From developing revolutionary technology to solving the most complex problems, engineers are essential to the advancement of our world. Their work makes a real and tangible impact on society. That’s why they are some of the most sought-after professionals on the planet. Here are the top-earning engineers for 2022.
Top 20 Wealthiest Engineers:
1. Bernard Arnault – $181.8 Billion
Although he is known in the fashion industry as the owner of Louis Vuitton, Bernard Arnault is also an engineer. However, he earned the majority of his wealth as a business magnate and recently rose above Elon Musk to become the richest person in the world.
His father is the owner of the French civil engineering firm Ferret-Savinel, and he worked there initially after graduating from college. Arnault then became a real estate developer and acquired LVMH.
Under his leadership, Louis Vuitton became an iconic fashion brand. He also oversees 70 other brands, and it’s a big part of his $181.8 billion net worth.
2. Elon Musk – $163.7 Billion
Elon Musk is a man who needs no introduction. He is the richest man alive, after all. He handles a lot of projects, but his engineering skills are highlighted through his work in SpaceX and Tesla.
Musk’s first venture was with web software Zip2, which he sold for $307 million to Compaq. He is also part of the “PayPal Mafia”, the group responsible for the payment service company’s success.
When PayPal was sold to eBay for $1.5 billion, Elon used his fortune to start SpaceX and Tesla. He is currently working on taking humanity to Mars, and his net worth is $163.7 billion.
3. Jeff Bezos – $111.1 Billion
The renowned founder and former president of the multinational tech company Amazon, Jeff Bezos, is a computer and electrical engineer. He is also a pioneer of e-commerce.
He began his career at Fitel, a financial telecom start-up where he was entrusted with developing a global trading network. Jeff then transitioned into banking and became affluent on Wall Street.
However, he only had his real breakthrough when he established Amazon. It led him to be the richest man from 2017 to 2021. He may have lost the title, but his wealth is still sitting at $111.1 billion.
4. Bill Gates – $104.2 Billion
Bill Gates is another man who was once recognized as the wealthiest man on the face of the earth. He is popularly known for co-founding the technology giant Microsoft.
He dropped out of Harvard to create Microsoft with his computer programmer friend, Paul Allen. Bill headed some of the most significant projects of the company that made it what it is today.
Gates left Microsoft in 2020, and his primary source of income is his investment portfolio. He also has philanthropic efforts. Gates’s wealth is currently sitting at $104.2 billion.
5. Larry Ellison – $101.3 Billion
Database expert Larry Ellison built his wealth with Oracle Corporation. He is the software company’s co-founder, chief technology officer, executive chairman, and former CEO.
He was inspired to start Oracle while working at the electronics company Ampex. He had a concept that grew into a profitable database provider for mid and low-end systems. Larry also got to develop databases for the CIA.
In 2014, he left the role of CEO but maintained his other positions. Another factor of his wealth is his 97% ownership of Hawaii’s Lanai island. He is currently worth $101.3 billion.
6. Mukesh Ambani – $90 Billion
One of the richest people in India is the chemical engineer Mukesh Ambani. He is a tycoon who holds the largest shares in the conglomerate named Reliance Industries Ltd.
Ambani was a Stanford MBA student when he decided to drop out and assist his father, who was starting Reliance Industries. He was hired to help craft a polyester filament yarn.
Now, their family business is the biggest Indian company by market value. Mukesh was also considered the wealthiest man in his country for some time. With his $90 billion fortune, he is currently the second-richest in his native country.
7. Carlos Slim – $80.5 Billion
Through his Grupo Carso conglomerate company, the civil engineer and magnate Carlos Slim made his billions from extensive holdings in a number of enterprises in Mexico.
Carlos started out as a stock trader. Later in his career, he launched his own brokerage, Inversora Bursátil. This helped him save up money to eventually create Grupo Carso.
The company influences a lot of industries in the Mexican economy. This includes healthcare, real estate, transportation, education, energy, technology, sports, and more. Slim’s ventures have earned him $80.5 billion in wealth.
8. Larry Page – $79 Billion
Larry Page is the co-founder and former CEO of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc. PageRank, Google’s most well-known search ranking algorithm, was created by him.
He and fellow computer scientist Sergey Brin were the ones who created Google. Page was chosen to be the startup’s CEO, and he helped the firm expand.
When he stepped down from his position, Larry focused his efforts on the holding company Alphabet, Inc. This has helped the internet entrepreneur reach a net worth of $79 billion.
9. Mike Bloomberg – $76.8 Billion
Mike Bloomberg is known as a businessman, author, CEO, and majority owner of the media company Bloomberg L.P. However, he is also an electrical engineer by profession.
He started his career with the brokerage firm Salomon Brothers. His earnings from the company helped him co-found Bloomberg L.P. Mike served as its CEO and chairman.
Apart from business ventures, Bloomberg also spent time in politics. From 2002 until 2013, he served as the Mayor of New York City. After his term, Mike still got involved in a lot of political work. Bloomberg’s current fortune stands at $76.8 billion.
10. Sergey Brin – $75.8 Billion
Larry Page’s partner in building the search engine Google from the ground up is none other than Sergey Brin. He also previously served as the president of Alphabet.Inc.
He and Larry met and formed their startup while studying at Stanford. Sergey is largely credited with inventing data mining techniques, which were later applied to the creation of Google.
Though he has stepped down as president of Alphabet, he still works closely with the firm as a board member and controlling shareholder. This gave Brin a $75.8 billion net worth.
11. Charles Koch – $57.6 Billion
Charles Koch is a chemical and nuclear engineer. He presently holds the position of CEO and chairman in Koch Industries, a chemical and oil refining firm originally owned by his father.
The company was first named Rock Island Oil & Refining Company. Charles and his late brother David inherited the company and rebranded it to its current name.
Koch Industries created a wide range of well-known products. It also included pollution control equipment and solutions to their operations. Charles gained a $57.6 billion fortune from his ventures.
12. Mark Zuckerberg – $43.5 Billion
Anyone who has spent time on social media has likely heard of the name Mark Zuckerberg. He is the brains behind the social networking site Facebook and its parent corporation Meta Platforms.
He created Facebook with a few classmates at Harvard. The site was originally intended for a few colleges, but it quickly rose to fame and reached internal recognition.
With Meta Platforms, Zuckerberg was able to acquire more companies, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Oculus VR. This has earned him an estimated net worth of $43.5 billion.
13. Len Blavatnik – $32 Billion
The computer scientist Len Blavatnik is the wealthy majority owner of Warner Music Group. His organization, Access Industries Holdings, also owns shares in many publicly traded properties.
Blavatnik is a Ukraine native, and after the Soviet Union fell apart, the businessman built his wealth in the chaotic privatization of state-owned aluminum and oil businesses.
Len made more money in 2013 when he sold his shares in the Russian oil company TNK-BP for $7 billion. This, along with his current endeavors, has given him a $32 billion net worth.
14. Vladimir Lisin – $25 Billion
Vladimir Lisin is another mogul who started his career in the Soviet Union. He is presently the chairman and majority stakeholder of Novolipetsk, one of Russia’s top four steel corporations.
His first employment was as a mechanic in a Soviet coal mine. He then worked at Tulachermet Metals Works as a welder foreman. There, Lisin steadily climbed the corporate ladder.
He eventually joined the Trans-World Group, which led him to Novolipetsk. Vladimir also got involved in other industries, including energy, transportation, and logistics. Lisin’s net worth is approximately $25 billion.
15. Leonid Mikhelson – $24.4 Billion
Leonid Mikhelson established and currently chairs Novatek, a natural gas company that is one of the largest in the world. He is a civil engineer who’s a close confidante of Vladimir Putin.
Mikhelson’s father was the head of the former Soviet Union’s leading pipeline construction company. He began his professional life as a foreman for the construction firm. He eventually joined NOVA and rose to their ranks.
He also became the general director of the firm’s holding enterprise Novafininvest, which later became known as Novatek. This directed him to numerous notable partnerships and a fortune of around $24.4 billion.
16. Vagit Alekperov – $21 Billion
Vagit Alekperov is an expert engineer in the oil and gas industry. He spent much of his career helming the role of president in the multinational energy corporation Lukoil.
As a former oil rig employee, Alekperov rose through the ranks of the Soviet Union’s oil industry to become deputy minister. He formed Lukoil by combining three ministry-controlled oil resources after the demise of the Soviet Union.
Now, his company is recognized as the top independent oil company in Russia. He recently left his post in Lukoil, but he still has other substantial business ventures. It’s enough to maintain his fortune at $21 billion.
17. James Ratcliffe – $13.4 Billion
The chemical producer Ineos is headed by chemical engineer and entrepreneur James Ratcliffe. He acts as the company’s founder, CEO, main shareholder, and chairman.
He first worked with the oil company Esso and then focused on finance by joining Advent International. Then, Ratcliffe took out a mortgage on his home to acquire a former BP Chemicals facility.
This led to the formation of Ineos, which became Ratcliffe’s primary source of income through the years and it made him the richest man in the UK in 2018. Ratcliffe net worth is estimated to be $13.4 billion.
18. Azim Premji – $9.1 Billion
Azim Premji is an electrical engineer who oversees some of India’s most lucrative foundations. Before this, he made his money as chairman and board member of the IT company Wipro Limited.
His father was dubbed Rice King of Burma, and he operated Western India Vegetable Products Ltd. When he died, Azim took over the company and converted it into Wipro.
He initially handled hydrogenated oil manufacturing but later transitioned to information technology. He has retired as chairman of the company, but he is still a board member, and his fortune is still worth $9.1 billion.
19. Viktor Vekselberg – $5.2 Billion
Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg is noted as the owner of the conglomerate Renova Group. Though his work mostly involves modernizing Russia’s economy, he was educated as a mechanical engineer.
He established a startup called NPO Komvek, which provided services to the Irkutsk Aluminum Plant. He acquired his first million dollars by selling scrap copper from old cables.
Eventually, he co-founded Renova Group and initially transacted metals and oil. He also became a TNK-BP stakeholder. Vekselberg has amassed a net worth of around $5.2 billion
20. Baba Kalyani – $2.6 Billion
Baba Kalyani is a mechanical engineer who has managed many executive roles in various companies. He is most known for his work with his late father’s conglomerate firm, Kalyani Group.
The corporate executive first had a major position in the global manufacturing corporation Bharat Forge. There, he served as a managing director until he had to transfer to Kalyani Group to replace his father.
He made waves in trade and industry, which was why he got hired by ThyssenKrupp, one of the biggest forgings manufacturers in the world. With the jobs he’s taken, Baba Kalyani has achieved a net worth of $2.6 billion.
