
- December 2020 (BNB IPO) – Totals: $3.13 billion
- May 2021 (bull market) – Totals: $61.2 billion
- June 2022 (market crash) – Totals: $18.4 billion
- June 2024 (bull market) – Totals: $64.1 billion
- October 2025 (BNB all-time high) – Totals: $110.2 billion
- July 2026 (recent prices) – Totals: $54.6 billion
Bank Secrecy Act Violations
In 2023, the United States Department of Justice filed a criminal case against Changpeng Zhao and Binance. The case alleged that Binance failed to prevent money laundering and allowed users in restricted locations to transact on the platform.
Toward the end of the year, Zhao pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act and was sentenced to four months in a U.S. federal prison. He also agreed to pay a $50 million fine personally, while Binance paid $4.3 billion in penalties. Following the plea, he stepped down as the CEO of Binance. Zhao was later pardoned by President Trump in 2024.
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