Cliff Obrecht Net Worth

Cliff Obrecht has an estimated net worth of $7.6 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Cliff Obrecht profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $6.5 billion in 2022.

Cliff Obrecht is an Australian entrepreneur best known as a cofounder and chief operating officer of Canva. He started the company in Sydney with Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams after building Fusion Books with Perkins while they were at university. Fusion Books was an online design tool for school yearbooks and reached about 400 Australian schools at its peak. That early business helped show there was demand for simpler design software online.

Canva launched in 2013 after the founders pushed through more than 100 investor rejections. Private investors later valued Canva at $42 billion in August 2025. The product lets people make visuals for menus, resumes and Instagram graphics, and it grew into a huge freemium software business with 240 million monthly users. Obrecht’s wealth comes mainly from his estimated 18% stake in Canva, the company at the center of his career.

How Cliff Obrecht built his wealth

Obrecht made his money through software, with Canva as the main source. Before Canva, he and Perkins created Fusion Books, an online yearbook design tool used by about 400 Australian schools. They then aimed at a much bigger market by seeking backing for a broader online design platform. In 2012, Blackbird Ventures invested, Cameron Adams joined as a technical cofounder, and the team moved toward a larger business.

When Canva launched in 2013, some investors were doubtful because the company was based in Sydney rather than a more established tech hub. The business still expanded fast. Canva’s software helps users create polished graphics for everyday needs, from menus to resumes to Instagram posts. Its freemium model brought in 240 million monthly users, and 6 million teams from companies including Zoom pay for the service. Obrecht owns an estimated 18% stake.

What Forbes says about his net worth

Forbes has tracked large swings in Obrecht’s fortune as Canva’s value changed. Forbes estimated his net worth at $6.5 billion in 2022, then $3.6 billion in 2023, followed by $4.4 billion in 2024 and $5.8 billion in 2025. In 2026, Forbes put the figure at $7.6 billion. Those changes line up with investor views of Canva, which private investors valued at $42 billion in August 2025.

His money story is also tied to giving. Obrecht and Perkins have pledged to transfer more than 80% of their stake to the Canva Foundation for charitable causes, and they signed the Giving Pledge in 2021. Forbes currently shows him at $7.6 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. Even with that fortune, the long-term plan they have described centers on moving most of their wealth into philanthropy.