Gary Tharaldson vs Mark Zuckerberg
Real-time net worth, career, and company comparison — updated June 2026.


Wealth at a Glance
Net worth gap: $206.5B — equivalent to 99% of Mark's total wealth.
Tale of the Tape
Career Highlights
Gary Tharaldson
- 1967Graduated from Valley City State UniversityEarned degrees in Business Administration and Physical Education.
- 1982Founded Tharaldson CompaniesPurchased his first hotel, a Super 8 motel in Valley City, North Dakota.
- 1987Sold Nine Super 8 MotelsSold nine Super 8 motels with a net profit of over $5 million.
- 1997Listed on Forbes 400Appeared on the Forbes 400 list of America's wealthiest individuals.
- 2003Inducted into the Scandinavian-American Hall of FameRecognized for his entrepreneurial achievements.
Mark Zuckerberg
- 2004Founded FacebookCo-founded Facebook while at Harvard University.
- 2008Became a BillionaireBecame a billionaire at age 23.
- 2012Facebook IPOTook Facebook public, making it one of the largest IPOs in history.
- 2021Meta RebrandingFacebook rebranded to Meta Platforms, Inc., focusing on the metaverse.
Net Worth History
| Year | Gary | Mark | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $1.2B | $65B | Mark |
| 2023 | $1.2B | $170B | Mark |
| 2024 | $1.2B | $224.1B | Mark |
| 2025 | $1.2B | $222B | Mark |
| 2026 | $1.22B | $207.68B | Mark |
The Verdict: Mark Zuckerberg vs Gary Tharaldson
As of June 2026, Mark Zuckerberg leads this comparison with a net worth of $207.68B, placing at #6 in the global rankings. Gary Tharaldson follows at $1.22B — a gap of $206.5B.
The two leaders come from distinct industries — Service for Gary Tharaldson and Technology for Mark Zuckerberg. Comparing them is therefore a comparison of different underlying asset types, growth rates, and risk profiles rather than a simple head-to-head within the same market.
Gary Tharaldson is 80 years old versus 41 for Mark Zuckerberg, a difference of 39 years. Age context matters in wealth comparisons: a younger billionaire at the same net worth has had less time to accumulate — and in many cases represents a higher compound annual growth rate on their wealth.
Net worth figures are estimates calculated from public shareholding disclosures, stock price data, and reported asset values. See our full methodology.
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Net worth estimates updated daily from public financial disclosures. Methodology · Report an error