Abhijit Banerjee Highest-Paid Economist in the World

It's been a rough year for the economist, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 65-year-old Abhijit Banerjee has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid economists for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 20/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Abhijit Banerjee tops annual list of highest-paid economists

In 2023 it looked like the economist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Thursday (March 19) that Banerjee is the highest-paid economist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between February 2025 and February 2026, a nearly $20 million lead over his closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The American economist-Nobel laureate has an estimated net worth of $145 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Banerjee Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Mumbai Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderbanerjee - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Abhijit) and a fashion line called “Abhijit Banerjee Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Abhijit fans, who have been waiting for his triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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