85 California billionaires ranked among Forbes' richest
California is home to 85 of America's richest people on the 2026 Forbes 400 list, more than any other state. Tech titans dominate as California billionaires ranked among the nation's elite, led by Alphabet's Larry Page at $278 billion. The list's combined wealth hit a record $8 trillion.
Key Takeaways
- California leads every state with 85 members on the 2026 Forbes 400, ahead of New York (54), Florida (49), and Texas (43).
- Alphabet co-founders Larry Page ($278 billion) and Sergey Brin ($265 billion) top the California ranks; Mark Zuckerberg is third locally at $212 billion.
- Entry to the list now requires at least $4.4 billion, and 34 newcomers joined as total wealth reached $8 trillion.
- California voters face Proposition 40 on Nov. 3, a proposed one-time 5% tax on billionaire fortunes.
How many California billionaires ranked among America's richest?
According to the New York Post's report on Forbes' annual ranking, the Golden State claims 85 of the country's 400 richest people—more than any other state. New York follows with 54, then Florida with 49 and Texas with 43.
Forbes valued each fortune as of Sept. 4, 2026. The full list holds a record $8 trillion in combined wealth, with a minimum net worth of $4.4 billion to qualify, up from $3.8 billion a year earlier. A record 590 American billionaires still fell short of the cutoff.
Who leads California's richest on the Forbes 400?
Larry Page sits at No. 3 nationwide and first in California with $278 billion. Sergey Brin is the second-wealthiest Californian and fifth-richest American at $265 billion. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg rounds out the state's top three at $212 billion, though his national rank slipped to sixth from third in 2025.
Nvidia's Jensen Huang is the only other Californian in the national top 10, at eighth overall with $199 billion. Further down the state list, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt ($37.8 billion), Broadcom's Henry Samueli ($33.8 billion), Kingston Technology's John Tu and David Sun ($32.2 billion each), Ubiquiti's Robert Pera ($29.6 billion), and OpenAI's Greg Brockman ($25.5 billion) fill out California's top 10. Brockman is also the list's wealthiest newcomer.
Why does this concentration of wealth matter now?
The ranking lands as California prepares to vote on Proposition 40 on Nov. 3—a one-time 5% tax on fortunes of billionaires who were state residents at the start of 2026. A September UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times found 45% of likely voters in support and 42% opposed.
Tech and AI fortunes dominate the state's elite. More than a dozen AI moguls were among the 34 newcomers nationwide. Still, no Californian tops the U.S. list: Elon Musk leads America at $908 billion from Texas, ahead of Florida-based Jeff Bezos at $378 billion. For more wealth rankings and net-worth coverage, see our Net Worth & Wealth hub.