Entrepreneurs
Hiroshi Mikitani Net Worth

Net Worth: | $4.4 Billion |
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Age: | 62 |
Born: | March 11, 1963 |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | Unknown |
Country of Origin: | Japan |
Source of Wealth: | Founder of Rakuten Inc. |
Last Updated: | Jul 8, 2025 |
Introduction
Hiroshi Mikitani is a Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Rakuten with an estimated net worth of $4.4 Billion.
Mikitani’s net worth is growing steadily every year, so there’s a lot to be learned from his background and the story of how he took his local business global.
Net Worth History
Year | Net Worth |
---|---|
2016 | $5.6 Billion |
2017 | $5.8 Billion |
2018 | $5.5 Billion |
2019 | $4.8 Billion |
2020 | $4.5 Billion |
2021 | $6.7 Billion |
2022 | $5.1 Billion |
2023 | $3.4 Billion |
2024 | $3.8 Billion |
2025 | $4.4 Billion |
Hiroshi Mikitani’s net worth heavily correlates with the performance of Rakuten Group, Inc., of which Mikitani holds a 39% stake. At the end of 2016, his net worth was estimated to be approximately $5.6 billion, with Rakuten Group’s market cap valued at roughly $14 billion. At the time, his 39% stake would have contributed approximately $5.45 billion to his net worth.
Between 2017 and 2020, Rakuten began making highly aggressive investments, including a $5.5 billion launch of its mobile service in 2020. As a result, the company was posting significant annual losses, with its 2017 filings listing losses of approximately $950 million. By May 2018, Rakuten’s market cap had fallen to $9.1 billion, and despite a brief rebound to $19 billion in 2021, it sank even further to $7.2 billion in 2022.
As you can see from the table above, there is a clear correlation between the company’s market capitalization and Hiroshi’s estimated net worth. His net worth fell to approximately $4.5 billion in 2020, then rose to a short-lived peak of $6.7 billion in 2021, before dropping significantly to $3.4 billion by 2023. Over the last couple of years, Rakuten’s financial outlook has shown some improvement. As of 2025, Mikitani’s net worth is estimated to be in the ballpark of $4.4 Billion.
Before Wealth & Fame
Raised in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture in Japan, Hiroshi Mikitani’s father was the chairman of the Japan Society of Monetary Economics and a professor at Kobe University.
Once he grew up, Hiroshi attended Hitotsubashi University and graduated in 1988 with a degree in commerce. From 1988 to 1996, with a break from 1991 to 1993 to attend Harvard Business School, Hiroshi worked at the Industrial Bank of Japan.
In 1996, he left the bank to establish his consulting group, Crimson Group, to revitalize Japan’s economy following the Kobe earthquake. While he was far from being one of the wealthiest people in the world at the time, he was quickly building his name and his fortune.
The Rakuten Group
In February 1997, Hiroshi Mikitani founded MDM, Inc., an e-commerce company, and launched the online marketplace Rakuten Ichiba in Japan. The company was renamed Rakuten, Inc. in 1999 and went public on the JASDAQ in 2000, where it performed exceptionally well.
His reason for founding the company was that he envisioned having an online marketplace that focused on exchanges between buyers and sellers. Although it started as a small online marketplace with 13 shops and 6 employees, it soon grew to become an e-commerce titan. Like Michael Hartono, Mikitani had grown from someone relatively unknown into one of the most important businessmen in Japan.
Expanding His Company
In 2010, Mikitani began expanding his company outside of Japan, acquiring e-commerce sites such as Buy.com in the US and PriceMinister in France. Mikitani also took a minority stake in the scrapbooking site Pinterest and the ride-sharing app Lyft, a company where he serves as a board member.
As of 2017, Rakuten had over 14,000 employees and more than 42,000 shops across its various e-commerce sites, with sales of nearly $6 billion. With his company now being one of the most popular brands online, Mikitani’s wealth and influence only continued to grow.
Also beginning in 2010 was the “Englishnization” of Rakuten, which saw Mikitani make English the primary language of the business. Although Honda’s president, Takanobu Ito, hailed the decision as “stupid,” Mikitani considered it to be a significant advantage for the company globally.
Kosmos Holding & Sports Ownership
Along with being the president of Rakuten, Hiroshi Mikitani partnered with Gerard Piqué in 2017 to co-found Kosmos Holding. This holding company and investment group specializes in investing in companies within the sports, media, and entertainment industries.
In 2018, Kosmos acquired the Davis Cup, a tennis property, and the Spanish football club FC Andorra. Alongside these modern acquisitions, Mikitani took over the Vissel Kobe Football Club in 1995 after the Kobe Earthquake. Mikitani was asked to take over ownership of the club because the damage from the earthquake meant the city could no longer maintain it.
In 2004, the Japanese Pacific League dropped two teams, and Mikitani was approached about starting an expansion team in Sendai. This led to the start of the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, who went on to win the 2013 Japan series, two years after the tsunami that devastated the region.
Summary
Hiroshi Mikitani is an incredibly successful entrepreneur, with an estimated net worth of $4.4 Billion.
Entrepreneurs
Patrick Bet-David Net Worth

Net Worth: | $200 Million |
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Age: | 46 |
Born: | October 18, 1978 |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
Country of Origin: | Iran |
Source of Wealth: | Entrepreneur |
Last Updated: | Jul 8, 2025 |
Introduction
Patrick Bet-David is an Iranian-American entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $200 Million.
PHP Agency
Bet-David built his financial empire on two main ventures, PHP Agency and Valuetainment. He launched PHP Agency (People Helping People) in 2009 as a life insurance and annuity marketing company. The business employed a controversial multi-level marketing (MLM) structure, where agents earned commissions not only on their sales but also on sales made by people they recruited. The more individuals that each salesperson recruits, the more they earn.
PHP’s MLM model has been criticized for relying too heavily on recruitment, with only a few agents earning significant income. YouTuber Coffeezilla investigated PHP Agency and concluded that many recruits lose money. Despite this, PHP Agency received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has not faced any industry penalties.
Growth
By 2017, his PHP business had grown to over 5,000 licensed agents and now served 49 states across the US. In the same year, it raised $10 million in private equity to enable its continuing growth. One of the investors was the former boxer-turned-entrepreneur Oscar De la Hoya. He was particularly impressed by the work PHP had done with the Hispanic market. Recognizing that the Hispanic community often faces challenges in accessing insurance, PHP aimed to support this underrepresented group. At its peak in 2024, PHP claimed to have over 45,000 agents, with Bet-David crediting PHP’s rapid expansion to investments in technology and a focus on diverse, often underserved, communities.
Acquisition
In July 2022, PHP Agency was acquired by Integrity Marketing Group, one of the largest distributors of life and health insurance in the United States. As part of the deal, Bet-David became a Managing Partner at Integrity, but there is no official public disclosure of the exact value of Bet-David’s earnings from the sale. He remained actively involved during the sale and reportedly completed his earn-out by 2024.
Valuetainment
On November 9, 2012, Bet-David stepped out into content creation when he launched his YouTube channel Valuetainment. Typically, for Bet-David, the channel’s prime focus was on business strategy and entrepreneurship. It very rapidly grew a loyal following, and by 2024, it had more than 475 million views and over 6.4 million subscribers.
His YouTube channel was so successful that Valuetainment expanded into podcasting, public speaking, live events, online education, and merchandise. Bet-David began to interview high-profile guests, including Kobe Bryant and Mark Cuban. Under the umbrella of the Valutainment brand, Bet-David launched The PBD Podcast, which became one of the top-ranked business podcasts on Spotify, further increasing his reach.
Vault Conference
With the success of PHP, Bet-David had proved that he knew what he was doing in business. To help other entrepreneurs, he launched the Vault Conference in 2020. It has since evolved into an annual high-ticket event featuring keynote speakers, workshops, and networking sessions.
Ticket prices started at $495, reaching $5,000 plus for a VIP experience. Typically, 1,000 to 2,000 people attend the conference, which generates approximately $2 million to $5 million in gross revenue per event. It is a significant source of revenue for Valuetainment and serves as a sales funnel for Bet-David’s coaching programs and products.
Real Estate
In June 2021, Patrick Bet-David paid $20.4 million for a 10,436-square-foot, six-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The property was initially listed for $25 million before Bet-David bagged himself a $4.6 million discount. The entrepreneur has provided a personal video tour of the home on his YouTube channel, which you can view below. Recent estimates place the home’s value at approximately $22.4 million, costing Bet-David up to $360,000 per year in property taxes.
Continuing with his investments in Florida, Bet-David made the move into commercial real estate in September 2024. He paid $25 million for an office and hangar complex in a bankruptcy sale. Located near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, the complex has 20,150 sq ft of office space, an 18,048 sq ft private aircraft hangar, and a two-bedroom apartment.
Although he hasn’t explicitly stated what the complex will be used for, it is likely to support Valuetainment’s media, logistics, and event production needs as the company continues to grow.
Entrepreneurs
Tom Bilyeu Net Worth

Net Worth: | $400 Million |
---|---|
Age: | 49 |
Born: | March 30, 1976 |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
Country of Origin: | United States of America |
Source of Wealth: | Entrepreneur |
Last Updated: | Jul 8, 2025 |
Introduction
Tom Bilyeu is an American entrepreneur and businessman with an estimated net worth of $400 Million.
Quest Nutrition
One of Bilyeu’s first business ventures was Quest Nutrition, which he started in 2010 alongside Ron Penna and Mike Osborn. The business focused on protein-rich snack foods with minimal sugar. Their flagship product, the Quest Bar, has become extremely popular among fitness enthusiasts, bodybuilders, and health-conscious individuals.
As a result, Quest Nutrition experienced rapid growth and, within a few years, transitioned from a startup to a company generating over $400 million in annual revenue. Bilyeu left the company in 2016, and Quest Nutrition was eventually sold in 2019. The Simply Good Foods Company bought Quest for $1 billion, making it one of the decade’s most successful health food startups.
Impact Theory
Shortly after leaving Quest Nutrition, Bilyeu founded Impact Theory in October 2016. He started Impact Theory as a self-funded venture, giving him complete control over his business. Impact Theory was created to inspire individuals through content that promotes personal development, a growth mindset, and self-transformation.
Bilyeu has been the company’s CEO from the start, building a brand that focuses on thought-provoking interviews, education, and motivation. His hugely popular YouTube channel features in-depth conversations with entrepreneurs, authors, scientists, and thought leaders. Guests have included Simon Sinek, Dr. Joe Dispenza, and David Goggins. Through Impact Theory, he continues to blend storytelling and psychology to help people overcome limiting beliefs and unlock their potential.
U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission Lawsuit
In 2023, Bilyeu became the subject of a landmark legal case. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) took its first-ever action against an NFT project. Bilyeu’s company was charged with offering “Founder’s Keys,” which were unregistered securities in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). An unregistered security is a stock, bond, or note that has not been registered with the SEC through a formal registration statement. Registration with the SEC is a legal requirement for most securities before they can be offered or sold to the general public.
The SEC alleged that Impact Theory, Bilyeu’s company, raised approximately $30 million from investors by marketing the NFTs as investment opportunities. Bilyeu settled the case without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings. The settlement required his company to pay over $6.1 million in penalties. They also had to destroy all unsold Founder’s Keys NFTs and forfeit future royalties from the resale of these NFTs. Bilyeu also had to agree to establish a fund to compensate affected investors. The SEC’s action set a precedent for how NFTs might be regulated as securities in the U.S going forward.
Real Estate
Beverly Hills Mansion
Bilyeu and his wife purchased a Beverly Hills mansion in 2015 for $8.25 million. The home featured six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a media room, a wine cellar, a pool, a sports court, and outdoor living areas. The couple put the property on the market in late 2020, initially asking for just under $10 million. The listing went on and off the market over the next two years and was eventually sold for the full asking price of $10 million in early 2023.
Hollywood Hills Mansion
While selling their Beverly Hills mansion, Bilyeu and his wife bought a three-story Hollywood Hills mega-mansion. The couple made headlines as it was one of L.A.’s most expensive residential transactions that year. They purchased the property for a reported $35.5 million. The home, situated in one of Los Angeles’s most exclusive enclaves, spans 20,058 square feet.
The mansion includes five bedrooms and eight bathrooms, a glass elevator, a rooftop deck, a state-of-the-art wine cellar, and a private movie theater. It also features a 175-foot infinity pool with a waterfall, and has panoramic views across Los Angeles, from downtown to the Pacific Ocean. Bilyeu also uses the mansion as a base for Impact Theory, recording interviews and filming production shoots.
Highlights
Here are some of the best highlights of Tom Bilyeu’s career:
- X-Prize Foundation (1995)
- Quest Nutrition (Co-founder, 2010)
- Inc 5000 (Magazine, 2014)
- The Tony Robbins Podcast (2014)
- Impact Theory (2016)
Entrepreneurs
Robin Li Net Worth
Robin Li is one of the richest men in China, but just how much is he worth today?

Net Worth: | $10 Billion |
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Age: | 56 |
Born: | November 17, 1968 |
Gender: | Male |
Height: | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
Country of Origin: | China |
Source of Wealth: | Entrepreneur |
Last Updated: | Jul 8, 2025 |
Introduction
Robin Li is a Chinese computer scientist and internet entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $10 Billion.
Net Worth History
Year | Net Worth |
---|---|
2016 | $11 Billion |
2017 | $13.3 Billion |
2018 | $12 Billion |
2019 | $9.6 Billion |
2020 | $4.9 Billion |
2021 | $14.7 Billion |
2022 | $7 Billion |
2023 | $7.7 Billion |
2024 | $5.9 Billion |
2025 | $5.7 Billion |
Business Ventures
In addition to developing RankDex in 1994 and starting Baidu in 2000, Li has also been involved in other business ventures throughout his career.
He has been the Chairman of iQIYI, a Chinese video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service founded in 2010. Now owned by Baidu, iQIYI is often referred to as the “Netflix of China.” It went public in the United States in 2018, raising $2.25 billion, and is now one of the biggest online video websites in the world, with 500 million monthly active users.
Li also served as a board member of New Oriental, China’s largest private education service provider. In 2006, New Oriental became the first Chinese private education company to list on the New York Stock Exchange in the United States, achieving a market capitalization of $14 billion and serving 26.6 million students.
Philanthropy
Outside of his day-to-day commitments, Li has consistently supported initiatives that give back to the community. This is evident in his philanthropic endeavors, which include supporting specific departments at universities, funding ongoing research, and contributing to disaster relief efforts.
In 2013, Li and his wife donated $200,000 to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Buffalo’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The Robin Li Data Mining and Machine Learning Laboratory was then established to support the university’s ongoing research and commitment to excellence in data mining and machine learning.
In April 2018, Li made his largest donation of ¥660 million ($91 million) to Peking University, where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Management, in support of the university’s 120th anniversary. The donation was used to establish the Peking University Baidu Fund, which focuses on the research and development of artificial intelligence and related technologies. In the same year, Li advocated for China to reduce taxes in the Xiong’an New Area economic zone to help attract world-class international talent. Li claimed that high taxes are making China a less desirable destination for top-tier talent and are hindering China’s ability to make significant advancements in artificial intelligence development.
Outside of his personal donations and philanthropic campaigns, through Li’s guidance, Baidu donated ¥90 million ($12.4 million) to support disaster relief efforts in Henan Province following the severe flooding in July 2021. By the end of 2021, disaster relief had become the largest area of Baidu’s philanthropic contributions, with a total of ¥198.55 million ($27.2 million) donated under Li’s leadership.
Li’s commitment to supporting the continued development of education and innovation in China and abroad through funding new initiatives and research centres is a testament to his philanthropic character.
Highlights
Here are some of the best highlights of Robin Li’s career:
- Li is the co-founder of Baidu
- He is a member of the 12th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
- Chinese Top Ten Innovative Pioneers (2001)
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