Rich List
The Richest CEOs in the World (2026): Ranked by Net Worth
The richest CEO is Elon Musk, worth an estimated $1.1 trillion, making him the first person in history to reach a trillion-dollar fortune. Musk built that wealth as the head of Tesla and SpaceX, with growing stakes in his AI company xAI, the brain-implant firm Neuralink, and The Boring Company.
Nearly every name on this list follows the same money pattern: the wealth comes from equity, not paychecks. These executives founded or run the companies whose stock they hold, so their fortunes rise and fall with share prices rather than salaries. Below, each CEO is ranked by current net worth, and every name links to a full profile and biography with the numbers behind the fortune.
Ranked by Net Worth
| # | Name | Net Worth |
|---|
0 profiles · figures are estimates from public sources · more added regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the richest CEO?+
The richest CEO is Elon Musk, worth an estimated $1.1 trillion in 2026. He leads Tesla, SpaceX, and the AI company xAI, and in June 2026 became the world's first trillionaire.
How much is Elon Musk worth in 2026?+
Elon Musk is worth roughly $1.1 trillion in 2026. The bulk of his fortune comes from his stakes in SpaceX and Tesla, plus interests in xAI, Neuralink, and The Boring Company.
Who are the other richest CEOs?+
Beyond Elon Musk, the wealthiest CEOs and executive chairmen include Larry Ellison of Oracle, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia, each worth well over $100 billion.
How is a CEO's net worth calculated?+
A CEO's net worth is driven mainly by equity, meaning the shares they hold in the companies they run. Salary and bonuses add to it, but founder ownership stakes account for most of the wealth on this list.