Eric Schmidt’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 | $12.9 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $13.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $18.9 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $22.1 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $16.2 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $20.6 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $24 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $35.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $37.9 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.
Eric Schmidt’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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Eric Schmidt has an estimated net worth of $37.9 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Eric Schmidt profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $12.9 billion in 2019.
Eric Schmidt is a business leader and former computer engineer best known for leading Google. He joined Google in 2001, became CEO that year, and stayed in the job until 2011. He later served as executive chairman at Google and then at Alphabet. Before Google, he worked at Sun Microsystems and was CEO of Novell. Since 2025, he has been the CEO of Relativity Space, an aerospace manufacturing company.
Most of Schmidt's fortune is tied to Google, according to Forbes, which places him in technology and describes him as self-made. His long run at Google helped make him one of the richest people in the United States. He also co-founded Innovation Endeavors, a venture capital firm that has invested in Uber, SoFi, and Zymergen. In 2015, his family's investment vehicle bought a 20% stake in D.E. Shaw & Co.
How Eric Schmidt built his wealth
Schmidt's money story starts with top jobs in tech. After roles at Sun Microsystems and Novell, he was recruited to run Google in 2001. He served as CEO from 2001 to 2011, then moved into chairman roles at Google and Alphabet. Forbes ties his wealth to Google, and that fits his career. He spent 18 years on the board of Google parent company Alphabet and stayed on as a technical advisor until 2020.
His fortune is not only about one company. Schmidt also co-founded Innovation Endeavors, a venture capital firm with investments in Uber, SoFi, and Zymergen. In May 2015, his family's investment vehicle bought a 20% stake in hedge fund firm D.E. Shaw & Co. for an undisclosed price. Those investments add another layer to a career built on senior roles, company oversight, and long-held exposure to major technology businesses.
Forbes net worth timeline
Forbes valued Schmidt at $12.9 billion in 2019, then $13.2 billion in 2020 and $18.9 billion in 2021. The estimate climbed to $22.1 billion in 2022, fell to $16.2 billion in 2023, and rose to $20.6 billion in 2024. Across those years, Forbes continued to connect his wealth mainly to Google, while his venture investing and the D.E. Shaw stake showed he also had meaningful interests beyond his main source of wealth.
The gains continued after that. Forbes put him at $24 billion in 2025 and $35.5 billion in 2026. On Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker, he stood at $37.9 billion as of October 20, 2026. That range shows how much the estimate can move over time for a technology billionaire whose fortune is still closely linked to Google, even after he left Alphabet's board in June 2019 and ended his advisory role in February 2020.
Career and money timeline
- 1983
He joined Sun Microsystems and later rose through several senior software and business roles.
- 1997
He became CEO and chairman of Novell.
- 2001
Google hired him as CEO after recruiting him to help run the company.
- 2011
He stepped down as Google's CEO and became executive chairman.
- 2015
His family's investment vehicle bought a 20% stake in D.E. Shaw & Co.
- 2019
He left Alphabet's board in June after 18 years.
- 2025
He became CEO of Relativity Space.
Eric Schmidt net worth FAQ
What is Eric Schmidt's net worth?
Eric Schmidt's net worth is an estimated $37.9 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Eric Schmidt profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Eric Schmidt get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Google.
Is Eric Schmidt a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Eric Schmidt is worth $37.9 billion.
How has Eric Schmidt's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $12.9 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $37.9 billion (October 20, 2026).
What is Eric Schmidt's main source of wealth?
Forbes ties his wealth to Google. His long leadership run there is the core of his money story.
Does Eric Schmidt have investments outside Google?
Yes. He co-founded Innovation Endeavors, which invested in Uber, SoFi, and Zymergen. His family's investment vehicle also bought a 20% stake in D.E. Shaw & Co. in 2015.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Eric Schmidt profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Eric Schmidt profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Eric Schmidt profile (April 8, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Eric Schmidt profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Eric Schmidt profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Eric Schmidt profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Eric Schmidt profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Eric Schmidt profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Eric Schmidt 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, Eric Schmidt (accessed October 20, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: Guillaume Paumier, CC BY 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.