Malala Yousafzai Highest-Paid Activist in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Kabul
  • Last updated on

Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid activists” released on Saturday.

It's been a rough year for the activist, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 28-year-old Malala Yousafzai has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid activists for 2026 with an estimated $96 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 01/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Malala Yousafzai tops annual list of highest-paid activists

In 2023 it looked like the activist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, she was back on top. People With Money reports on Saturday (February 28) that Yousafzai is the highest-paid activist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $96 million between February 2025 and February 2026, a nearly $60 million lead over her 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 Afghan activist has an estimated net worth of $275 million. She owes her fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. She also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Yousafzai Burger” chain) in Kabul, a Football Team (the “Mingora Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderyousafzai - Afghanistan), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Malala) and a fashion line called “Malala Yousafzai Seduction”.

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

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