Zdeno Chára's net worth over time
Forbes Slovensko’s estimates for him in its 2025 and 2026 lists of the richest Slovaks, in euros, as published. The 2025 figure was €10 million higher than in 2024.
Where the money comes from
| Forbes Slovensko 2026 | €110 million, unchanged from 2025, when he was 42nd on the list SME Sportnet |
| How he invests | Told Forbes in 2018: like almost everyone in North America, he has money in shares and bonds, a mixed portfolio split between Slovakia and the US Forbes Slovensko |
| Games played | 1,680 regular-season NHL games, still the record for a defenceman SME Sportnet |
| Now | Adviser to the Boston Bruins organisation since 2025; lives in Boston SME Sportnet |
Zdeno Chára, "Big Z", is the tallest player in NHL history at 2.06 metres (6 ft 9 in). The Slovak defenceman played 24 NHL seasons for the Islanders, Senators, Bruins and Capitals, and was Boston's captain for all 14 of his seasons there. He won the Norris Trophy in 2009 and lifted the Stanley Cup in 2011, and he retired holding the record for games played by a defenceman. In 2025 he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Forbes Slovensko's 2026 list of the richest Slovaks puts his fortune at €110 million, the same as in 2025. That is about $123 million at the October 23, 2026 exchange rate.
How he made his money
Chára's fortune is built on a very long NHL career; Forbes Slovensko notes he earned more than $100 million in gross salary. The magazine estimates that NHL players keep roughly half of their gross pay after tax.
Unlike Marián Hossa, he is not known for running companies. He told Forbes in 2018 that, like most players in North America, he keeps his money in a mix of shares and bonds, split between Slovakia and the United States.
Life after hockey
Since retiring Chára has become an endurance athlete, completing all six World Marathon Majors and Ironman races. In August 2026 he held a farewell game in Trenčín that brought together legends such as Jaromír Jágr and Patrice Bergeron.
In 2025 he returned to Boston as an adviser to the Bruins organisation.
About this estimate
Forbes Slovensko publishes its list of the richest Slovaks every October. For former athletes it says the estimate is based mainly on the net money they earned in their careers (for NHL players roughly half of their gross salary) plus conservative growth on those savings, and for those with companies, the value of their stakes.
The 2026 list, reported by SME Sportnet on October 8, 2026, included the same four former athletes as in 2025: Marián Hossa, Zdeno Chára, Marián Gáborík and Marek Hamšík, together worth €440 million, up from €410 million. We show each figure as published, in euros, with a rough dollar conversion.
Career and money timeline
- 1997
Makes his NHL debut with the New York Islanders.
- 2006
Signs with the Boston Bruins and is named captain.
- 2009
Wins the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman.
- 2011
Captains Boston to the Stanley Cup.
- 2022
Plays his last NHL season, with the Islanders, retiring as the leader in games played by a defenceman.
- 2025
Is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame, and joins the Bruins as an adviser.
- 2026
Forbes Slovensko keeps his fortune at €110 million.
Zdeno Chára net worth FAQ
What is Zdeno Chára's net worth?
Forbes Slovensko estimated in October 2026 that Zdeno Chára is worth €110 million. That is the most recent published estimate from Forbes Slovensko that we could find; we do not update it ourselves.
Where do these numbers come from?
The net worth figure is Forbes Slovensko's own published estimate, linked with its date at the top of the page. Every figure on this page is linked to its source below.
How tall is Zdeno Chára?
2.06 metres, or 6 feet 9 inches, which makes him the tallest player ever to play in the NHL.
Sources
- SME Sportnet, V rebríčku najbohatších aj bývalí športovci (Forbes Slovensko, Najbohatší Slováci 2026) (October 8, 2026)
- Forbes Slovensko, Najbohatší Slováci 2025: Zdeno Chára (October 3, 2025)
- Forbes Slovensko, Najbohatší Slováci 2026 (list) (October 8, 2026)
- Forbes Slovensko, Najbohatší Slováci 2025 (list) (October 3, 2025)
- Šport.sk (Aktuality), Kto sú najbohatší Slováci? Traja hokejisti a jeden futbalista (cross-check) (October 4, 2025)
- Background facts: Wikipedia, Zdeno Chára (accessed October 24, 2026). Used for career facts only, never for money figures.
Photo: Lisa Gansky from New York, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Every number on this page comes from the named source next to it. Totals and percentages are simple sums of those published figures. We never fill in missing years with our own guesses. How we handle estimates.