Luis Carlos Sarmiento’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 | $10.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $9 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $11 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $9.9 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $6.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $7.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $8.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $10 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $11.6 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.
Luis Carlos Sarmiento’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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Luis Carlos Sarmiento has an estimated net worth of $11.6 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Luis Carlos Sarmiento profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $10.8 billion in 2019.
Luis Carlos Sarmiento is a Colombian businessman known for banking and finance. He built his fortune by moving from construction into banks and later bringing those holdings together under Grupo Aval. He is the majority shareholder and chairman of the group. Banking and other financial services sit at the center of the company. Forbes says his wealth comes from banking, and it places him in the Finance & Investments industry.
His business story started outside banking. After earning an engineering degree, he briefly worked at a construction company, took a 10,000 pesos payout, and started his own firm. He later used money made in construction to invest in banks. Grupo Aval became the main vehicle for those holdings, along with telecommunications and real estate interests. He also expanded into media by buying El Tiempo in 2012 for an estimated $250 million.
How Luis Carlos Sarmiento built his fortune
Sarmiento first made money in construction, then shifted that capital into banking. That move became the base of his wealth. Forbes says he took a fortune built in construction and invested it in banks. Over time, those assets were grouped under Grupo Aval, a holding company for his banking, telecommunications, and real estate interests. He is the majority shareholder and chairman, and banking remains the center of the business.
Grupo Aval is the main reason he is so well known in Colombian business. Forbes says the group controls one third of all banks in Colombia. The company’s core includes major banks and other financial service corporations. Outside finance, he bought Colombia’s largest newspaper, El Tiempo, in 2012. His construction firm also built the Grand Hyatt in Bogota, which opened in August 2018, showing that construction stayed part of his business activity.
Forbes net worth updates
Forbes has tracked big swings in Sarmiento’s fortune over time. Its World's Billionaires List estimated his net worth at $10.8 billion in 2019, $9 billion in 2020, $11 billion in 2021, and $9.9 billion in 2022. The estimate then moved to $6.4 billion in 2023 and $7.3 billion in 2024. Those changes came while his wealth remained tied mainly to banking through Grupo Aval.
The Forbes estimate rose again after 2024. It put his fortune at $8.2 billion in 2025 and $10 billion in 2026. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker listed him at $11.6 billion. Forbes still ties his wealth to banking, while his wider business record also includes construction, media, telecommunications, and real estate. His son, Luis Carlos Sarmiento Gutierrez, serves as chairman of Grupo Aval.
Career and money timeline
- 2000
Plans to list Grupo Aval on the New York Stock Exchange were postponed.
- 2012
He bought El Tiempo for an estimated $250 million.
- 2018
His construction firm built the Grand Hyatt in Bogota, which opened in August.
- 2026
Forbes' real-time tracker listed his net worth at $11.6 billion in October.
Luis Carlos Sarmiento net worth FAQ
What is Luis Carlos Sarmiento's net worth?
Luis Carlos Sarmiento's net worth is an estimated $11.6 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Luis Carlos Sarmiento profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Luis Carlos Sarmiento get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Banking.
Is Luis Carlos Sarmiento a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Luis Carlos Sarmiento is worth $11.6 billion.
How has Luis Carlos Sarmiento's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $10.8 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $11.6 billion (October 20, 2026).
What is Luis Carlos Sarmiento best known for?
He is best known for Grupo Aval and his long career in banking. Forbes says his wealth comes from banking.
How did he first make his money?
He first built a fortune in construction. Forbes says he later invested that money in banks.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Luis Carlos Sarmiento profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Luis Carlos Sarmiento profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Luis Carlos Sarmiento profile (April 7, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Luis Carlos Sarmiento profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Luis Carlos Sarmiento profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Luis Carlos Sarmiento profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Luis Carlos Sarmiento profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Luis Carlos Sarmiento profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Luis Carlos Sarmiento 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, Luis Carlos Sarmiento (accessed October 23, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: Yonatan Lds, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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.