John Collison’s net worth over time
Only dates with a published estimate are shown. Nothing is filled in between. Tap or hover a bar to see the source.
See the numbers as a table
| Date | Estimate | Source |
| 2019 | $2.1 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $3.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $3.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $9.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $5.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $7.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $10.1 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $17.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $17.5 billion | Forbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate |
Where the money comes from
These are the main sources of wealth named in the reporting we cite. No published source breaks the total into exact amounts, so we do not show percentages.
John Collison’s fortune in real-life terms
Based on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate above. Median full-time U.S. pay is $65,416 a year ($1,258 a week, BLS, Q2 2026), before taxes. Typical (median) U.S. family net worth is $216,100 (Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances).
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John Collison has an estimated net worth of $17.5 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, John Collison profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $2.1 billion in 2019.
John Collison is an Irish entrepreneur best known as the cofounder and president of Stripe. He started the company in 2010 with his brother Patrick. Stripe built software that helps businesses and individuals accept payments over the internet. That made Collison one of the best-known founders in payment software. Forbes tracks his wealth in technology and, as of October 20, 2026, puts his net worth at $17.5 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker.
Before Stripe, Collison and his brother were already building software together. In 2007, they started Shuppa in Limerick. That business later merged with Auctomatic, which made tools for the eBay platform. In 2008, Auctomatic was sold to Live Current Media for $5 million, making the brothers teenage millionaires. The idea for Stripe came later while both were in college in Cambridge at MIT, and the company processed its first payment while they were on vacation in South America.
How John Collison built his fortune
Most of John Collison's wealth comes from Stripe, the payment software company he co-founded with Patrick Collison in 2010. Stripe's product is simple to explain: it lets businesses and individuals take payments online. Collison serves as president, giving him a central role in the company as it grew into one of the biggest private technology businesses tied to internet payments. Forbes places him in technology and describes his wealth source as payment software.
His path to Stripe started earlier with software projects alongside his brother. In 2007, they launched Shuppa, and that work later connected to Auctomatic. When Auctomatic was acquired by Live Current Media in 2008 for $5 million, the brothers became teenage millionaires. That early sale gave Collison a first big business win. Stripe became the much larger engine of his fortune after the brothers developed the idea in college and got the first payment through while traveling in South America.
What moved the Forbes estimate
Forbes has shown big swings in John Collison's estimated fortune over time. It placed him at $2.1 billion in 2019, then $3.2 billion in 2020 and again in 2021. The estimate jumped to $9.5 billion in 2022, fell to $5.5 billion in 2023, and rose to $7.2 billion in 2024. Those changes tracked how investors valued Stripe, which is the main asset behind his wealth.
The latest move was even bigger. Forbes put Collison at $10.1 billion in 2025 and then $17.5 billion on the 2026 World's Billionaires List. In February 2026, private investors valued Stripe at $159 billion, a key fact behind that higher estimate. Forbes also showed the same $17.5 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker in October 2026. Because his fortune is closely tied to Stripe, changes in the company's private valuation can shift the estimate quickly.
Career and money timeline
- 2007
He and Patrick started Shuppa in Limerick.
- 2008
Auctomatic sold to Live Current Media for $5 million.
- 2010
He co-founded Stripe with his brother Patrick.
- 2016
Forbes ranked him 15th on America's Richest Entrepreneurs Under 40.
- 2025
He debuted the podcast A Cheeky Pint.
- 2026
Private investors valued Stripe at $159 billion in February.
John Collison net worth FAQ
What is John Collison's net worth?
John Collison's net worth is an estimated $17.5 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, John Collison profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did John Collison get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Payment software.
Is John Collison a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates John Collison is worth $17.5 billion.
How has John Collison's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $2.1 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $17.5 billion (October 20, 2026).
What company made John Collison rich?
Stripe is the main source of his wealth. He co-founded the payment software company in 2010 and serves as its president.
Did John Collison have a business before Stripe?
Yes. He and Patrick started Shuppa in 2007, and that later merged with Auctomatic. Auctomatic was sold in 2008 for $5 million.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, John Collison profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, John Collison profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, John Collison profile (April 7, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, John Collison profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, John Collison profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, John Collison profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, John Collison profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, John Collison profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, John Collison profile (March 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2026) (July 2026)
- Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (median family net worth, Table 4) (October 2026)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, John Collison (accessed October 21, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: UK Prime Minister, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Every number on this page is an estimate published by the source named next to it. We never fill in years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.