Entrepreneurs

Steve Ballmer Net Worth

Published

2 years ago

Feb 15, 2024

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%, having sold off shares worth well over $3.2 billion during his time with the company.

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

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 their IPO, which skyrocketed Microsoft’s valuation giving them 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 burst wiped out over 60% of the company’s valuation rapidly. Ballmer often sold shares of Microsoft on a regular basis. 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 over 83.1 million Microsoft shares, spread out over five transactions, worth over $2.2 billion in total. 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, reaching $41.2 billion in 2019, and $91.4 billion in 2022. 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, leading the company from 2000 to 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 in an attempt 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, attempting to compete in the smartphone market, but again, they had to mark it 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 the CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer received an annual base salary ranging between $600,000 and $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, as low as $175,000 in 2004, and as high as $700,000 (multiple years). His average annual bonus as CEO was roughly $510,000.

Overall, this equated to him earning a total of between $800,000 and $1.2 million annually for the first seven years. This was followed with earnings of between $1.26 million and $1.37 million annually from 2007 to 2013. He’s estimated to have earned a total of $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 incredible 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.

Highlights

Here are some of the best highlights of Steve Ballmer’s career:

Hired By Bill Gates (1980)
President of the Company (1998)
Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft (2000)
Retired as CEO (2014)
Placed a Bid (2014)
Clippers Owner (2014)

Entrepreneurs

Rich Paul Net Worth

Published

3 weeks ago

Jul 24, 2025

Dan Western

Net Worth:	$120 Million
Age:	43
Born:	December 16, 1981
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Sports Agent
Last Updated:	Aug 15, 2025

Table of Contents

Introduction

Rich Paul is an American professional sports agent with an estimated net worth of $120 Million.

As the founder and owner of Klutch Sports Group, Rich Paul manages contracts for almost 200 professional athletes across basketball, baseball, football, and soccer. The company manages several billion dollars in contract value at any one time, taking a commission of between 3% and 5% on each negotiated contract.

Klutch Sports Group

In 2012, Rich Paul launched Klutch Sports Group, a sports agency responsible for managing professional athletes and their contract negotiations. When the company was first founded, Klutch Sports focused primarily on the NBA, but gradually expanded into half a dozen sports leagues, including the MLB, MLS, NFL, and WNBA. They were initially headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, but later established their headquarters in Beverly Hills, California. Based on the most recent information available, Klutch Sports now has locations in Atlanta, Cleveland, Nashville, New York, and Los Angeles.

Expansion by Acquisition

Although Rich Paul initially focused on the NBA, the company’s growth allowed him to expand into other sports. Instead of entering new leagues from the ground up, Klutch Sports focused on acquiring notable agencies that held a larger number of clients from a particular sport. Unfortunately, none of the financial details from each of the company’s acquisitions has been publicly disclosed, but here’s what we do know:

2020 – Tidal Sports Group (MLB)
2020 – Revolution Sports Agency (NFL)
2023 – Elite Athlete Management (NFL)
2023 – Rep 1 Baseball Agency (MLB)
2024 – ROOF (European soccer)

With all of these acquisitions, Klutch Sports was able to bring in all of the companies’ former clients. For the MLB agencies, Tidal Sports Group and Rep 1 Baseball, Klutch Sports added clients such as Alex Bregman, Marcus Stroman, Rafael Devers, and Devin Williams.

As for the two NFL agencies, Revolution Sports and Elite Athlete Management, the acquisitions added a substantial number of successful players to the Klutch Sports roster. This included:

While these clients were acquired through acquisitions, it’s essential to note the existing NBA client list that Klutch Sports has built since 2012. This list includes heavy hitters such as:

Contract Value & Commission

It’s challenging to evaluate just how much money Klutch Sports holds under management, as this would include the combined value from every active contract of all its clients. This is not just limited to team contracts, but also brand endorsement deals. In 2021, TIME magazine listed Klutch Sports among the top 100 most influential companies of the year, reporting over $1.8 billion in contracts under management for clients in the NBA and NFL.

The maximum commission that a sports agent can command from a player’s contract agreement is 4% in the NBA and WNBA. However, for the NFL, the percentage is capped at 3%, and in the MLB, the maximum is 5%. These caps are not expanded to brand endorsements, and agencies typically take a cut of between 10% and 20% for such deals.

Klutch Sports typically sticks to the maximum percentage cap; thus, if their client signs a $100 million contract, the agency can earn up to $40 million (NBA), $50 million (MLB), and $30 million (NFL).

Notable Contract Commissions

As of 2025, Klutch Sports reportedly has nearly 200 professional athletes under management across four separate sports, meaning that a 3-5% commission, even for lower-value contracts, can quickly accumulate. Some of Paul’s most notable negotiations, of course, include his experience managing LeBron, securing multiple agreements valued at over $400 million. At a 4% commission, assuming LeBron earned the full value of the deal, the agency would have earned $16 million.

When Anthony Davis signed a three-year, $186 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, Klutch Sports potentially earned $7.4 million in commission.

Other notable deals include:

Fred VanVleet – $130 million (estimated $5.2 million commission)
Draymond Green – $100 million (estimated $4 million commission)
Jerami Grant – $160 million (estimated $6.4 million commission)

Real Estate

Paul owns a beautiful home in Los Angeles, which he purchased for $4.35 million. It’s a traditional home, featuring six bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms.

Entrepreneurs

Joel Glazer Net Worth

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 20, 2025

John Mulder

Net Worth:	$1 Billion
Age:	58
Born:	March 31, 1967
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Entrepreneur
Last Updated:	Aug 15, 2025

Table of Contents

Introduction

Joel Glazer is an American businessman and part of the Glazer family with an estimated net worth of $1 Billion.

The family controls First Allied Corporation and the Zapata Corporation, as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL and England’s Manchester United Football Club. Glazer was born in Rochester, New York.

Quick Facts

Estimated 16.7% stake in Tampa Bay Buccaneers valued at $900 million
Acquired 68% of Manchester United for £800 million in 2005
Remaining 47% stake in the club is valued at over $1 billion

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Acquisition

In January 1995, Joel’s father, Malcolm, secured an agreement to purchase the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the former owner, Hugh Culverhouse, had passed away in August of the prior year. As it turns out, Malcolm had been desperate to own an NFL team, and in 1993, had put in a bid to bring an NFL team to Baltimore. Back then, the Ravens didn’t exist, but unfortunately, Malcolm’s bid was rejected.

Finally, he was able to acquire the Buccaneers for approximately $192 million and placed both of his sons, Joel and Edward, in leadership positions. Joel was 28 years old at the time.

Thirty years later, and here we are; the franchise remains in the hands of the Glazer family, with ownership split among the six siblings. The exact split has never been confirmed, but just assuming it’s an even split, Joel would own roughly 16.7%. In August 2024, Forbes valued the team at $5.4 billion, which is a whopping $5.2 billion more than their father paid. Assuming Joel has always held a 16.7% stake, in 1995, it would have been worth roughly $32.06 million, and by 2024, it had grown to $901.8 million.

Manchester United Acquisition

In May 2005, Joel Glazer and his family negotiated a deal to acquire 68% of the English Premier League soccer club, Manchester United. The acquisition, made through their company Red Football Ltd, was worth a reported £800 million (approximately $1.46 billion at the time). This would have placed the club’s valuation at roughly £1.18 billion ($2.15 billion).

The purchase initially put Manchester United under a heavy financial burden, as much of the £800 million was secured by borrowing against the club’s assets. It has been reported that this led to the club holding significant debts, owing £60 million per year in interest payments alone.

Although Manchester United is no longer a dominant force in the English Premier League, they were the league’s strongest club for seven years following the investment. In five of those years, they won the league, finishing second in the other two. As a result, the club’s value has increased significantly over the past two decades.

In December 2023, INEOS, led by billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, acquired 25% of the club’s A and B class shares at $33 per share. Since then, he’s increased his overall stake to roughly 28.9%.

As of May 2025, Joel Glazer holds a remaining stake of 43%, and the club’s market valuation is approximately $2.4 billion. This would equate to Glazer’s stake being worth an estimated $1.03 billion.

Philanthropy

Glazer supports various charities. His family founded the Glazer Family Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting children in the Tampa Bay area through various charitable initiatives.

Entrepreneurs

Ma Huateng Net Worth

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 20, 2025

Dan Western

sideres

Net Worth:	$31.4 Billion
Age:	52
Born:	October 29, 1971
Gender:	Male
Height:	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Country of Origin:	China
Source of Wealth:	Entrepreneur
Last Updated:	February 15, 2024

Introduction

Ma Huateng is a Chinese business magnate, engineer, internet and technology, and philanthropist with an estimated net worth of $31.4 Billion.

Huateng is the chairman, founder, and chief executive officer of Tencent, Asia’s most valuable company, and one of the world’s largest Internet and technology companies.

Quick Facts

Holds an 8.7% stake in the Chinese tech company Tencent
Typically earns between $6 million and $8 million in annual compensation
Peak estimated net worth of $65.8 billion in 2021

Net Worth History

Year	Net Worth
2009	$3.5 Billion
2010	$4.4 Billion
2011	$5 Billion
2012	$6.4 Billion
2013	$12.1 Billion
2014	$13.4 Billion
2015	$16.1 Billion
2016	$16.6 Billion
2017	$24.9 Billion
2018	$45.3 Billion
2019	$38.8 Billion
2020	$38.1 Billion
2021	$65.8 Billion
2022	$37.2 Billion
2023	$35.3 Billion
2024	$31.4 Billion
2025	$46.2 Billion

Although almost all of Huateng’s wealth has been generated through his ownership stake in Tencent Holdings, the percentage has gradually been reduced over time. This is primarily due to minor share sell-offs and the addition of new investors. At the time of the company’s founding, Ma Huateng owned 47.5% of the company. Over time, this has been reduced to an estimated 8.7%.

In 2009, Huateng’s net worth was estimated at approximately $3.5 billion. However, in 2012, Tencent’s market cap exploded to over $50 billion thanks to the growth of WeChat, the Chinese equivalent of WhatsApp. As a result, Huateng’s net worth almost doubled throughout the year, from $6.4 billion to $12.1 billion.

Tencent’s valuation continued to increase dramatically over the next several years, reaching $563 billion in 2018, with Huateng’s stake worth an estimated $45.3 billion. In recent years, China has proposed and introduced new, stricter regulations on the gaming industry, which have significantly affected Tencent’s market cap on more than one occasion.

In 2018, Chinese regulators introduced regulations requiring new games to receive approval from authorities before being released. Since 30% of Tencent’s revenues come from the online gaming industry, its valuation took a massive hit, wiping out over $200 billion in just nine months. Huateng’s net worth would have dropped significantly between 2018 and 2019; however, towards the end of the year, the company began recovering at a steady pace.

Tencent reached a new peak market capitalization of $916 billion in 2021, but suffered setbacks again from the Chinese government. The government proposed a new rule to curb the amount of money players can spend on online gaming. Huateng’s net worth went from a peak of $65.8 billion to $37 billion in a single year.

Tencent Compensation

While we don’t have a complete history of Ma Huateng’s annual Tencent compensation, we do have information regarding several recent years. This includes 2020, when he received a total compensation of CNY 58.74 million, equivalent to roughly $8.21 million.

In 2021, reports of his earnings are slightly more transparent, receiving a base salary of CNY 7.33 million ($1.02 million), bonuses of CNY 35.52 million ($4.97 million), plus pension contributions and director bonuses totaling CNY 1.26 million ($176,000). In 2023, Huateng earned a total compensation of CNY 42.92 million ($6 million).

All things considered, it appears that Ma Huateng’s total annual compensation from Tencent typically ranges between $6 million and $8 million per year.