Patrick Le Lay Highest-Paid Business man in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Paris
  • Last updated on

Patrick Le Lay
Patrick Le Lay 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. 83-year-old Patrick Le Lay has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid business men for 2026 with an estimated $58 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 14/04/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Patrick Le Lay 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 (April 13) that Le Lay is the highest-paid business man in the world, pulling in an astonishing $58 million between March 2025 and March 2026, a nearly $30 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 $185 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 Le Lay Burger” chain) in Paris, a Football Team (the “Saint-Brieuc Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderle Lay - France), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Patrick) and a fashion line called “Patrick Le Lay Seduction”.

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

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