Yuval Noah Harari Highest-Paid Author in the World

It's been a rough year for the author, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 50-year-old Yuval Noah Harari has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid authors for 2026 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 01/07/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Yuval Noah Harari tops annual list of highest-paid authors

In 2024 it looked like the author’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Tuesday (June 30) that Harari is the highest-paid author in the world, pulling in an astonishing $46 million between June 2025 and June 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 Israelian author-historian 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 Harari Burger” chain) in Jerusalem, a Football Team (the “Kiryat Ata Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderharari - Israel), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Yuval Noah) and a fashion line called “Yuval Noah Harari Seduction”.

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

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