Entrepreneurs

Eric Schmidt Net Worth

Published

2 years ago

May 7, 2024

Net Worth:	$23 Billion
Age:	70
Born:	April 27, 1955
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Entrepreneur
Last Updated:	Mar 25, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Eric Schmidt is an American businessman and software engineer with an estimated net worth of $23 Billion.

Schmidt built the majority of his wealth from his work at Alphabet/Google, serving as the company’s CEO for ten years, an executive chairman for seven years, and technical advisor for his final two years. While he earned almost $60 million from salary and bonuses during his time with Alphabet, it was his stocks and shares that made him worth billions. He’s currently the chair of the US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Advisory Board.

Net Worth History

Year	Net Worth
2016	$10.2 Billion
2017	$11.1 Billion
2018	$13.4 Billion
2019	$12.9 Billion
2020	$13.2 Billion
2021	$18.9 Billion
2022	$22.1 Billion
2023	$16.2 Billion
2024	$20.6 Billion
2025	$24 Billion

Back in 2016, Eric Schmidt was worth an estimated $10.2 billion, primarily due to his stake in Alphabet. While he was earning at least $7 million annually at the time, this amount had a minimal impact on his overall net worth. Between 2017 and 2020, Schmidt’s wealth typically ranged between $11 billion and $13.5 billion.

Alphabet’s market cap has increased significantly in the past few years, reaching $2.1 trillion in 2025, with Schmidt still owning approximately 0.5% of the company. As a result, his net worth has grown accordingly, crossing the $20 billion milestone in 2022, and currently sits at $23 Billion in 2025.

Career Overview

Few businessmen have had a career comparable to Eric Schmidt, influencing some of the most successful corporations of the last few decades. After establishing his impressive skills as a software engineer in the 1980s, he went on to help found and develop several cutting-edge companies. His journey began in the early 1980s when he joined the IT company Byzromotti Design team, where he held various technical positions.

Sun Microsystems & Novell

Following a series of roles at Byzromotti Design, Bell Labs, and the Palo Alto Research Center, Eric Schmidt eventually moved to Sun Microsystems. After joining the company as a software manager, he advanced through the company’s ranks to become its Director of Software Engineering.

By the time he left Sun Microsystems, Schmidt had risen to the position of vice president of the software products division. This experience enabled him to transition to the Novell company as its CEO, facing a string of challenges as the company entered a period of decline. While Novell’s fortunes were on the wane, Eric Schmidt’s fortunes were to take a significant turn after he founded a new startup, Google.

Google Earnings

Year	Base Salary	Bonuses / Perks	Total
2001	$250,000	N/A	$250,000
2002	$250,000	N/A	$250,000
2003	$250,000	N/A	$250,000
2004	$1	N/A	$1
2005	$1	$250,000	$250,001
2006	$1	$557,465	$557,466
2007	$1	N/A	$1
2008	$1	$508,763	$508,764
2009	$1	$243,661	$243,662
2010	$1	$250,000	$250,001
2011	$1,250,000	$7,000,000	$8,250,000
2012	$1,250,000	$7,000,000	$8,250,000
2013	$1,250,000	$6,000,000	$7,250,000
2014	$1,250,000	$6,000,000	$7,250,000
2015	$1,250,000	$6,000,000	$7,250,000
2016	$1,250,000	$6,000,000	$7,250,000
2017	$1,250,000	$6,000,000	$7,250,000
2018	$2,000,000	N/A	$2,000,000
2019	$2,000,000	N/A	$2,000,000
Totals:	$13,500,000	$45,809,889	$59,309,889

Working closely with Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt’s involvement with the Google startup led him to take over as the company’s CEO in 2001. Shortly after, he began guiding its development over the following years and transforming it into a global leader. At the time, Schmidt was reportedly being paid a base salary of $250,000 per year, with additional annual performance bonuses. He also received an equity percentage in the company in 2001.

After revolutionizing early search engines, the company has since led the way with artificial intelligence and other emerging digital technologies. These developments enabled Schmidt to earn an increasingly large salary and receive share options that would ultimately make him a billionaire. What’s interesting about Eric’s salary during this time was that in 2004, he dropped his annual salary to just $1. However, he still received annual bonuses, which were typically worth more than his old salary, but not always. He also received 14.3 million shares of Alphabet stock upon the launch of its IPO. Between 2004 and 2010, he stuck to this pay structure, with some of his annual bonuses including:

2006 – $557,465
2008 – $508,763
2009 – $243,661

In 2011, Schmidt stepped down from the CEO role and became an executive chairman, continuing to advise Google’s co-founders. His annual base salary increased to roughly $1.25 million, but the most significant difference came from his yearly bonuses and shares in Alphabet. Schmidt received an annual bonus of $6 million, increasing his yearly income to $7.25 million. He also received $100 million worth of Alphabet stock, some of which he has since sold.

For his final two years with the company as a technical advisor, Schmidt reportedly earned $2 million per year in salary, which brings his total earnings, excluding stock options, to $59.3 million.

Alphabet Share Sales

Eric Schmidt has sold a large number of Alphabet shares on two separate occasions. The first occurred in 2013, when he sold 3.2 million shares for $2.5 billion. The second was in 2019, when he sold 1.8 million shares for approximately $1.4 billion, for a combined $3.9 billion in cashouts.

According to reports, he still owns approximately 0.5% of Alphabet’s total shares, worth roughly $10.75 billion.

The Department Of Defense

With his status as one of the wealthiest individuals in the world secured through his long-standing relationship with the Google brand, Eric Schmidt explored new opportunities. His work with the Department of Defense, as chair of an advisory board, was instrumental in forging relationships between the military and the tech sector.

His relationship with military contractors was prominent in his career between 2019 and 2021, when he chaired the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Elon Musk’s work with the DOD and partnership with the US Space Force later echoed these collaborations with the military-industrial complex.

Recruiting Scandal

Schmidt’s recruiting scandal involved secret “no-poach” agreements between tech giants, including Google, Apple, Intel, and Adobe, from the mid-2000s to 2009. These deals, spearheaded by top executives like Schmidt, Apple’s Steve Jobs, and Intel’s Paul Otellini, quietly ensured that companies wouldn’t recruit each other’s employees. While this kept internal teams intact, it also held back salaries, blocked career opportunities, and undermined fair competition.

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) uncovered the agreements during an antitrust investigation, digging up emails that painted a clear picture of collusion. One 2007 email showed Steve Jobs asking Schmidt to stop a Google recruiter from approaching an Apple employee. Schmidt acted swiftly, instructing his HR team to shut it down, leaving little doubt that these deals were actively enforced.

However, the consequences were more significant than anyone thought, as more than 64,000 workers filed a class-action lawsuit claiming suppressed wages and stifled career growth. The scandal resulted in a $415 million settlement in 2014. Despite their roles in orchestrating the agreements, Schmidt and other top executives faced no personal legal consequences or financial penalties.

The scandal prompted influential tech firms to reassess their hiring practices and sparked broader discussions about workplace fairness. Even after the settlement, the no-poach agreements left a lasting stain on the reputations of those involved, with Schmidt’s role during this period continuing to draw criticism.

Notable Business Ventures

In addition to establishing and developing Google’s services and brand, Eric Schmidt has been involved in many other notable ventures. He briefly served on the board of directors for Apple from 2006 to 2009 and also served as chair of the board of directors at the Broad Institute.

Schmidt has also assisted with research and development at notable educational institutions, including Princeton, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon Universities. Like fellow billionaire Bill Gates, he has invested time and money in the biotech industry, serving on the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology. Schmidt’s additional investments include joining an investment group to purchase the NFL team, the Washington Commanders, in 2023.

Entrepreneurs

Steve Ballmer Net Worth

Published

3 months ago

Dec 15, 2025

Dan Western

Net Worth:	$120.1 Billion
Age:	67
Born:	March 24, 1956
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Businessman
Last Updated:	February 15, 2024

Table of Contents

Introduction

Steve Ballmer is an American investor, businessman, and philanthropist with an estimated net worth of $120.1 Billion.

Ballmer built his net worth during his thirty-four-year career at Microsoft, having joined the company when it was worth just a few million dollars. He served as the chief executive officer for fourteen years, earning an average of $1.2 million/year in compensation. His initial 8% stake in the company has since been reduced to less than 4%, with shares worth well over $3.2 billion sold during his tenure.

Since retiring, Ballmer has acquired the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team and begun focusing more heavily on philanthropic efforts with his wife, Connie Snyder. In this profile, we’ll discuss our research on Steve Ballmer’s net worth history, his career at Microsoft, his salary and earnings, and other factors that have shaped his wealth over time.

Quick Facts

Previously held an 8% stake in Microsoft
Earned $17.1 million in salary as CEO of the company
Paid $2 billion to acquire the Los Angeles Lakers NBA team

Net Worth History

Net Worth:	$120.1 Billion
Age:	67
Born:	March 24, 1956
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Businessman
Last Updated:	February 15, 2024

Since nearly all of Steve Ballmer’s wealth was generated through his 8% stake in Microsoft, his net worth history can be tracked relatively easily. In 1986, Microsoft launched its IPO, which skyrocketed Microsoft’s valuation, giving it a market capitalization of $777 million. This gave Ballmer a net worth of roughly $62 million at the time.

By the end of 1990, the company’s market cap had grown to $4.8 billion, increasing the value of his stake to $384 million. In 2000, his stake had grown to an enormous $46.9 billion, but the dot-com bust wiped out over 60% of the company’s valuation in a matter of months. Ballmer often sold shares of Microsoft regularly. The most notable of which was in 2003, when he sold 39.3 million shares for $955 million. This reportedly reduced his ownership stake to 4%.

In 2009, Ballmer’s net worth was estimated at approximately $11 billion. A year later, he reportedly sold more than 83.1 million Microsoft shares across five transactions, totaling more than $2.2 billion. However, it appears he’s been quiet on the trading front since then, with his net worth continuing to increase as Microsoft’s market cap grows.

In 2015, he was worth approximately $21.5 billion; by 2019, he was worth $41.2 billion, and by 2022, $91.4 billion. As of 2025, Steve Ballmer is estimated to be worth approximately $120.1 Billion.

Microsoft

In 1980, Steve Ballmer became Microsoft’s 30th employee, taking on the role of business manager. Upon joining, he received an 8% stake in the company and an initial reported base salary of $50,000/year. He helped oversee the Windows and Office franchises during the late 1980s and 1990s and helped launch Windows 95.

When Bill Gates stepped down as CEO of Microsoft in 2000, Ballmer took his place and led the company until 2014. During this time, Microsoft had some of its most successful years, launching Windows XP, Windows 7, and, most notably, its Xbox gaming console. In 2000, Microsoft reported annual revenues of $25 billion; by the time Ballmer stepped down, this figure had tripled to $78 billion.

Acquisitions

As CEO, Ballmer also led some of the company’s most notorious acquisitions, both good and bad. In 2007, they acquired aQuantive for $6.3 billion to compete with Google in digital advertising. Just five years later, Microsoft effectively wrote off $6.2 billion and admitted its failure.

In 2011, Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion, perhaps one of the more successful acquisitions during Ballmer’s reign as CEO. In 2013, they also acquired Nokia for $7.2 billion, hoping to compete in the smartphone market, but it again had to be marked down as a multi-billion-dollar write-off.

Microsoft Salary

Year	Base Salary	Bonus	Total
2000	$600,000	$200,000	$800,000
2001	$656,000	$374,500	$1,030,000
2002	$656,000	$324,500	$980,500
2003	$700,000	$400,000	$1,100,000
2004	$901,000	$175,000	$1,080,000
2005	$605,000	$620,000	$1,230,000
2006	$616,667	$350,000	$966,667
2007	$620,000	$700,000	$1,320,000
2008	$640,833	$700,000	$1,340,000
2009	$665,833	$700,000	$1,370,000
2010	$682,500	$670,000	$1,350,000
2011	$682,500	$682,500	$1,370,000
2012	$685,000	$620,000	$1,300,000
2013	$700,000	$550,000	$1,260,000
2014	$500,000	$375,000	$875,000
Totals:	$9,950,000	$7,140,000	$17,090,000

Ballmer never had a particularly high salary during his time at Microsoft, at least compared to his overall net worth today. We already mentioned his starting salary of $50,000/year, but how about as CEO?

From 2000 to 2014, as Microsoft’s CEO, Steve Ballmer received an annual base salary ranging from $600,000 to $700,000. The only two outliers from this range were in 2004, when he received $901,000, and 2014, which wasn’t a full calendar year. Ballmer also earned an annual bonus, ranging from $175,000 in 2004 to $700,000 (in multiple years). His average annual bonus as CEO was roughly $510,000.

Overall, this meant he earned between $800,000 and $1.2 million annually for the first seven years. This was followed by earnings of between $1.26 million and $1.37 million annually from 2007 to 2013. He’s estimated to have earned $17.1 million in compensation as the CEO.

Los Angeles Clippers Acquisition

Upon leaving Microsoft in 2014, Ballmer acquired the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion. Several bids were placed to purchase the team after Donald Sterling, the previous owner, was caught on tape making racist comments and was banned for life by the NBA. Ballmer’s bid was the highest, closing his acquisition of the team. At the time, the purchase was considered an incredibly high-risk move, with professional valuations of the Clippers coming in at under $1 billion.

However, in recent years, his investment has paid off significantly, with the team’s value more than doubling in the last five years. Recent estimates place the club’s value at $5.5 billion, generating $353 million in revenue over the past twelve months.

Entrepreneurs

Dave Portnoy Net Worth

Published

3 months ago

Dec 15, 2025

John Mulder

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:	Mar 24, 2026

Table of Contents

Introduction

Dave Portnoy is an American entrepreneur and sports media personality with an estimated net worth of $120 Million.

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 of 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 of 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 Bartstool 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

Peter Woo Net Worth

Peter Woo may be one of the richest men in Hong Kong, but just how much is he worth today?

Published

6 months ago

Oct 1, 2025

Dan Western

Net Worth:	$13 Billion
Age:	77
Born:	September 5, 1946
Gender:	Male
Height:	Unknown
Country of Origin:	China
Source of Wealth:	Entrepreneur
Last Updated:	January 22, 2024

Table of Contents

Introduction

Peter Woo is a Hong Kong billionaire businessman with an estimated net worth of $12.5 Billion.

Net Worth History

Year	Net Worth
2016	$6.6 Billion
2017	$10.5 Billion
2018	$12.2 Billion
2019	$10.8 Billion
2020	$11.5 Billion
2021	$18 Billion
2022	$17 Billion
2023	$15.8 Billion
2024	$15.1 Billion
2025	$12.5 Billion

Peter Woo’s net worth is primarily derived from his controlling stake in Wheelock & Company Limited, which is approximately just 18%, based on a December 2019 filing. He previously controlled as much as 60.51% of the company. The company was privatized in 2021; therefore, we’re unable to obtain an accurate valuation for 2025. That said, valuation history is available for the years from 2001 to 2020. During this period, Wheelock & Co.’s market capitalization increased significantly from $2.23 billion to $16.23 billion.

In 2016, the company was worth approximately $11.43 billion, with Peter Woo’s net worth estimated at $6.6 billion. At the time, his fortune was largely tied to the company’s value. By 2018, Woo was worth an estimated $12.2 billion, but experienced a brief decline during the business restructuring.

Following privatization, Peter Woo’s net worth skyrocketed to approximately $18 billion, but it has been slowly dipping ever since. This is due to several factors, the majority of which have impacted the real estate portion of the business. One such factor is the weakening relationship between Hong Kong and Mainland China, which impacts a wide variety of Hong Kong-based companies.

As a result, Woo’s net worth is currently estimated to be in the realm of $12.5 Billion.

Before Wealth & Fame

Peter Woo was educated at St. Stephen’s College, a government-funded boarding school and Hong Kong’s largest secondary school. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree, majoring in physics, from the University of Cincinnati in the United States and became the senior class president.

Shortly after, he obtained his MBA from Columbia Business School and then worked at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York and Hong Kong after graduating. Like many of the richest people in the world, Woo started relatively small before working his way up to become a billionaire.

Banking & Real Estate

While working for Chase Manhattan Bank, Peter Woo met his future wife, Bessie, the sister of the woman he was arranged to marry. Later, Woo moved on to work for Wharf Holdings, a Hong Kong-based real estate and infrastructure company, which helped him earn his fortune.

He eventually took over as managing director of Wheelock Properties, a subsidiary of Wharf Holdings, and helped the company achieve lasting success. Like Joseph Lau, the real estate industry proved to be perfect for Peter Woo, and he excelled in the business thanks to his keen sense.

Due to his diverse interests, Woo began focusing on real estate specifically in Hong Kong, Singapore, and China. His group owns several investment properties in the region, such as Harbour City and Times Square in Hong Kong.

Additional Businesses

Along with Wheelock Properties, Peter Woo helped operate numerous other businesses, including i-Cable Communications and Wharf New T&T. He also owns the private high-end luxury retail group LCJG, which comprises the fashion house Joyce and Lane Crawford.

Lane Crawford has been a highly successful retail company, operating in China since 1850, and is now part of the Joyce Group. Of course, overseeing some of the most popular online brands and real estate operations isn’t enough for Woo because he likes being busy. In addition to these businesses, he also sits on the boards of numerous other Fortune 500 companies, which demonstrates his significant influence.

Boards, Politics & Non-Profits

Peter Woo serves on the advisory boards of numerous Fortune 500 companies, including JPMorgan Chase, one of the world’s largest banks. He is also a member of the advisory board for General Electric, an American multinational corporation with several divisions, including energy and aerospace.

Additionally, Woo is a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. This is an advisory body in China, and its members advise on and propose solutions to social and political issues. For his work, the Government of Hong Kong appointed Woo to be a Justice of the Peace in 1993, and in 98 he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star.

Past Ventures

As one of the wealthiest individuals in Asia, Peter Woo has held numerous prominent positions throughout his career. From 1993 to 1997, he served as chairman of the Council of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He was also the founding chairman of the Hong Kong Environment and Conservation Fund Committee, serving in that position from 1994 to 2004. Woo has also been the chairman of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

In 1996, he became directly involved in politics, running in the first Hong Kong Chief Executive Election before the colony was handed over to Chinese rule.

Most recently, he made headlines calling for an end to travel restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While he remains active in business, in 2013, he appointed his son, Douglas Woo, as the managing director of Wheelock in 2013.