Miami Billionaires 2026: Ranking South Florida’s Wealthiest Residents
- 7 days ago
- 6 min read
I’ve watched Miami quietly transform. Once a balmy refuge for retirees and seasonal vacationers, the city has, over the past several years, become home for billionaires, including founders, hedge fund titans, private equity leaders, and technology executives.
Many of these individuals once called New York or California home, but Florida’s lack of state income tax, expanding financial infrastructure, and waterfront real estate, drew them south. In fact, South Florida is home to roughly 50 confirmed billionaires: 23 in Miami-Dade County, 23 in Palm Beach County, and four in Broward County.
Below is Miami Living’s ranking of the region’s billion-dollar residents, some of whom live just steps from our modest homes in neighborhoods like Indian Creek Village and Miami Beach.
Jeff Bezos
Net worth: approximately $215 billion
Source of wealth: Founder of Amazon, founder of Blue Origin
Jeff Bezos at Amazon Spheres Grand Opening in Seattle - 2018. Photo by Seattle City Council
With a net worth estimated at approximately $215 billion, Jeff Bezos is not only one of Miami’s most prominent residents but one of the wealthiest individuals in modern history. As the founder of Amazon, he fundamentally reshaped global commerce, building a logistics and retail infrastructure that most of us are familiar with. His aerospace company, Blue Origin, represents an equally ambitious attempt to expand humanity’s reach beyond Earth, positioning Bezos at the intersection of technological, commercial, and scientific transformation.
Jeff Bezos, founder of private space company Blue Origin and Amazon.com, visited the Los Angeles Air Force Base, Space and Missile Systems Center, and spoke to the Commanders and Leaderships of Air Force Space Command at Ft. MacArthur, San Pedro, Calif., Oct 25, 2017. Date Taken: 31 December 2011. Photo by the Space Systems Command.
His decision to establish residence in Indian Creek Village, the ultra-private island enclave often referred to as the “billionaire bunker,” reflects Miami’s growing appeal among the world’s most influential figures. Beyond real estate, Bezos’ presence carries symbolic weight, helping attract even more billionaires to the city.
Ken Griffin
Net worth: approximately $42 to $43 billion
Source of wealth: Founder and CEO of Citadel
Portrait of Kenneth C. Griffin. Date Taken: 13 September 2017. Photo by Citadel Enterprise Americas LLC
Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel, commands an estimated fortune of between $42 and $43 billion, built through one of the most successful hedge funds in financial history. Citadel’s sophisticated trading strategies and global reach have made it a dominant force in modern markets, managing tens of billions in assets and influencing financial ecosystems worldwide.
Griffin’s relocation of Citadel’s headquarters to Miami marked one of the most significant institutional shifts in the city’s modern history. More than a personal move, it represented a transfer of financial gravity, bringing with it talent, infrastructure, and credibility. His investments in local real estate and philanthropic initiatives have further deepened his connection to the city, helping to position Miami as a legitimate rival to traditional financial centers like New York and Chicago.
Josh Harris
Net worth: approximately $9.9 to $14.1 billion
Source of wealth: Co founder of Apollo Global Management
Josh Harris photographed at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland, Nov. 19, 2023. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Zach Sheely)
Josh Harris, whose net worth is estimated between $9.9 and $14.1 billion, built his fortune as a co-founder of Apollo Global Management, one of the most influential private equity firms in the world. Apollo’s investments span industries ranging from technology to infrastructure, reflecting the expansive reach of modern private capital.
Sports team owner Josh Harris meeting with United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner
Harris maintains a significant presence in Miami Beach, where his investments and residential footprint reflect the broader migration of private equity leadership to South Florida. His influence extends beyond finance into professional sports ownership and institutional investing, underscoring the increasingly interconnected nature of global wealth.
Orlando Bravo
Net worth: approximately $9.8 to $11.9 billion
Source of wealth: Co-founder of Thoma Bravo
Orlando Bravo, founder and managing partner of Thoma Bravo. Date Taken: 10 June 2021. Photo by Thoma Bravo
Orlando Bravo, with an estimated net worth between $9.8 and $11.9 billion, is widely regarded as one of the most successful technology investors of his generation. As the co founder of Thoma Bravo, he helped build a private equity firm specializing in enterprise software, an industry that quietly powers much of the modern corporate world.
Orlando Bravo, founder and managing partner of Thoma Bravo. Date Taken: 27 November 2018. Photo by Thoma Bravo
Operating from Miami in Brickell, Bravo has contributed to the city’s rising prominence within the technology investment community. His firm’s acquisitions and strategic investments have shaped the software landscape, influencing companies whose platforms underpin global business operations.
Micky Arison
Net worth: approximately $8.7 billion
Source of wealth: Chairman of Carnival Corporation, owner of the Miami Heat
Micky Arison and Louis Sola at Port Canaveral. Date Taken: 4 June 2021
Unlike many of Miami’s newer billionaire arrivals, Micky Arison represents a legacy deeply rooted in the city itself. With an estimated net worth of approximately $8.7 billion, Arison serves as chairman of Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise operator, a company that helped establish Miami as the cruise capital of the world.
His ownership of the Miami Heat further cemented his role in shaping the city’s cultural and economic identity. Through decades of leadership in both global tourism and professional sports, Arison’s influence has extended beyond business into civic life, philanthropy, and the city’s international image.
Peter Thiel
Net worth: approximately $6.3 billion and growing
Source of wealth: Co-founder of PayPal, early investor in Facebook
Peter Thiel speaking with attendees at the 2022 Converge Tech Summit at The Waste Management Phoenix Open at the Skybar at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photo by Gage Skidmore
Peter Thiel, whose net worth exceeds $6.3 billion, has long occupied a unique position in the technology and investment world. As a co-founder of PayPal and one of Facebook’s earliest investors, he played a critical role in shaping Silicon Valley’s modern trajectory, backing companies that would go on to define entire sectors.
Peter Thiel speaking with attendees at the 2022 Converge Tech Summit at The Waste Management Phoenix Open at the Skybar at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photo by Gage Skidmore
Thiel’s connection to Miami is particularly significant because of its timing. He was among the earlier wave of prominent technology investors to establish a presence in the city, helping to legitimize Miami as an emerging alternative to traditional tech hubs. His investments helped Miami to be a growingncenter for entrepreneurial and technological innovation.
Carl Icahn
Net worth: approximately $18 billion
Source of wealth: Icahn Enterprises, activist investing
Carl Icahn, circa 1980s
Carl Icahn, with an estimated fortune of approximately $18 billion, is one of the most influential activist investors in corporate history. Through Icahn Enterprises, he built a reputation for acquiring stakes in companies and aggressively pushing for structural and strategic changes, often reshaping industries in the process.
His ties to Miami, particularly through Indian Creek properties and regional investment activity, connect the city to decades of financial activism that have shaped corporate governance globally.
David Tepper
Net worth: approximately $22.8 billion
Source of wealth: Appaloosa Management
Image of David Tepper of Appaloosa Management. Date Taken: 8 May 2006. Photo by Appaloosa Management
David Tepper, whose net worth is estimated at approximately $22.8 billion, built his fortune through Appaloosa Management, one of the most successful hedge funds of the modern era. Known for his ability to navigate volatile markets and identify distressed investment opportunities, Tepper has long been regarded as one of the most skilled investors in finance.
While primarily associated with Palm Beach, Tepper remains part of the broader South Florida billionaire ecosystem, contributing to the region’s growing concentration of financial influence.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin
Combined net worth: well over $200 billion
Source of wealth: Co-founders of Google
Left to right, Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google. Date Taken: 20 May 2008. Photo by Joi Ito
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the co-founders of Google, are among the most influential figures in modern technological history. Together, they built a company that fundamentally transformed how information is accessed, creating a platform that serves billions of people worldwide. Their combined net worth exceeds $200 billion, placing them among the wealthiest individuals on Earth.
Their growing investments in Miami real estate signal a strategic and personal connection to the city, aligning them with a broader migration of technology leaders seeking new geographic bases.
Norman Braman
Net worth: over $1 billion
Source of wealth: Auto dealerships, real estate, philanthropy
Norman Braman and Knight Foundation Miami Program Director Matt Haggman. Date Taken: 28 November 2011. Photo by Knight Foundation
Norman Braman, whose net worth exceeds $1 billion, represents a different dimension of Miami’s billionaire landscape. As a successful auto dealership magnate and real estate investor, Braman built his fortune locally, contributing directly to the city’s economic and cultural development.
His philanthropic efforts and support for the arts have played a significant role in shaping Miami’s cultural identity, reinforcing the idea that wealth’s influence extends beyond business. Braman’s legacy illustrates that Miami’s billionaire story is not solely defined by recent arrivals but also by longstanding figures whose impact helped lay the foundation for the city’s current prominence.