Strive Masiyiwa
Photo: Kathi Walther Bouma, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Strive Masiyiwa Net Worth

Telecom entrepreneur and investor
BillionaireBusiness
Estimated net worth
$2.1B
Source: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, October 20, 2026. Updated October 22, 2026.

Strive Masiyiwa’s net worth over time

$2.5B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019 estimate, 2019$2.5B2019$1.1B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2020 estimate, 2020$1.1B2020$1.5B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2021 estimate, 2021$1.5B2021$3B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022 estimate, 2022$3B2022$1.9B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2023 estimate, 2023$1.9B2023$1.8B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2024 estimate, 2024$1.8B2024$1.2B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2025 estimate, 2025$1.2B2025$2.1B: Forbes World's Billionaires List 2026 estimate, 2026$2.1B2026$2.1B: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires estimate, Oct 2026. Forbes real-time estimate$2.1BOct 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$2.5 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2019
2020$1.1 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2020
2021$1.5 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2021
2022$3 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2022
2023$1.9 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2023
2024$1.8 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2024
2025$1.2 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2025
2026$2.1 billionForbes World's Billionaires List 2026
Oct 2026$2.1 billionForbes Real-Time Billionaires · Forbes real-time estimate

Where the money comes from

Telecom

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.

Strive Masiyiwa’s fortune in real-life terms

32,102 years
for the median full-time U.S. worker to earn this much, spending nothing
9,718×
the net worth of the typical U.S. family
0.2%
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).

How do you compare to Strive Masiyiwa? New

Type your yearly income and see how you stack up. It runs in your browser: nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.

Full comparison + share card →

Strive Masiyiwa has an estimated net worth of $2.1 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Strive Masiyiwa profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is down from a peak of $3 billion.

Strive Masiyiwa is a Zimbabwean business leader known for building telecom and technology companies. After studying in Britain, he worked at ZPTC, Zimbabwe's phone company. He later left to start an engineering services firm, sold it, and moved into mobile telecom. His big breakthrough came with Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, a company he founded after a long fight to win the right to launch a private mobile network in his home country.

That network launched in 1998 and became the base for a wider group of telecom and digital businesses. Masiyiwa owns 38% of publicly traded Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and roughly 33% of EcoCash, a mobile money company. He also owns a stake in Liquid Intelligent Technologies, which supplies fiber optic and cloud-based services across Africa. Forbes put his net worth at $2.1 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026.

How Strive Masiyiwa built his wealth

Masiyiwa made his fortune mainly in telecom. He founded Econet Wireless Zimbabwe after leaving a job at ZPTC and selling an earlier engineering services business. According to Forbes, he overcame long government opposition before launching the mobile network in 1998. His holdings include 38% of Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, which is part of the larger Econet Group, giving him a major stake in one of the businesses most tied to his wealth.

His money also comes from related digital and network businesses. Forbes says he owns roughly 33% of EcoCash, a mobile phone-based money transfer company. He also has a stake in Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a private company that provides fiber optic and cloud-based services to telecom firms across Africa. Beyond that, Forbes notes investments in fintech and power distribution companies in Africa, plus stock options tied to Netflix, where he joined the board in December 2020.

What Forbes says about his net worth

Forbes has shown big swings in Masiyiwa's fortune over time. Its World's Billionaires List estimated him at $2.5 billion in 2019, then $1.1 billion in 2020. The figure later climbed to $3 billion in 2022 before dropping again to $1.2 billion in 2025. Those changes track a portfolio built around telecom, mobile money, and private technology assets that operate across several parts of Africa.

The latest Forbes reading points back up. Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker listed him at $2.1 billion in October 2026, and the 2026 World's Billionaires List also put him at $2.1 billion. The main drivers described by Forbes are his holdings in Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, EcoCash, and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, along with other investments in fintech and power distribution and his Netflix stock options.

Career and money timeline

  1. 1984

    After university in Britain, he worked at ZPTC in Zimbabwe.

  2. 1993

    He started Econet Wireless as mobile telecom began to grow.

  3. 1998

    Econet Wireless Zimbabwe launched its mobile network after a long court fight.

  4. 2020

    He joined the Netflix board in December 2020.

  5. 2026

    Forbes' real-time tracker listed his net worth at $2.1 billion in October 2026.

Strive Masiyiwa net worth FAQ

What is Strive Masiyiwa's net worth?

Strive Masiyiwa's net worth is an estimated $2.1 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Strive Masiyiwa profile (October 20, 2026). It is an estimate, not an official figure.

How did Strive Masiyiwa get so rich?

The main sources named in the reporting we cite are: Telecom.

How has Strive Masiyiwa's net worth changed?

The earliest published estimate we track is $2.5 billion (2019, Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019). The latest is $2.1 billion (October 20, 2026).

What companies are most important to Strive Masiyiwa's wealth?

Forbes points to his stakes in Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, EcoCash, and Liquid Intelligent Technologies. It also notes other investments in fintech and power distribution firms in Africa.

Is Strive Masiyiwa self-made?

Yes. Forbes marks him as self-made.