Ali Ghodsi’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 |
| 2021 | $1.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $1.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $1.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $1.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $2.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $5.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $7.6 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.
Ali Ghodsi’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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Ali Ghodsi has an estimated net worth of $7.6 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Ali Ghodsi profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $1.8 billion in 2021.
Ali Ghodsi is a computer scientist and entrepreneur known for helping build Databricks. His work centers on distributed systems, big data, and data management. After early work in Sweden, he moved into research at UC Berkeley in 2009. During that period, he helped launch the Apache Mesos and Apache Spark projects and co-authored influential papers, including Apache Spark SQL. He later became an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley while staying active in software and company building.
His wealth comes from Databricks, the software company he co-founded in 2013 to commercialize Spark. He joined the company as president of engineering and became CEO in 2016, when Databricks was struggling to turn its technology into revenue. He led changes in leadership and products, helping the business recover. Forbes put his net worth at $7.6 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. In 2026, he was also named to Time 100's most influential people in artificial intelligence.
How Ali Ghodsi built his fortune
Ghodsi made his money in technology, especially data analytics software. Before Databricks, he co-founded Peerialism AB in Stockholm and worked in academia, including as an assistant professor at KTH and a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley. At Berkeley, he worked with other researchers on distributed systems, database systems, and networking. That research helped start Apache Mesos and Apache Spark, two projects that became important building blocks for modern data infrastructure.
Databricks became the center of his wealth. He co-founded the company with UC Berkeley academics who built Apache Spark, and the business was built on top of Spark. The company uses AI in a data lakehouse to help companies store and use data. Ghodsi first joined in 2013 as a part-time engineer, then was chosen as CEO in 2016. He helped turn the company around by changing its leadership team and product lineup.
What shaped the Forbes estimate
Forbes has tracked Ghodsi's wealth over several years, with a flat period followed by a sharp jump. It estimated his fortune at $1.8 billion in 2021 and again in 2022. The estimate then moved down to $1.4 billion in 2023 and stayed there in 2024. After that, the numbers climbed fast, reaching $2.7 billion in 2025 and $5.5 billion in 2026.
The latest move came as private investors placed a very high value on Databricks. Forbes notes that the company was valued at $190 billion in August, which helps explain why its real-time estimate for Ghodsi rose to $7.6 billion in October 2026. Because his fortune is tied to Databricks, changes in investor views of the company can have a big effect on the Forbes figure.
Career and money timeline
- 2008
He co-founded Peerialism AB and worked as an assistant professor at KTH from 2008 to 2009.
- 2009
He joined UC Berkeley as a visiting scholar and worked on distributed systems research.
- 2013
He co-founded Databricks and started there as president of engineering.
- 2016
He became Databricks CEO and led a turnaround in leadership and products.
- 2026
Time 100 named him one of the most influential people in artificial intelligence.
Ali Ghodsi net worth FAQ
What is Ali Ghodsi's net worth?
Ali Ghodsi's net worth is an estimated $7.6 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Ali Ghodsi profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Ali Ghodsi get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Data analytics.
Is Ali Ghodsi a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Ali Ghodsi is worth $7.6 billion.
How has Ali Ghodsi's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $1.8 billion (2021, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021). The latest is $7.6 billion (October 20, 2026).
What company is most tied to Ali Ghodsi's wealth?
Databricks is the main company behind his fortune. He co-founded it in 2013 and has led it as CEO since 2016.
What was Ali Ghodsi doing before Databricks?
He worked in academia and research, including at KTH and UC Berkeley. He also helped start the Apache Mesos and Apache Spark projects.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Ali Ghodsi profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Ali Ghodsi profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Ali Ghodsi profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Ali Ghodsi profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Ali Ghodsi profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Ali Ghodsi profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Ali Ghodsi 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, Ali Ghodsi (accessed October 21, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: DKP415, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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.