Phebe Novakovic Net Worth

Phebe Novakovic has an estimated net worth of $420 million, according to Forbes America's Richest Self-Made Women 2025, Phebe Novakovic profile (figures as of Forbes America's Richest Self-Made Women 2025). That is up from $150 million in 2020.

Phebe Novakovic is an American businesswoman and former intelligence officer who has led General Dynamics as chairwoman and chief executive officer since 2013. She joined the company in 2001 after work with the United States Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency from 1997 to 2001. Inside General Dynamics, she moved up to president and chief operations officer in 2012, then took the top job in January 2013.

Her wealth is tied to her long run at General Dynamics, a major defense company, and Forbes places her in aerospace. A major deal came in 2018, when she led General Dynamics in its $9.8 billion purchase of CSRA, an IT firm. She also serves on the board of JPMorgan Chase. Forbes currently estimates her net worth at $420 million and describes her as self-made.

How Phebe Novakovic built her wealth

Novakovic made her name by rising through General Dynamics after joining the company in 2001. Before that, she worked in national security roles at the Defense Department and the CIA from 1997 to 2001. Her path to the top was gradual, with a promotion to president and chief operations officer in 2012, followed by the chairwoman and chief executive officer role in 2013. That leadership position became the main engine of her wealth.

Her money story is closely connected to General Dynamics and the broader aerospace and defense business. In 2018, she led the company's $9.8 billion acquisition of CSRA, which expanded General Dynamics in IT services. She also sits on the board of JPMorgan Chase, adding another high-level corporate role. Forbes notes that she is one of only a few female top executives in the military-industrial sector, a rare position in a field usually led by men.

How the Forbes estimate changed

Forbes has tracked a sharp rise in Novakovic's estimated fortune over the past few years. Its list of America's Richest Self-Made Women put her at $150 million in 2020, then $290 million in 2022. In 2023, the estimate moved to $260 million. A year later, Forbes raised it to $450 million, showing how much the market can shift for top executives tied to large public companies.

The latest Forbes estimate is $420 million for 2025. Forbes places her wealth in aerospace, while her career record points to long-term value built through leadership at General Dynamics and major strategic moves such as the CSRA deal in 2018. Her case stands out because she did not build her fortune as an entertainer or founder. It came from years in defense, intelligence, and corporate leadership at a very large contractor.