Terry Pegula’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 | $4.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $5.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $5.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $6.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $6.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $7.6 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $9.3 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $11.8 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.
Terry Pegula’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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Terry Pegula has an estimated net worth of $11.8 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Terry Pegula profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $4.5 billion in 2019.
Terry Pegula is a businessman and petroleum engineer who built his fortune in natural gas. He founded East Resources in 1983 with a $7,500 loan from friends and family. The company started by drilling sand wells and later became known for work in the Marcellus Formation. After college, he worked at Getty Oil, and that early industry experience helped set up the business that made him wealthy.
His profile grew even more after he moved into pro sports. In 2010, East Resources sold the bulk of its assets to Royal Dutch Shell for $4.7 billion. He bought the Buffalo Sabres in 2011 for $189 million, then won the bid for the Buffalo Bills in 2014 for $1.4 billion. He also gave $102 million to Penn State for a new arena and an NCAA Division I hockey program.
How Terry Pegula built his fortune
Pegula made his money in oil and gas before becoming a team owner. He studied petroleum engineering after switching from math on a scholarship, then joined Getty Oil after graduation. In 1983, he launched East Resources with a $7,500 loan from friends and family. The company grew from sand wells into a much bigger natural gas business, with work tied to the Marcellus Formation and hydraulic fracturing.
The biggest money event in his career came in 2010, when East Resources sold the bulk of its assets to Royal Dutch Shell for $4.7 billion. That deal gave him the capital to expand well beyond energy. In 2011, he bought the Buffalo Sabres for $189 million. In 2014, he outbid groups led by Donald Trump and Jon Bon Jovi to buy the Buffalo Bills for $1.4 billion, turning his energy wealth into a sports empire.
Forbes net worth and the sports shift
Forbes put Pegula at $4.5 billion in 2019, then $5 billion in 2020 and $5.4 billion in 2021. The estimate rose to $5.8 billion in 2022 and $6.7 billion in 2023. Those numbers fit the picture of a self-made energy entrepreneur whose wealth later spread across sports, real estate, entertainment, and natural gas interests. His ownership of the Bills and Sabres became a major part of his public identity.
The Forbes estimate kept climbing after that. It reached $6.8 billion in 2024 and $7.6 billion in 2025. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker showed $11.8 billion. His career explains why people follow that number closely: a former Penn State student who built East Resources, sold major assets, and then used that fortune to buy marquee teams in Buffalo while keeping ties to energy.
Career and money timeline
- 1983
He founded East Resources with a $7,500 loan from friends and family.
- 2010
East Resources sold the bulk of its assets to Royal Dutch Shell for $4.7 billion.
- 2011
He bought the Buffalo Sabres for $189 million.
- 2014
He purchased the Buffalo Bills for $1.4 billion.
- 2026
Forbes' real-time tracker listed him at $11.8 billion in October.
Terry Pegula net worth FAQ
What is Terry Pegula's net worth?
Terry Pegula's net worth is an estimated $11.8 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Terry Pegula profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Terry Pegula get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Natural gas.
Is Terry Pegula a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Terry Pegula is worth $11.8 billion.
How has Terry Pegula's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $4.5 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $11.8 billion (October 20, 2026).
What is Terry Pegula best known for?
He is known for building wealth in natural gas and then buying the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills. His business career and sports ownership are the main reasons he is widely recognized.
How did Terry Pegula first make his money?
He made his fortune through East Resources, the company he founded in 1983. A major turning point came in 2010, when the bulk of its assets sold to Royal Dutch Shell for $4.7 billion.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Terry Pegula profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Terry Pegula profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Terry Pegula profile (April 8, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Terry Pegula profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Terry Pegula profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Terry Pegula profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Terry Pegula profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Terry Pegula profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Terry Pegula 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, Terry Pegula (accessed October 20, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: Coalman767, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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.