John Sall Net Worth

John Sall has an estimated net worth of $5.5 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, John Sall profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $4.4 billion in 2019.

John Sall is an American businessman and software developer best known for helping start SAS in 1976. He met James Goodnight at North Carolina State while studying graduate-level statistics, and that partnership led to one of the biggest private software companies in analytics. Sall also created JMP statistical software. His work centered on building software tools for statistics, data analysis, and related business uses, which made him a major figure in technology.

His wealth comes from software. Sall cofounded SAS, and Forbes tracks him in the technology industry. SAS reported more than $3 billion in revenue in 2024 and had more than 83,000 customers, including banks, government agencies, and insurance companies. Forbes currently estimates his net worth at $5.5 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. He is also known for philanthropy through the Sall Family Foundation and for helping cofound Cary Academy in 1997.

How John Sall makes his money

Sall built his fortune by helping turn SAS into a large analytics software company. He cofounded the firm with James Goodnight in 1976 after they worked together at North Carolina State. SAS became known for analytics and data management software used across many industries. Sall also created JMP statistical software, which gave the company another important product and kept him closely involved in software design and development for more than 20 years.

A big part of the story is the reach of the business. SAS said it had more than 83,000 customers in 2024, with users that included banks, government agencies, and insurance companies. Forbes places Sall in software and technology. He and Goodnight also co-own a country club, hotel, and spa in Cary, North Carolina. Sall and his wife, Ginger, have given nearly $280 million to their Sall Family Foundation, which supports the environment, public health, and science.

Forbes net worth and other money details

Forbes has shown Sall's estimated fortune moving lower and then higher across several years. It was $4.4 billion in 2019, then $3.1 billion in 2020. Forbes later estimated $3.2 billion in 2021, $3.3 billion in 2022, and $3.7 billion in 2023. Because SAS is a private software company, changes in the estimate are tied to how Forbes values his stake in that long-running business rather than a public stock price.

The later Forbes figures climbed, dipped slightly, and then moved up again. Forbes estimated $5 billion in 2024, $4.9 billion in 2025, and $6.1 billion in 2026 on its World's Billionaires List. That run came as SAS reported more than $3 billion in revenue in 2024. Sall's money story also includes giving nearly $280 million to the Sall Family Foundation and helping launch Cary Academy in 1997 with Ginger Sall and the Goodnights.