Vijay Shekhar Sharma Net Worth

Vijay Shekhar Sharma has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Vijay Shekhar Sharma profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $1.3 billion in 2017.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an Indian technology entrepreneur best known for founding One97 Communications and its consumer brand, Paytm. He started indiasite.net in 1997 while still in college, then later sold it for US$1 million. In 2000, he launched One97 Communications, which first offered mobile content such as news, cricket scores, ringtones, jokes and exam results. That company later became the parent business behind Paytm and the center of his career.

Sharma built much of his wealth through digital payments and financial technology. He founded the mobile wallet Paytm in 2011, and the service got a major boost during India's 2016 demonetization. Paytm later grew to more than 540 million users, including 46 million daily active users. In 2018, Berkshire Hathaway invested $300 million in Paytm. Paytm then went public in 2021, raising $2.5 billion at a $19 billion valuation.

How Vijay Shekhar Sharma makes money

Sharma's business story began with internet and mobile services. In 1997, he created indiasite.net while in college and later sold it for US$1 million. He then moved further into mobile technology. In 2000, he founded One97 Communications, which sold mobile content like news, cricket scores, ringtones, jokes and exam results. That company became the parent of Paytm, the business most closely tied to his wealth and public profile.

Paytm became the main engine of Sharma's fortune. He founded the mobile wallet in 2011, and it became one of the biggest beneficiaries of India's 2016 demonetization. Forbes says Paytm has more than 540 million users and 46 million daily active users. Sharma also drew major attention in August 2018, when Berkshire Hathaway invested $300 million in Paytm. In 2021, Paytm went public and raised $2.5 billion at a $19 billion valuation.

How Forbes has valued his fortune

Forbes has tracked Sharma as a self-made billionaire in financial technology. His estimate rose from $1.3 billion on the Forbes World's Billionaires List 2017 to $2.6 billion on the Forbes World's Billionaires List 2019. That increase came during a period when Paytm expanded its reach in digital payments, gained momentum after the 2016 shift toward cashless transactions, and attracted major outside backing, including the August 2018 Berkshire Hathaway investment.

The Forbes estimate later moved lower, reaching $1.2 billion on the Forbes World's Billionaires List 2022. Forbes currently puts him at $1.6 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026. Another notable money event came in August 2025, when Antfin (Netherlands), an affiliate of Alibaba Group, sold its entire stake in Paytm. His wealth remains closely linked to Paytm and the wider fintech market.