Jim McKelvey Net Worth

Jim McKelvey has an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Jim McKelvey profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $1.5 billion in 2019.

Jim McKelvey is an American entrepreneur best known for cofounding Square with Jack Dorsey in 2009. The payments company was later renamed Block in 2021. The idea grew out of a missed sale when McKelvey could not take a card payment for a $2,000 art piece from his studio. He remains on Block’s board and is also known for starting several other businesses in technology and glassblowing.

His wealth comes mainly from mobile payments. Forbes says McKelvey owns nearly 5% of Block stock, and he has made at least $270 million from selling shares over the years. Beyond Block, he founded Invisibly, which handles micropayments for journalism and publishing. He also cofounded LaunchCode to teach programming, sits on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and has written books on innovation, computer science, and glassblowing.

How Jim McKelvey makes money

McKelvey built most of his fortune through Block, the payments company he started with Jack Dorsey in 2009. The business began after he lost a sale at his studio because he could not accept a card. That problem led to a simple way for small sellers to take payments. Forbes says he still owns nearly 5% of Block, which keeps the company at the center of his wealth.

He has also worked across several other ventures. Forbes notes that he has started at least seven companies, from a CD cabinet maker to a glass-blowing studio. He later launched Invisibly, a company focused on micropayments for journalism and publishing. McKelvey also cofounded LaunchCode, wrote The Innovation Stack in 2020, and has authored textbooks on computer science and glassblowing, showing a mix of business, teaching, and product work.

What Forbes says about his net worth

Forbes has tracked McKelvey’s fortune through swings in recent years. It put his net worth at $1.5 billion in 2019, then $3.5 billion in 2021. After that, the estimate moved to $2 billion in 2022 and $1.6 billion in 2023. In 2024, Forbes placed him at $1.8 billion. Those changes line up with the value of his Block stake, which remains his main source of wealth.

The more recent Forbes figures show another shift. Forbes listed him at $1.6 billion in 2025 and again in 2026 on its World's Billionaires List. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker estimated his fortune at $1.8 billion. Forbes also notes that he has netted at least $270 million from selling Block shares over the years, while still keeping a sizable holding in the company.