Michel-Édouard Leclerc Highest-Paid Business man in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Paris
  • Last updated on

Michel-Édouard Leclerc
Michel-Édouard Leclerc led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid business men” released on Monday.

It's been a rough year for the business man, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 73-year-old Michel-Édouard Leclerc has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid business men for 2026 with an estimated $75 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 10/02/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Michel-Édouard Leclerc tops annual list of highest-paid business men

In 2023 it looked like the business man’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Monday (February 9) that Leclerc is the highest-paid business man in the world, pulling in an astonishing $75 million between January 2025 and January 2026, a nearly $40 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 French business man has an estimated net worth of $215 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 Leclerc Burger” chain) in Paris, a Football Team (the “Landerneau Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderleclerc - France), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Michel-Édouard) and a fashion line called “Michel-Édouard Leclerc Seduction”.

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

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