Introduction

Carlos Ghosn is a Brazilian-born French businessman with an estimated net worth of $120 Million.

In this profile, we’ll discuss our research into Carlos Ghosn’s net worth history, income sources, and the legal issues that led to his arrest.

Quick Facts

• Total reported income of $113.3 million between 2009 and 2018
• Earned $92 million in compensation with Nissan (2009-2017)
• Earned an additional $19.3 million with Renault (2010-2018)
• Peak annual income of $14.7 million
• Arrested for concealing $80+ million of income from authorities (2018)

Salary History

When discussing Carlos Ghosn’s past salaries, it’s best to review his total annual compensation, since he served as chairman of Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi Motors simultaneously.

Additionally, the table above only covers his compensation from Renault and Nissan. Ghosn served as chairman of Mitsubishi for only three fiscal years, and, for the most part, his salary wasn’t disclosed to the public. That is, except for 2017, when he received ¥180 million in cash and ¥47 million in stock options, for a total of ¥227 million. At the time, this worked out to about $2 million USD ($1.6 million in cash and $400,000 in stock), though the Japanese Yen has been decimated since then.

Renault Compensation

Finding Ghosn’s salary as Renault’s chairman was somewhat difficult, since we had to track down all of the company’s past filings. The figures in the table above, to the best of our knowledge, are the approximate amounts that Renault actually paid Ghosn each year, converted from EUR to USD. 

In total, he earned approximately $19.28 million with the company between 2010 and 2018, peaking at $3.7 million annually. Now, there are some misleading reports online that state Ghosn earned $17 million in 2017, of which $8.4 million came from Renault. This wasn’t the amount he earned; it was a theoretical compensation package, which included:

• €1.23 million in base salary
• €362,850 in variable cash compensation
• €1,088,550 in deferred shares
• €4,642,000 in performance shares
• €47,540 in director fees
• €5,610 in benefits

However, since he ultimately resigned in January 2019, Ghosn did not receive the deferred and performance shares; thus, he never earned that $8.4 million in its entirety.

Nissan Compensation

Thankfully, Ghosn’s earnings at Nissan are much more cut-and-dried. An SEC filing revealed all of his recorded salaries, both in Japanese Yen and USD. It also becomes clear that his roles at Nissan were where he derived the majority of his income.

We should note that Ghosn first joined Nissan as the company’s Chief Operating Officer in 1999. Unfortunately, the only information listed in the filing is from 2009 through 2017. Back in 2009, Ghosn earned $13 million in annual salary, which was coincidentally his highest known salary at the company.

For the majority of the 2010s, he typically earned between $9 million and $12 million per year. As for 2017, his final year at Nissan, he earned a lower sum of $7 million. All things considered, this brought Carlos Ghosn’s total Nissan compensation to $92 million from 2009 through 2017. Now, the SEC filing states $91 million, but the individual numbers listed in the document total $92 million. It’s likely caused by rounding.

Arrest & Legal Issues

Ghosn’s arrest in Tokyo in November 2018 ignited a major corporate scandal. Japanese authorities charged him with concealing over $80 million in income and using Nissan funds for personal expenses. Shortly after, additional allegations surfaced, including breach of trust and misuse of company assets for personal gain.

In 2019, U.S. authorities added charges for his failure to disclose $140 million in expected compensation and retirement benefits, leading Ghosn to settle with a $1 million fine and a 10-year ban from serving as an officer or director of any U.S. public company.

Ghosn spent several months in solitary confinement in a Tokyo prison cell and was eventually granted bail at 1 billion yen (around $8.9 million), a record-breaking amount in Japan at the time. However, his bail was granted under strict conditions, including that he would remain under house arrest, be subject to constant surveillance, and be limited to restricted contact with others. But in December 2019, Ghosn executed a dramatic escape from house arrest, hiding inside an audio equipment box on a private jet to Turkey, and then boarded another plane bound for Beirut, Lebanon, a country with no extradition agreement with Japan.

From Beirut, Ghosn claimed his arrest was a corporate scheme led by Nissan executives to block his $30 billion plan for a full Nissan-Renault merger. He argues that Nissan’s leadership, worried about losing control to Renault, worked with Japanese officials to push him out.

Ghosn has since openly criticized Japan’s justice system, which has a 99% conviction rate, calling it “hostage justice” because of the pressure placed on defendants to confess under strict detention. As of this year, Ghosn is still hiding out in Lebanon, facing international arrest warrants from Japan and France, along with an Interpol Red Notice.

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

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) 

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

Earnings History

When it comes to discussing Jordan Belfort’s historical earnings, there are two eras to consider: during and after Stratton Oakmont. Not everything is known to the public, but several interesting pieces of information have been reported previously. First off, in 1991, Belfort was actually featured in an issue of Forbes Magazine. In that particular issue, the publication wrote:

“Stratton’s total commission revenues should hit $30 million this year. The firm now boasts nearly 150 brokers. Belfort, who owns over 50% of Stratton’s equity, may have personally made $3 million last year alone.”

It also continued to say that one of Belfort’s former brokers made roughly $800,000 in his first year, indicating just how much money the top players at Stratton Oakmont were pulling in.

How about life after trading?

In 2014, Jordan Belfort claimed he would make $100 million that year through motivational speaking and other endeavors. What’s interesting is that, if that $100 million year did exist, barely any of that income went towards restitution.

Belfort also earned roughly $1.2 million for selling the film rights to his memoirs to Red Granite Pictures. This allowed the company to create the iconic film The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonard DiCaprio and Jonah Hill. Belfort actually has a cameo in one of the film’s final scenes.

$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.