Charles Edelstenne
Photo: kamacess, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Charles Edelstenne Net Worth

Dassault Systemes cofounder and former Dassault chief
BillionaireBusiness
Estimated net worth
$2.7B
Source: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, October 20, 2026. Updated October 28, 2026.

Charles Edelstenne’s net worth over time

$2.6B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 estimate, 2019$2.6B2019$2.1B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 estimate, 2020$2.1B2020$3.3B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 estimate, 2021$3.3B2021$3.7B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 estimate, 2022$3.7B2022$3.1B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 estimate, 2023$3.1B2023$4.2B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 estimate, 2024$4.2B2024$4B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 estimate, 2025$4B2025$2.4B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 estimate, 2026$2.4B2026$2.7B: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate, Oct 2026. Forbes real-time estimate$2.7BOct 2026

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
DateEstimateSource
2019$2.6 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2019
2020$2.1 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2020
2021$3.3 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2021
2022$3.7 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2022
2023$3.1 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2023
2024$4.2 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2024
2025$4 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2025
2026$2.4 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2026
Oct 2026$2.7 billionForbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate

Where the money comes from

Aviation

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.

Charles Edelstenne’s fortune in real-life terms

41,274 years
for the median full-time U.S. worker to earn this much, spending nothing
12,494×
the net worth of the typical U.S. family
0.3%
of Elon Musk's fortune, the biggest on Net Worth Lookup

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).

How do you compare to Charles Edelstenne? New

Type your yearly income and see how you stack up. It runs in your browser: nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.

Full comparison + share card →

Charles Edelstenne has an estimated net worth of $2.7 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Charles Edelstenne profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $2.6 billion in 2019.

Charles Edelstenne is a French businessman who spent more than six decades at the Dassault group. Born on 9 January 1938, he trained as a chartered accountant and joined Dassault Aviation, then known as Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet Aviation, in 1960 as its chief financial officer. Forbes counts him as self-made, since his fortune grew from his role building the group's software arm rather than from inheritance.

Edelstenne climbed steadily through the company. He became general secretary in 1975 and vice president in 1986. In 1981 he cofounded Dassault Systemes, the aviation group's software and consulting arm. He later ran Dassault Systemes as chairman and CEO from 1993 to 2002, then replaced Serge Dassault as CEO of Dassault Aviation in 2000. He also led the French aerospace industry group GIFAS from 2005 to 2009. Over his long career he has been made a Commander of the Legion of Honour, one of France's top civilian honors.

How Charles Edelstenne made his money

Edelstenne's wealth comes mainly from Dassault Systemes, the design software company he helped launch in 1981. Forbes says he and his family own around 6% of the company, which is listed in France. As Dassault Systemes grew into a major software business, the value of that stake rose and made him a billionaire.

He held top roles across the group for decades. After patriarch Serge Dassault died in 2018, Edelstenne was named head of the Dassault Group. He retired as chairman of the Dassault Systemes board in 2023. In 2025, on his 87th birthday, he stepped down as head of the Dassault family holding company and was replaced by Éric Trappier.

How Forbes has valued Charles Edelstenne

Forbes put Edelstenne at $2.6 billion in 2019 and $2.1 billion in 2020. His figure then rose with software stocks, reaching $3.3 billion in 2021 and $3.7 billion in 2022. It slipped to $3.1 billion in 2023 before climbing to a high of $4.2 billion in 2024. In 2025 Forbes valued him at $4 billion.

The 2026 list brought a sharp drop to $2.4 billion, as shares of Dassault Systemes fell. His fortune has since recovered a little. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker showed him at $2.7 billion. Because his money is tied to one listed company, the swings in his estimate follow its share price closely.

Career and money timeline

  1. 1960

    Edelstenne joined Dassault Aviation as chief financial officer.

  2. 1981

    He cofounded Dassault Systemes, the group's software and consulting arm.

  3. 2000

    He replaced Serge Dassault as CEO of Dassault Aviation.

  4. 2018

    He was named head of the Dassault Group after Serge Dassault's death.

  5. 2023

    He retired as chairman of the Dassault Systemes board.

  6. 2025

    He stepped down as head of the Dassault family holding company.

Charles Edelstenne net worth FAQ

What is Charles Edelstenne's net worth?

Charles Edelstenne's net worth is an estimated $2.7 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Charles Edelstenne profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.

How did Charles Edelstenne get so rich?

The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Aviation.

Is Charles Edelstenne a billionaire?

Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Charles Edelstenne is worth $2.7 billion.

How has Charles Edelstenne's net worth changed?

The earliest published estimate we track is $2.6 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $2.7 billion (October 20, 2026).

How much of Dassault Systemes does Charles Edelstenne own?

Forbes says he and his family own around 6% of Dassault Systemes, which is listed in France.

Sources

  1. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Charles Edelstenne profile (October 20, 2026)
  2. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Charles Edelstenne profile (March 5, 2019)
  3. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Charles Edelstenne profile (April 7, 2020)
  4. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Charles Edelstenne profile (April 6, 2021)
  5. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Charles Edelstenne profile (April 5, 2022)
  6. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Charles Edelstenne profile (April 4, 2023)
  7. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Charles Edelstenne profile (April 2, 2024)
  8. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Charles Edelstenne profile (April 2025)
  9. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Charles Edelstenne profile (March 10, 2026)
  10. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2026) (July 2026)
  11. Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (median family net worth, Table 4) (October 2026)
  12. Background facts: Wikipedia, Charles Edelstenne (accessed October 28, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.

Photo: kamacess, Public domain, 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.