Torbjörn Törnqvist Net Worth

Torbjörn Törnqvist has an estimated net worth of $5.4 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Torbjörn Törnqvist profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $2.3 billion in 2019.

Torbjörn Törnqvist is a Swedish energy trader and businessman best known as the cofounder of Gunvor. He began his career at British Petroleum in 1977, then helped build Gunvor into a global energy and commodities group after launching it in 2000. The company’s operations go far beyond crude trading. Its portfolio includes refineries, pipelines, terminals, LNG carriers, and biofuel and hydrogen plants.

His wealth comes mainly from his long ownership stake in Gunvor and from major payouts tied to the business. In 2014, he bought out cofounder Gennady Timchenko after the Russian invasion of Crimea. Törnqvist owned more than 80% of Gunvor until December 2025, when he sold his stake to a group of employees and stepped back from the company. He is also known in sailing through Artemis Racing and its maritime emissions work.

How Torbjörn Törnqvist built his fortune

Törnqvist made his money in oil trading and the wider energy business. After starting at British Petroleum in 1977, he launched Gunvor in 2000 and helped grow it into a global energy and commodities group. Gunvor’s business now spans several parts of the supply chain, including refineries, pipelines, terminals, LNG carriers, and plants tied to biofuel and hydrogen. That broad setup turned a trading business into a much larger energy platform.

Ownership was a key part of his fortune. He bought out his cofounder in 2014 and later held more than 80% of Gunvor until December 2025. A major cash event came in 2015, when he paid himself a $1 billion dividend, a very large payout for the commodity-trading business. Outside Gunvor, he has stayed active in sailing through Artemis Racing, which has competed in the America’s Cup and now works on technology to cut emissions in maritime trade.

What Forbes says about his net worth

Forbes has tracked big swings in Törnqvist’s fortune over time. Its estimate was $2.3 billion in 2019, then $1.8 billion in 2020, 2021, and 2022. That was followed by a jump to $4 billion in 2023 and $5.4 billion in 2024. Forbes then put him at $4 billion in 2025 before lifting the estimate again. Those changes line up with the value tied to his stake in Gunvor and his position in energy trading.

The latest Forbes estimate is $5.4 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. That came after a major shift in his relationship with Gunvor. In December 2025, he sold his stake to a group of employees and stepped back from the company after owning more than 80% for years. Even after that move, Forbes continued to rank him among the wealthiest people tied to the energy industry.