Peter Thiel has become the wealthiest person in Los Angeles, with an estimated net worth of approximately $24 billion in 2025, according to data from Forbes, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and the LA Almanac. The venture capitalist and co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies has seen his fortune surge more than tenfold from about $2 billion in 2020, when he ranked 24th in LA County. His rise is fueled by Palantir's stock rally, Founders Fund's investments, and early bets on companies like Facebook.
The top 10 richest men in Los Angeles
The 2025 LA rich list shows a wide gap between the top and bottom. Thiel's $24 billion net worth is more than double that of the runner-up, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, whose fortune is estimated at $10–12 billion. The list includes entertainment moguls, tech entrepreneurs, and real estate developers.
Here are the top 10, based on verified net worth figures from multiple sources:
- 10. Bobby Murphy (~$4.2 billion) — Co-founder and CTO of Snap Inc.
- 9. Evan Spiegel (~$4.5 billion) — Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc.
- 8. Rick Caruso (~$5.3 billion) — Founder and CEO of Caruso, a real estate firm behind The Grove and Americana at Brand.
- 7. George Lucas (~$5.2 billion) — Filmmaker and founder of Lucasfilm, creator of Star Wars.
- 6. Don Hankey (~$7.2 billion) — Chairman of Hankey Group, a subprime auto lending empire.
- 5. Stewart & Lynda Resnick (~$9 billion) — Owners of The Wonderful Company (POM Wonderful, Fiji Water, Halos).
- 4. David Geffen (~$9 billion) — Entertainment mogul and co-founder of DreamWorks SKG.
- 3. Steven Spielberg (~$11.5 billion) — Acclaimed film director and producer.
- 2. Patrick Soon-Shiong (~$10–12 billion) — Physician, biotech entrepreneur, and owner of the Los Angeles Times.
- 1. Peter Thiel (~$24 billion) — Venture capitalist, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir.
How Peter Thiel reached the top
Thiel's wealth growth is largely attributed to his stake in Palantir Technologies, which he co-founded in 2004. In late 2024, his Palantir shares were valued at $5.3 billion, but by mid-2025 they had more than doubled to roughly $11 billion amid a rally in AI and defense-tech stocks. Founders Fund, the venture capital firm he co-founded in 2005, manages about $17 billion in assets and closed a $6 billion growth fund in May 2026.
Thiel was also the first outside investor in Facebook, loaning $500,000 to Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. He moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 2018, citing Silicon Valley's "one-party state" culture. Forbes ranked him third on its 2025 Midas List of top tech investors.
Patrick Soon-Shiong: The runner-up
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a South African-born physician and biotech entrepreneur, built his fortune through the cancer drug Abraxane and the sale of his companies Abraxis and American Pharmaceutical Partners for a combined $9.1 billion. He also owns the Los Angeles Times, which he acquired in 2018 for $500 million, and holds a minority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers. He is often called the richest doctor in the world.
Entertainment moguls on the list
Steven Spielberg, with an estimated net worth of $11.5 billion, is the wealthiest celebrity in Los Angeles. His fortune comes from directing blockbusters like Jaws, Jurassic Park, and E.T., as well as a 2% royalty on ticket sales at Universal theme parks worldwide.
David Geffen, worth about $9 billion, built his empire through Asylum Records, Geffen Records, and DreamWorks SKG. He is also known for his art collection and philanthropy, including a $150 million pledge to LACMA.
George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, has a net worth of $5.2 billion, largely from the $4.1 billion sale of Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012. He continues to earn from merchandise and theme park royalties.
Snap founders and other tech wealth
Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, co-founders of Snap Inc., are worth $4.5 billion and $4.2 billion respectively. Their fortunes are tied to Snap's stock performance, which has fluctuated but remains significant. Snap is headquartered in Santa Monica, cementing LA's role as a tech hub.
Don Hankey, a low-profile billionaire, built his wealth through subprime auto lending via Westlake Financial. He gained public attention in 2023 when he provided a $175 million bond for Donald Trump.
Real estate and agriculture
Rick Caruso, founder of Caruso, developed iconic outdoor shopping centers like The Grove and Americana at Brand. He ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2022, losing to Karen Bass.
Stewart and Lynda Resnick, worth $9 billion, own The Wonderful Company, one of the largest privately held agricultural firms in the world. Lynda Resnick is the wealthiest woman on the list, known for marketing brands like POM Wonderful and Fiji Water.
Key takeaways
Of the 100 California residents on the 2025 Forbes 400, 23 were LA County residents — the highest concentration in any county in the state — with a combined wealth of $193 billion. The gap between the 10th and 1st richest is $20 billion.
Peter Thiel's rise from 24th to 1st place in five years underscores the rapid wealth creation in tech and venture capital. Meanwhile, traditional entertainment and real estate fortunes remain substantial but have been outpaced by Thiel's explosive growth.
