Henry Laufer Net Worth

Henry Laufer has an estimated net worth of $3.2 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Henry Laufer profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $2 billion in 2019.

Henry Laufer is an American investor and mathematician best known for his long run at Renaissance Technologies. Before moving into finance, he spent 2 decades as a math professor at Stony Brook University, where his work focused on complex variables and algebraic topology. He joined the faculty in 1971. At Stony Brook, he also worked with Jim Simons, who was chairman of the Department of Mathematics.

His wealth comes from quantitative investing. Laufer co-founded the Medallion Fund with Simons in 1988, then left Stony Brook in 1992 to join Renaissance Technologies. He became chief scientist and vice president of research and stayed in those roles until retiring in 2009. He still holds a stake in Renaissance and serves on its board. Forbes tracks his fortune in finance and investments, with a current estimate of $3.2 billion as of October 20, 2026.

How Henry Laufer built his fortune

Laufer made his name by moving from advanced mathematics into hedge funds. His academic career gave him a deep background in research, and his connection with Simons at Stony Brook helped lead to the next step. In 1992, he joined Renaissance Technologies, the quantitative hedge fund founded by Simons. There, he helped lead research as chief scientist and vice president, placing him near the center of the firm's investing operation for years.

A big part of Laufer's wealth is tied to ownership as much as salary. He still has a stake in Renaissance, which now manages about $55 billion. He also serves on the board of directors. Earlier in his career, he co-founded the Medallion Fund in 1988 with Simons, linking him to one of the firm's best-known investment vehicles. His path to wealth was self-made, built through research, leadership, and a long connection to Renaissance.

What Forbes says about his net worth

Forbes has shown Laufer's estimated wealth moving over time rather than rising in a straight line. On the World's Billionaires List, Forbes put him at $2 billion in 2019, then at $2.6 billion in 2023. The estimate stayed at that level in 2024 and 2025 before moving higher. Those changes fit the way hedge fund wealth can shift with firm value, ownership stakes, and the broader investing climate.

The latest Forbes figures place him at $3.2 billion on the 2026 World's Billionaires List, and Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker showed the same amount in October 2026. Laufer is retired from his old executive roles, but he still benefits from his Renaissance stake. That matters because the firm manages about $55 billion, so his fortune remains tied to the value of a large quantitative investment business.