Richard Kinder Net Worth

Richard Kinder has an estimated net worth of $13.4 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Richard Kinder profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $6.6 billion in 2019.

Richard Kinder is an American businessman in the energy industry. He is the cofounder and executive chairman of Kinder Morgan, a major pipeline company in the United States. He started in the energy business as an attorney with Florida Gas Transmission, a business that later became part of Enron. From 1990 to 1996, he served as Enron's president and COO. That run gave him a strong base in pipelines, operations, and energy infrastructure.

His biggest career move came in 1997, when he cofounded Kinder Morgan after leaving Enron. He started the company with William V. Morgan, and they bought Enron Liquids Pipeline for $40 million. Kinder Morgan later merged with KN Energy and made more acquisitions, including El Paso Corporation. That expansion helped turn it into the largest midstream energy company in North America. Forbes tracks his fortune in energy, and his wealth is tied to Kinder Morgan and pipelines.

How Richard Kinder built his wealth

Kinder's money comes from pipelines and energy infrastructure. He chairs Kinder Morgan, an oil and gas pipeline giant and one of the largest U.S. energy infrastructure firms. The company owns or operates 78,000 miles of pipeline, which shows the scale of the business behind his fortune. Forbes places him in the energy industry and identifies him as self-made. His long career in pipeline operations is the core reason he became one of the richest executives in the sector.

Before Kinder Morgan, he spent years at Enron and rose to president and COO from 1990 to 1996. He then stepped down and cofounded Kinder Morgan in 1997. The new company began with the purchase of Enron Liquids Pipeline for $40 million and grew through mergers and acquisitions, including KN Energy and El Paso Corporation. Kinder stepped down as CEO in 2015, but he remained chairman. That kept him closely tied to the company that made most of his wealth.

Forbes net worth and money notes

Forbes has shown large swings in Kinder's estimated fortune over time. Its World's Billionaires List put him at $6.6 billion in 2019, then $5.2 billion in 2020. The estimate later moved to $7 billion in 2021, $7.5 billion in 2022, and $7.2 billion in 2023. It rose again to $8.1 billion in 2024, then $10.6 billion in 2025, and $13 billion in 2026. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker listed him at $13.4 billion.

A big part of Kinder's public money story also includes philanthropy through the Kinder Foundation. Forbes notes that the foundation supports education, urban green space, and quality of life projects in Houston. In 2025, he and his wife pledged $150 million to Texas Children's Hospital and MD Anderson to create the Kinder Children's Cancer Center. That project was presented with the goal of ending childhood cancer, adding another major chapter to his role beyond corporate leadership.