America’s Richest Immigrants 2025 – The Founders Magazine List, Net Worth, Companies & Economic Impact
Record Wealth from Global Roots
- In 2025, a record 125 foreign-born billionaires reside in the U.S., boasting a combined net worth of $1.3 trillion, which constitutes approximately 18% of the country’s total billionaire wealth ($7.2 trillion).
- These individuals represent 41 countries, reflecting a surge from earlier years and highlighting the U.S.’s magnetic appeal to global talent.
- Remarkably, 93% are self-made, with the tech, finance, and manufacturing sectors dominating this elite group’s industries.
Top 10 Wealthiest Immigrants in the U.S. (2025)
According to Forbes and other trusted sources, these are the leading immigrant-billionaires:
| Rank | Name | Country of Origin | Net Worth | Key Companies / Industries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elon Musk | South Africa | $393.1 B | Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, xAI, The Boring Company |
| 2 | Sergey Brin | Russia | $139.7 B | Google / Alphabet |
| 3 | Jensen Huang | Taiwan | $137.9 B | NVIDIA |
| 4 | Thomas Peterffy | Hungary | $67.9 B | Interactive Brokers (Finance) |
| 5 | Miriam Adelson & Family | Israel | ~$29.5 B | Las Vegas Sands, Media Properties (e.g., Review-Journal) |
| 6 | Rupert Murdoch | Australia | ~$24 B | News Corp, Fox Corp |
| 7 | Jay Chaudhry | India | $17.9 B | Zscaler (Cybersecurity) |
| 8 | Peter Thiel | Germany / Germany-born | ~$12.4 B (est.) | PayPal, Palantir, Founders Fund |
| 9 | Jan Koum | Ukraine | ~$16.2 B (est.) | |
| 10 | John Tu | China / Taiwan | ~$15.3 B (est.) | Kingston Technology |
Sources confirm Elon Musk’s leadership, with Sergey Brin, Jensen Huang, and Jay Chaudhry among the top contenders.
Spotlight: Indian-Origin Immigrant Billionaires
India now leads as the birthplace of the most U.S. immigrant billionaires, with 12 individuals, surpassing Israel and Taiwan.
Key figures include:
- Jay Chaudhry – $17.9 B; founder/CEO of Zscaler, a global cybersecurity leader which went public in 2018.
- Vinod Khosla – ~$9.2 B; co-founder of Sun Microsystems and a prominent venture capitalist.
- Rakesh Gangwal – ~$6.6 B; co-founder of IndiGo Airlines.
- Romesh T. Wadhwani – ~$5 B; founder of SymphonyAI.
- Other notable names: Rajiv Jain (
$4.8 B, finance), Kavitark Ram Shriram ($3 B, Google/VC), Raj Sardana ($2 B, tech services), David Paul ($1.5 B, medical devices), Neerja Sethi (~$1 B, IT consulting), Sundar Pichai (~multi-billion, CEO of Alphabet), Satya Nadella (~multi-billion, CEO of Microsoft), and Nikesh Arora (~multi-billion, Palo Alto Networks).
African Roots, Global Reach
Eight African-born billionaires also grace the list:
- Elon Musk – South Africa – $393.1 B.
- Patrick Soon-Shiong – South Africa – ~$5.6 B.
- Rodney Sacks & Family – South Africa – ~$3.6 B.
- Haim Saban – Egypt – ~$3.1 B.
- Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi – Nigeria – ~$2.4 B.
- Marc Lasry – Morocco – ~$1.9 B.
- Bharat Desai – Kenya – ~$1.6 B.
- Tope Awotona – Nigeria – ~$1.4 B.
These figures underscore the increasingly diverse origin of U.S. billionaire profiles.
Economic Impact: Beyond the Balance Sheet
These immigrant billionaires are not merely wealthy—they are economic powerhouses and innovation drivers:
- Job Creation: Major firms like Tesla, NVIDIA, Zscaler, and Interactive Brokers employ thousands directly and indirectly, fueling secondary industries and startups.
- Tech & Infrastructure: Their leadership in AI, finance, cybersecurity, and digital platforms advances U.S. technological standing.
- Philanthropy: Many are notable contributors to education, research, and social causes—expanding public good (e.g., Sergey Brin’s philanthropic ventures).
- Global Competitiveness: Their presence showcases America’s capacity to attract and retain global talent, enhancing domestic innovation.
FAQs:
Final Thoughts
America’s wealth landscape in 2025 vividly illustrates how immigrant entrepreneurs—driven by opportunity, resilience, and vision—continue to shape the nation’s economic future. From Musk’s revolutionary technologies to Chaudhry’s cybersecurity breakthroughs, their stories underscore the enduring “immigrant mindset” that helps sustain innovation and drive prosperity.
