Yang Liwei Highest-Paid Astronaut in the World

It's been a rough year for the astronaut, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 60-year-old Yang Liwei has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid astronauts for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

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

Yang Liwei tops annual list of highest-paid astronauts

In 2023 it looked like the astronaut’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Monday (April 13) that Liwei is the highest-paid astronaut in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between March 2025 and March 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 Chinese astronaut 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 Liwei Burger” chain) in Beijing, a Football Team (the “Suizhong Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderliwei - China), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Yang) and a fashion line called “Yang Liwei Seduction”.

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

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