The Richest Private Equity Billionaires On The Forbes 400 List 2021 (2024)

Amid a booming year for the industry, the 22 private equity tycoons on The Forbes 400 are now worth more than $150 billion combined.

It is shaping up to be a stellar 2021 for private equity, with the industry on pace for a record-breaking year.

While private equity took a hit during the height of the pandemic in 2020—as investors saw portfolio companies in battered industries struggle—things have since rebounded, with a “frenetic pace” of deal making in the first six months of this year, according to recent data from Pitchbook. Deals, exit activity and fundraising in 2021 are all on pace to top previous highs—in large part thanks to a larger vaccinated population, higher investor confidence in the stock market and more demand for high-yield debt, according to Pitchbook’s report.

The fortunes of America’s richest private equity tycoons have risen in tandem. The 22 members on the latest Forbes 400 list who made their fortunes in private equity are now worth a combined $153.7 billion.

Leading the list this year is Stephen Schwarzman, chairman and CEO of Blackstone Group, with a net worth of $37.4 billion. While he originally cofounded Blackstone as a boutique merger-and-acquisition advisory business in 1985, it has since evolved into the world's largest buyout firm, with $684 billion in assets. Schwarzman ranks 19th overall on The Forbes 400; His net worth is up nearly 96% from a year ago, thanks to shares of Blackstone rising 116% over that period. (Forbes calculated fortunes for the 2021 Forbes 400 list using stock prices from September 3, 2021.)

In the second spot, with a net worth of $9.9 billion, is Leon Black, the former chairman and CEO of private equity firm Apollo Global Management, which manages over $470 billion in assets. Black, who still owns 23% of Apollo, left the private equity giant in March 2021 after a board investigation found he had paid $158 million in fees to Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased financier who was charged with sex trafficking in 2019.

Not far behind are two cofounders of private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts (KKR): George Roberts and Henry Kravis, worth $9 billion and $8.5 billion, respectively. The cousins started KKR alongside their mentor, Jerome Kohlberg, in 1975 and became well-known for debt-financed hostile takeovers. (Kohlberg died in 2015.) After going public in 2010 and shifting from a partnership to a corporation in 2018, KKR now manages some $429 billion in assets.

In the fifth spot, with a $6.7 billion net worth, is investor Robert F. Smith, who founded private equity firm Vista Equity Partners in 2000. With some $77 billion in assets, Vista is one of the best-performing private equity firms, posting annualized returns of 22% since inception. It typically buys underperforming software companies and turns them around. In October 2020, Smith entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service in which he paid a record $139 million for his role in a tax evasion scheme.

Tied with Smith is Michael Kim, cofounder of Seoul-based private equity firm MBK Partners. The firm manages more than $20 billion in assets and is known for its $6.1 billion takeover of Homeplus, Tesco’s Korean operation, in 2015—the country’s biggest private equity deal to date. While Kim was born in South Korea, he was educated in the U.S. and obtained citizenship along the way.

The other newcomers on The Forbes 400 list include Scott Shleifer, Ramzi Musallam and Behdad Eghbali, who are worth $5 billion, $4 billion and $3.4 billion, respectively. Shleifer helped cofound the private equity practice at Tiger Global in 2003, which he currently manages—with some of his best investments for the firm coming in China. Musallam became CEO of private equity outfit Veritas Capital in 2012; he has since grown the firm’s assets under management from $2 billion to $30 billion. Eghbali, meanwhile, cofounded Clearlake Capital in 2006, which became known for its high returns and now oversees some $24 billion in assets.

Here are the private equity tycoons on the 2021 Forbes 400 list.

(Net worths are as of September 3, 2021)

1. Stephen Schwarzman

Forbes 400 Rank: #19

Net Worth: $37.4 billion

2020 Net Worth: $19.1 billion

2. Leon Black

Forbes 400 Rank: #78

Net Worth: $9.9 billion

2020 Net Worth: $8.7 billion

3. George Roberts

Forbes 400 Rank: #88

Net Worth: $9 billion

2020 Net Worth: $6.6 billion

4. Henry Kravis

Forbes 400 Rank: #94

Net Worth: $8.5 billion

2020 Net Worth: $6.4 billion

5. Robert F. Smith

Forbes 400 Rank: #141

Net Worth: $6.7 billion

2020 Net Worth: $5.2 billion

5. Michael Kim

Forbes 400 Rank: #141

Net Worth: $6.7 billion

2020 Net Worth: N/A (New)

7. Orlando Bravo

Forbes 400 Rank: #158

Net Worth: $6.3 billion

2020 Net Worth: $3.7 billion

8. Sam Zell

Forbes 400 Rank: #172

Net Worth: $6 billion

2020 Net Worth: $4.7 billion

9. Tom Gores

Forbes 400 Rank: #176

Net Worth: $5.9 billion

2020 Net Worth: $5.7 billion

10. Joshua Harris

Forbes 400 Rank: #188

Net Worth: $5.7 billion

2020 Net Worth: $5.1 billion

11. Scott Shleifer

Forbes 400 Rank: #212

Net Worth: $5 billion

2020 Net Worth: N/A (New)

12. Marc Rowan

Forbes 400 Rank: #229

Net Worth: $4.7 billion

2020 Net Worth: $4 billion

13. Daniel D'Aniello

Forbes 400 Rank: #240

Net Worth: $4.6 billion

2020 Net Worth: $3.4 billion

13. Sami Mnaymneh

Forbes 400 Rank: #240

Net Worth: $4.6 billion

2020 Net Worth: $4 billion

13. Tony Tamer

Forbes 400 Rank: #240

Net Worth: $4.6 billion

2020 Net Worth: $4 billion

16. David Bonderman

Forbes 400 Rank: #247

Net Worth: $4.5 billion

2020 Net Worth: $4 billion

16. Barry Sternlicht

Forbes 400 Rank: # 247

Net Worth: $4.5 billion

2020 Net Worth: $3.2 billion

18. David Rubenstein

Forbes 400 Rank: #261

Net Worth: $4.3 billion

2020 Net Worth: $3.4 billion

19. William Conway Jr

Forbes 400 Rank: #281

Net Worth: $4 billion

2020 Net Worth: $3 billion

19. Ramzi Musallam

Forbes 400 Rank: #281

Net Worth: $4 billion

2020 Net Worth: N/A (New)

21. Behdad Eghbali

Forbes 400 Rank: #340

Net Worth: $3.4 billion

2020 Net Worth: N/A (New)

21. Jose E. Feliciano

Forbes 400 Rank: #340

Net Worth: $3.4 billion

2020 Net Worth: $2.1 billion

SEE THE FORBES 400 LIST OF 2021

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The Richest Private Equity Billionaires On The Forbes 400 List 2021 (2024)

FAQs

The Richest Private Equity Billionaires On The Forbes 400 List 2021? ›

America's superrich are riding high again. After losing a collective $500 billion last year, the nation's 400 wealthiest people have gained it all back. This elite set is now worth $4.5 trillion in aggregate, tying a record set in 2021, and it takes $2.9 billion to make The Forbes 400, another tied record.

Who is the richest private equity? ›

Blackstone

Who is the richest person on the Forbes 400 list? ›

Forbes 400
400 Richest Americans
Latest publicationOctober 2023
Published list details (September 2022)
WealthiestElon Musk
Net worth (1st)US$251 billion
10 more rows

How much money do you have to have to be on the Forbes 400 list? ›

America's superrich are riding high again. After losing a collective $500 billion last year, the nation's 400 wealthiest people have gained it all back. This elite set is now worth $4.5 trillion in aggregate, tying a record set in 2021, and it takes $2.9 billion to make The Forbes 400, another tied record.

What are the big 4 PE firms? ›

Which private equity firms are publicly traded? The four largest publicly traded private equity firms are Apollo Global Management (APO), The Blackstone Group (BX), The Carlyle Group (CG), and KKR & Co.

What is the most prestigious private equity firm? ›

Blackstone Group

What is the highest salary in private equity? ›

Private Equity Associate salary in India ranges between ₹ 3.0 Lakhs to ₹ 45.0 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 12.1 Lakhs. Salary estimates are based on 150 latest salaries received from Private Equity Associates. 0 - 5 years exp. 0 - 6 years exp.

Who are the six trillionaires? ›

These are the only 6 trillionaires who lived on earth from history who reached the pinnacle of wealth.
  • Genghis Khan. 1206–1227. King of Mongol Empire. ...
  • Zhao Xu. 1048–1085. ...
  • Akbar, The Great. 1542–1605. ...
  • Amenhotep III. 1388–1351 BC. ...
  • Augustus Caesar. 63 BC-14 AD. ...
  • King Solomon. 970–931 BCE. ...
  • Mansa Mousa. 1280–1337.
Jun 30, 2021

Are there any trillionaires? ›

As of today, no billionaire is within striking distance of becoming a trillionaire. Elon Musk is, at present, the world's richest person, with a net worth of $206 billion, while Jeff Bezos is in the number two position with $179 billion, according to Bloomberg.

Who is worth 93 billion dollars? ›

2023
No.NameNet worth (USD)
5Warren Buffett$106 billion
6Bill Gates$104 billion
7Michael Bloomberg$94.5 billion
8Carlos Slim & family$93 billion
6 more rows

What is the wealthiest 2% of Americans? ›

Top 2% wealth: The top 2% of Americans have a net worth of about $2.472 million, aligning closely with the surveyed perception of wealth. Top 5% wealth: The next tier, the top 5%, has a net worth of around $1.03 million. Top 10% wealth: The top 10% of the population has a net worth of approximately $854,900.

Who is the youngest billionaire? ›

Dora Voigt d Assis is the older sister of Livia Voigt de Assis, the youngest billionaire on this list. She is also one of the largest individual shareholders of WEG, the largest manufacturer of electrical motors in Latin America. Dora graduated from an architecture college in 2020.

How much money is needed to be considered rich? ›

For example, individuals with $1 million in liquid assets are generally classified as having a high net worth. To be considered very high net worth, one might need assets ranging from $5 million to $10 million, while an ultra-high net worth status could require $30 million or more.

Which Big 4 firm is the hardest to get into? ›

We can estimate that based on job openings for students, Deloitte's acceptance rate is around 3.7% (which makes sense, considering it's also the biggest of the Big Four), based on 2,500 entry level job openings and 250,000 total applicants (which includes applicants to non-entry level roles).

Which Big 4 is most prestigious? ›

In general, PwC and Deloitte are considered the most prestigious of the Big 4. If you ask most people about prestige, they'll probably rank PwC/Deloitte > EY > KPMG. This is reflected in pricing, for example.

Who are the Big 6 audit firms? ›

The six major audit firms in India—Deloitte, EY, Grant Thornton, KPMG, MSKA, and PwC—oversaw a significant portion of audits in the Nifty 500 companies in financial year 2023-24 (FY24).

Who is the richest private individual in the world? ›

As of July 1, 2024, the richest person in the world is Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. He's worth $221.4 billion. He moved into the number one spot in late May 2024, overtaking Bernard Arnault of France.

Who is the richest private family in the world? ›

Which Family on Earth is the Richest? The Al Nahyan family, the Royal Family of Abu Dhabi, is regarded as the richest family in the world, with an estimated net worth of $305 billion.

Who is the richest private citizen? ›

Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH, is the richest person and the richest man in the world with a net worth of $207 billion. After Arnault is Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO of Tesla and founder and CEO of SpaceX.

Who is bigger, BlackRock or Blackstone? ›

In summary, BlackRock is larger in terms of assets under management compared to Blackstone.

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