Laurene Powell Jobs’s net worth over time
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
| Date | Estimate | Source |
| 2019 | $18.6 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $16.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $19 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $16.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $12 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $12.8 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $15.6 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $13.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $15.7 billion | Forbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate |
Where the money comes from
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.
Laurene Powell Jobs’s fortune in real-life terms
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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Laurene Powell Jobs has an estimated net worth of $15.7 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $19 billion.
Laurene Powell Jobs is an American entrepreneur, executive, and philanthropist. She founded Emerson Collective in 2011 and serves as its president. The firm backs work in education, immigration, media, journalism, conservation, health, and environmental justice through investing, philanthropy, and advocacy. She is also the lead investor and chair of The Atlantic and co-founded College Track in 1997 and XQ Institute in 2015, two education efforts aimed at expanding opportunity for students.
Before that, Powell Jobs worked at Merrill Lynch Asset Management and spent 3 years at Goldman Sachs as a fixed-income trading strategist. After earning her MBA in 1991, she co-founded Terravera, a natural foods company that sold to retailers across Northern California. Her wealth later became widely known through her holdings in Apple and Disney. Forbes says she inherited most of that fortune from Steve Jobs, with the largest assets coming from shares in those 2 companies.
How Laurene Powell Jobs makes money
A large share of Powell Jobs's wealth comes from Apple and Disney. Forbes says she inherited most of her fortune through shares in those companies. Alongside those holdings, she built a public role as the founder and president of Emerson Collective, which combines impact investing, philanthropy, and advocacy. Its work spans environmental justice, health, immigration, education, conservation, media, and journalism, giving her a major platform in both investing and nonprofit work.
Her business and investment activity reaches beyond public company stock. In 2017, she bought part of The Atlantic, and through Emerson she owns the publication. Forbes also notes investments in other media outlets and nonprofit newsrooms, including ProPublica. Earlier in her career, she co-founded Terravera after business school. She also backed education work through College Track and XQ Institute, and in 2021 she launched the Waverley Street Foundation with a $3 billion decade-long climate pledge.
What Forbes says about her fortune
Forbes has tracked sharp swings in Powell Jobs's fortune over time. It estimated $18.6 billion in 2019, then $16.4 billion in 2020, followed by $19 billion in 2021. The estimate returned to $16.4 billion in 2022 and dropped to $12 billion in 2023. Because Forbes ties her wealth mainly to Apple and Disney, those changes are closely connected to the value of the shares that make up most of her holdings.
The Forbes estimate moved up again after 2023. Forbes put her at $12.8 billion in 2024 and $15.6 billion in 2025. Its real-time tracker showed $15.7 billion in October 2026, while the 2026 World's Billionaires List had her at $13.7 billion. That gap shows how the number can change as markets move. Even with that variation, Forbes continues to place her among the wealthiest people tied to the technology industry.
Career and money timeline
- 1991
After her MBA, she co-founded Terravera, a natural foods company in Northern California.
- 1997
She co-founded College Track to help students from under-resourced communities reach college.
- 2011
She founded Emerson Collective, blending investing, philanthropy, and advocacy.
- 2015
She launched XQ: The Super School Project with a $50 million education initiative.
- 2017
She purchased part of The Atlantic and became a lead investor in the publication.
- 2021
She launched the Waverley Street Foundation and committed $3 billion over a decade.
Laurene Powell Jobs net worth FAQ
What is Laurene Powell Jobs's net worth?
Laurene Powell Jobs's net worth is an estimated $15.7 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Laurene Powell Jobs get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Apple, Disney.
Is Laurene Powell Jobs a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Laurene Powell Jobs is worth $15.7 billion.
How has Laurene Powell Jobs's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $18.6 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $15.7 billion (October 20, 2026).
What is Laurene Powell Jobs best known for in business?
She is best known for founding Emerson Collective and for major holdings in Apple and Disney, according to Forbes. She is also the lead investor and chair of The Atlantic.
How did Laurene Powell Jobs build her public profile?
Her profile grew through finance roles, the founding of Terravera, and later Emerson Collective. Her education work with College Track and XQ Institute also made her well known.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (April 8, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Laurene Powell Jobs profile (March 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings (Q2 2026) (July 2026)
- Federal Reserve, 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances (median family net worth, Table 4) (October 2026)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Laurene Powell Jobs (accessed October 20, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: Craig McDean, CC BY 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.