Ben Bernanke Highest-Paid Economist in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Ben Bernanke
Ben Bernanke led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid economists” released on Saturday.
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It's been a rough year for the economist, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 72-year-old Ben Bernanke has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid economists for 2026 with an estimated $82 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 11/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Ben Bernanke 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 Saturday (January 10) that Bernanke is the highest-paid economist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $82 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $50 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 has an estimated net worth of $245 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 Bernanke Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “Augusta Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderbernanke - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Ben) and a fashion line called “Ben Bernanke Seduction”.

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

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