Jed McCaleb Net Worth

Jed McCaleb has an estimated net worth of $3.9 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Jed McCaleb profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $2 billion in 2021.

Jed McCaleb is an American programmer and entrepreneur best known for helping start several major crypto projects. He created the file-sharing service eDonkey2000 in 2000, then later built Mt. Gox, which became the first major bitcoin exchange in 2010. In 2012, he cofounded Ripple and worked on the Ripple protocol before leaving in 2013. In 2014, he cofounded Stellar, where he serves as chief technology officer.

Much of McCaleb's wealth came from crypto, especially from selling a large share of the original 9 billion XRP he received as a Ripple cofounder. He sold his last coins in 2022. Forbes says he was worth $3.9 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. Since 2021, he has also focused on Vast, the space-station startup he founded and has largely funded himself.

How Jed McCaleb built his fortune

McCaleb made his name by launching products early in fast-moving tech markets. He started with eDonkey2000 and the Overnet network, then shifted into crypto. In 2010, he created Mt. Gox and sold it in 2011, before the exchange was hacked. He then helped start Ripple in 2012 and later cofounded Stellar in 2014, a blockchain network aimed at cross-border payments involving both fiat and digital currencies.

The biggest driver of his wealth was XRP. Forbes notes that most of his fortune came from selling much of the original 9 billion XRP he pocketed as a Ripple cofounder, with his final sales completed in 2022. Outside crypto, he founded Vast in 2021 and has largely funded it himself. He is the founder, chairman and ex-CEO of the aerospace startup, which is working on artificial gravity space stations.

Forbes net worth changes

Forbes placed McCaleb at $2 billion in 2021, then $2.5 billion in 2022. In 2023, that estimate moved to $2.4 billion before rising to $2.9 billion in 2024. Forbes kept him at $2.9 billion in 2025. Across those years, his money story stayed closely tied to cryptocurrency, especially the value created from his early role at Ripple and his XRP sales.

By 2026, Forbes estimated his fortune at $3.9 billion on the World's Billionaires List, and Forbes' real-time tracker also showed $3.9 billion in October 2026. Forbes describes him as a blockchain pioneer who helped launch 3 well-known crypto firms. The profile also notes that he and scientist and entrepreneur Seemay Chou have committed the majority of their wealth to scientific research and other philanthropic causes.