George Kaiser Net Worth

George Kaiser has an estimated net worth of $15.3 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, George Kaiser profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $7.6 billion in 2019.

George Kaiser is an American businessman best known for energy and banking. He returned to Tulsa in 1966 to work for his father, then took over Kaiser-Francis Oil Company in 1969 after his father had a heart attack. The company was a small private oil prospecting and drilling business at the time. Under his leadership, it grew into a major nonpublic energy exploration company in the United States.

A big turning point came in 1991, when Kaiser bought the Bank of Oklahoma for $60 million. He owns about 63% of the public bank. His holdings also include 72% of Excelerate Energy, plus stakes in Alkami and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Forbes put his net worth at $15.3 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. He has also given more than $2.5 billion through his family foundation.

How George Kaiser built his fortune

Kaiser built his wealth through oil and gas and banking. He took over his family's Kaiser-Francis Oil Company in the 1960s and kept it at the center of his business career. The company started as a private oil prospecting and drilling operation. Over time, it became one of the larger nonpublic energy exploration businesses in the country, giving Kaiser a long-running base in the energy industry.

His other major move came with banking. In 1991, he bought the Bank of Oklahoma for $60 million and later became chairman of BOK Financial Corporation in Tulsa. Forbes says he owns about 63% of the publicly traded bank. He also owns 72% of the public LNG company Excelerate Energy, along with stakes in fintech firm Alkami and the Oklahoma City Thunder. That mix ties his wealth to both energy and financial services.

Forbes net worth timeline

Forbes valued Kaiser at $7.6 billion in 2019, then $5.6 billion in 2020 and $5.8 billion in 2021. The estimate then climbed to $9.9 billion in 2022 and $13.3 billion in 2023. Those shifts fit the structure of his holdings, which include a large bank stake, energy assets, and public company investments. When those businesses change in value, the Forbes estimate can move with them.

The upward trend continued with Forbes estimates of $14.6 billion in 2024, $15.4 billion in 2025, and $16.2 billion in 2026 on the World's Billionaires List. Forbes later showed $15.3 billion on its Real-Time Billionaires tracker in October 2026, which is also the current figure on October 20, 2026. Separate from those market moves, Kaiser has directed more than $2.5 billion through his family foundation and opened Tulsa's 66-acre Gathering Place in 2018.