Richard Li’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 | $4.6 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 |
| 2020 | $4.4 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 |
| 2021 | $4.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 |
| 2022 | $4.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 |
| 2023 | $4.6 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 |
| 2024 | $4.5 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 |
| 2025 | $4.7 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 |
| 2026 | $6.9 billion | Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 |
| Oct 2026 | $6.1 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.
Richard Li’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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Richard Li has an estimated net worth of $6.1 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Richard Li profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $4.6 billion in 2019.
Richard Li is a Hong Kong businessman who built major companies in media, telecom, and insurance. He first drew wide attention in 1991 when he started Star TV with $110 million and later sold it to Rupert Murdoch. In 1993, he founded Pacific Century Group, an investment company with interests in finance, technology, and property. He also went on to establish PCCW and HKT, two businesses that became central parts of Hong Kong’s communications market.
Much of Li’s wealth comes from telecom and insurance. Through PCCW, he built a communications and media business that controls HKT, Hong Kong’s largest mobile phone operator. Pacific Century later expanded into asset management and insurance, including PineBridge Investments and FWD Group. FWD was founded in 2013 and operates across Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore. Forbes put his net worth at $6.1 billion on its real-time tracker as of October 20, 2026.
How Richard Li built his fortune
Li’s career took off with Star TV, a pan-Asian television network he started in 1991. He sold the company to Rupert Murdoch, then used the proceeds to launch Pacific Century Group in 1993. That company became the base for investments across finance, technology, property, media, and telecommunications. He later founded PCCW in 1996 and remained chairman as it grew into a major Hong Kong communications company tied closely to HKT.
Insurance became another big part of his business. In 2010, Pacific Century acquired AIG Investments and renamed it PineBridge Investments. In 2013, the group founded FWD after buying insurance operations from ING for $2.1 billion. FWD expanded across Asia and went public in Hong Kong in 2025. Li has also added tech investments, including bolttech and MoneyHero, to broaden his portfolio.
Forbes net worth and recent money moves
Forbes valued Li at $4.6 billion in 2019, $4.4 billion in 2020, $4.5 billion in 2021, $4.7 billion in 2022, $4.6 billion in 2023, $4.5 billion in 2024, and $4.7 billion in 2025. On the 2026 Forbes World’s Billionaires List, that estimate rose to $6.9 billion. Forbes later showed $6.1 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker in October 2026.
Recent deals help explain why his money story has stayed focused on insurance and finance as well as telecom. Pacific Century owns a majority stake in FWD, and its 2025 Hong Kong listing was a major milestone. That same year, a unit of MetLife acquired PineBridge Investments, an asset manager majority-owned by Li, for $1.2 billion enterprise value. Alongside those moves, he has kept building tech positions through companies such as bolttech and MoneyHero.
Career and money timeline
- 1991
He started Star TV with $110 million.
- 1993
He founded Pacific Century Group after selling Star TV.
- 1996
He established PCCW, later a major Hong Kong telecom company.
- 2010
Pacific Century acquired AIG Investments and renamed it PineBridge Investments.
- 2013
Pacific Century founded FWD Group after buying insurance operations from ING.
- 2025
FWD went public in Hong Kong.
- 2025
A MetLife unit acquired PineBridge Investments for $1.2 billion enterprise value.
Richard Li net worth FAQ
What is Richard Li's net worth?
Richard Li's net worth is an estimated $6.1 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Richard Li profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.
How did Richard Li get so rich?
The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Insurance, telecom.
Is Richard Li a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimates Richard Li is worth $6.1 billion.
How has Richard Li's net worth changed?
The earliest published estimate we track is $4.6 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $6.1 billion (October 20, 2026).
What companies is Richard Li best known for?
He is best known for Pacific Century Group, PCCW, HKT, FWD, and PineBridge Investments. Star TV was his early breakthrough in the 1990s.
What is Richard Li's latest Forbes net worth?
Forbes showed Richard Li at $6.1 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. Forbes also estimated him at $6.9 billion on the 2026 World’s Billionaires List.
Sources
- Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Richard Li profile (October 20, 2026)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019, Richard Li profile (March 5, 2019)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020, Richard Li profile (April 8, 2020)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021, Richard Li profile (April 6, 2021)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022, Richard Li profile (April 5, 2022)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023, Richard Li profile (April 4, 2023)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024, Richard Li profile (April 2, 2024)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025, Richard Li profile (April 2025)
- Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026, Richard Li 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, Richard Li (accessed October 21, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for figures.
Photo: Will629, 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.
