In the world of corporate leadership, a CEO’s paycheck can be jaw-dropping — but for a select few, it’s just the tip of the financial iceberg. These elite executives don’t just earn high salaries; they command vast fortunes through stock holdings, investments and ownership stakes that place them firmly in the billionaires’ club. Some, like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, have even crossed into the ultra-exclusive $100 Billion Club.
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While most CEOs earn comfortable compensation packages, the richest among them wield personal net worths that rival the GDPs of small nations. Many are also the founders of the companies they lead, giving them unparalleled influence and equity. From tech visionaries to energy moguls, these eight CEOs have redefined what it means to be wealthy in the modern age.
Here’s a closer look at the richest CEOs in the world.
Elon Musk
- Estimated net worth: $411 billion
- CEO of Tesla and SpaceX
Elon Musk continues to dominate the global wealth rankings, holding firm as the richest CEO — and person — on the planet. Despite a dip in net worth following his acquisition of Twitter (now rebranded as X), Musk’s financial momentum remains unstoppable.
Over the past five years, Musk has outpaced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in a dramatic back-and-forth race for the top spot. Between March 2020 and early 2021, Musk’s net worth surged by an eye-popping $150 billion.
In 2025, Musk’s fortune saw another boost, thanks to strategic political alliances and new financial ventures. With a current net worth of $411 billion, he maintains a comfortable lead over Bezos — who, while no longer a CEO, still commands an impressive $245 billion fortune.
Mark Zuckerberg
- Estimated net worth: $247.6 billion
- CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook)
Mark Zuckerberg has consistently defied the traditional CEO mold. As the co-founder of Facebook, now Meta, he became a millionaire at just 22 and made history a year later as the youngest self-made billionaire at age 23.
Known for his casual style and unconventional leadership, Zuckerberg has weathered major shifts, including the rebranding of Facebook to Meta. Despite public scrutiny and evolving tech landscapes, his net worth has continued to climb, solidifying his place among the world’s wealthiest CEOs.
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Jensen Huang
- Estimated net worth: $153.8 billion
- CEO of Nvidia
Jensen Huang, co-founder and longtime CEO of NVIDIA, has become one of the most influential figures in the tech industry. Born in Taiwan and raised in Thailand, Huang helped launch NVIDIA in 1993 and has led the company ever since, steering it to a market capitalization of $3.14 trillion. Owning roughly 3% of the company, Huang’s personal fortune has soared alongside NVIDIA’s explosive growth, driven by its dominance in artificial intelligence (AI), gaming and data center technologies.
Though his net worth is astonishing, Huang is known for his philanthropy, not the least of which is giving Stanford University $30 million for an engineering center and another $50 million to Oregon State University for a research center in his name.
Warren Buffett
- Estimated net worth: $143.8 billion
- CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
Warren Buffett, often referred to as “The Oracle of Omaha,” is the legendary CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a multinational holding company with a portfolio that includes household names like Geico, Duracell and Dairy Queen. Under his leadership, Berkshire Hathaway has grown to a market valuation exceeding $1 trillion.
Renowned for his investment acumen and modest lifestyle, Buffett has pledged to donate 99% of his wealth to philanthropic causes. To date, he has already given away an estimated $60 billion, making him one of the most generous billionaires in history.
Though he remains one of the world’s richest CEOs, Buffett has announced plans to retire at the end of 2025, closing out an extraordinary career at the spry age of 95.
Amin H. Nasser
- Estimated net worth: $23 billion
- CEO of Saudi Aramco Oil Company
Under the helm of Amin Nasser, the Saudi Arabian oil company, Saudi Aramco, has been one of the biggest providers of crude oil to the world since 2015. With a market cap of $2.16 trillion, the company is making record profits that are surely trickling down to its CEO. In the past, the company listed revenues of over $400 billion and assets valued at over $576 billion.
In addition to CEO, Nasser sits on the International Advisory Board of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, the Board of Trustees for the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST), the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Presidential CEO Advisory Board and the JP Morgan International Council.
Tim Cook
- Estimated net worth: $2.4 billion
- CEO of Apple
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, is one of the few non-founder executives to reach billionaire status. He officially joined the billionaire ranks in August 2020, just as Apple’s market valuation soared past $2 trillion.
Under Cook’s leadership, Apple has continued its meteoric rise, now boasting a market cap of $3.44 trillion. While Steve Jobs founded the company, it was Cook who scaled it into the world’s most valuable brand, overseeing innovations in hardware, software and services.
Sundar Pichai
- Estimated net worth: $1.1 billion
- CEO of Google
Sundar Pichai rose through the ranks at Google, serving as CEO for four years before being promoted to lead Alphabet, Google’s parent company. Under his leadership, the tech giant has continued to expand its influence across search, cloud computing, AI and more. The company’s market capitalization is currently at $2.28 trillion.
According to Forbes, Pichai earned $650,000 annually with $200 million in stock grants before his promotion. In 2022, his salary increased to $2 million, accompanied by $250 million in equity awards.
Satya Nadella
- Estimated net worth: $1.1 billion
- CEO of Microsoft
Satya Nadella has redefined leadership at Microsoft since taking over as CEO in 2014. While the company is still widely associated with co-founder Bill Gates, who stepped down as CEO in 2000, Nadella has carved out his own legacy, driving innovation and growth across cloud computing, AI and enterprise solutions.
He succeeded Steve Ballmer (estimated net worth of $144 billion) and John W. Thompson (estimated net worth of $250 million), both of whom left their own marks on the company. Under Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft’s market value has soared, and so has his personal net worth, now estimated at $1.1 billion.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Inside the Billionaires’ Club: The 8 Richest CEOs in the World
