Joseph Tsai
Photo: WOWyerrr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Joseph Tsai Net Worth

Alibaba cofounder and chairman
BillionaireTechBusiness
Estimated net worth
$12.1B
Source: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, October 20, 2026. Updated October 20, 2026.

Joseph Tsai’s net worth over time

$9.5B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 estimate, 2019$9.5B2019$10B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 estimate, 2020$10B2020$11.6B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 estimate, 2021$11.6B2021$8.4B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 estimate, 2022$8.4B2022$7.6B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 estimate, 2023$7.6B2023$8.5B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 estimate, 2024$8.5B2024$12.1B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 estimate, 2025$12.1B2025$13.3B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 estimate, 2026$13.3B2026$12.1B: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate, Oct 2026. Forbes real-time estimate$12.1BOct 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$9.5 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2019
2020$10 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2020
2021$11.6 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2021
2022$8.4 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2022
2023$7.6 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2023
2024$8.5 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2024
2025$12.1 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2025
2026$13.3 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2026
Oct 2026$12.1 billionForbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate

Where the money comes from

E-commerce

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.

Joseph Tsai’s fortune in real-life terms

184,970 years
for the median full-time U.S. worker to earn this much, spending nothing
55,993×
the net worth of the typical U.S. family
1.3%
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).

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Joseph Tsai has an estimated net worth of $12.1 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Joseph Tsai profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $9.5 billion in 2019.

Joseph Tsai is a business executive, lawyer, and sports team owner best known as a cofounder of Alibaba Group. He joined Jack Ma in 1999 and accepted an initial salary of only $50 a month, according to Forbes. At Alibaba, he helped build the company’s financial and legal structure and later served as chief operating officer, chief financial officer, executive vice chairman, and founding board member. In 2023, he moved up from vice chairman to chairman.

Most of Tsai’s wealth comes from Alibaba, where Forbes says he is the second-largest individual shareholder after Jack Ma. He is also tied to major sports assets. In 2019, he became owner of the Brooklyn Nets and chairman of Barclays Center, and he also owns the New York Liberty and the San Diego Seals. In 2024, he sold 15% of BSE Global to Julia Koch and her family for nearly $700 million.

How Joseph Tsai makes money

Tsai built his fortune mainly through Alibaba, the technology and e-commerce company he cofounded in 1999. Before that, he worked in law and private equity, including a role at Investor AB in Hong Kong focused on Asian private equity investments. After meeting Jack Ma, he left that job and joined Alibaba’s founding team. His background in corporate law and finance helped shape the company’s legal and financial setup as it grew.

His business interests also extend into sports. He became owner of the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 after first buying a 49% stake in 2017, and his holdings include the New York Liberty and the San Diego Seals. He is also chairman of J Tsai Sports, with investments in the Premier Lacrosse League and sports media and technology companies. In 2024, he sold 15% of BSE Global for nearly $700 million.

Forbes net worth timeline

Forbes has tracked Tsai’s wealth through several sharp moves. It put him at $9.5 billion in 2019, $10 billion in 2020, and $11.6 billion in 2021. Then the estimate fell to $8.4 billion in 2022 and $7.6 billion in 2023. Those swings came as he remained deeply tied to Alibaba, the main source behind his fortune, while also taking on the chairman role at the company in 2023.

The estimate turned higher after that. Forbes placed him at $8.5 billion in 2024, then $12.1 billion in 2025 and $13.3 billion in 2026 on its World’s Billionaires List. Forbes currently shows $12.1 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. Around the same period, Tsai also completed the 2024 sale of a 15% stake in BSE Global for nearly $700 million.

Career and money timeline

  1. 1999

    He met Jack Ma and joined Alibaba’s founding team.

  2. 2013

    He became Alibaba’s executive vice chairman.

  3. 2017

    He bought a 49% stake in the Brooklyn Nets.

  4. 2019

    He became owner of the Brooklyn Nets and chairman of Barclays Center.

  5. 2023

    He rose from vice chairman to chairman of Alibaba.

  6. 2024

    He sold 15% of BSE Global to Julia Koch and her family.

Joseph Tsai net worth FAQ

What is Joseph Tsai's net worth?

Joseph Tsai's net worth is an estimated $12.1 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Joseph Tsai profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.

How did Joseph Tsai get so rich?

The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: E-commerce.

Is Joseph Tsai a billionaire?

Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Joseph Tsai is worth $12.1 billion.

How has Joseph Tsai's net worth changed?

The earliest published estimate we track is $9.5 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $12.1 billion (October 20, 2026).

What is Joseph Tsai best known for?

He is best known as a cofounder and chairman of Alibaba Group. Forbes also says he is the company’s second-largest individual shareholder after Jack Ma.

What does Forbes say Joseph Tsai is worth now?

Forbes currently shows $12.1 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026.

Sources

  1. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Joseph Tsai profile (October 20, 2026)
  2. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Joseph Tsai profile (March 5, 2019)
  3. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Joseph Tsai profile (April 8, 2020)
  4. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Joseph Tsai profile (April 6, 2021)
  5. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Joseph Tsai profile (April 5, 2022)
  6. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Joseph Tsai profile (April 4, 2023)
  7. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Joseph Tsai profile (April 2, 2024)
  8. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Joseph Tsai profile (April 2025)
  9. Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Joseph Tsai 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, Joseph Tsai (accessed October 20, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.

Photo: WOWyerrr, CC BY-SA 4.0, 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.