William Ackman vs Mark Zuckerberg
Real-time net worth, career, and company comparison — updated May 2026.
Wealth at a Glance
Net worth gap: $198.7B — equivalent to 96% of Mark's total wealth.
Tale of the Tape
Net Worth History
| Year | William | Mark | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | $65B | — |
| 2023 | $4.3B | $170B | Mark |
| 2024 | $9.1B | $224.1B | Mark |
| 2025 | $9.1B | $222B | Mark |
| 2026 | $8.948B | $207.68B | Mark |
Career Highlights
William Ackman
- 1992Co-founded Gotham PartnersCo-founded Gotham Partners Management Co., LLC, an investment advisory firm.
- 2004Founded Pershing Square Capital ManagementFounded Pershing Square Capital Management, an investment management company.
- 2014Pershing Square Holdings IPOPershing Square Holdings went public on Euronext Amsterdam.
- 2020Profited from Shorting the Bond MarketProfited approximately $2.6 billion by shorting the bond market during the COVID-19 downturn.
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.
The Verdict: Mark Zuckerberg vs William Ackman
As of May 2026, Mark Zuckerberg leads this comparison with a net worth of $207.68B, placing at #6 in the global rankings. William Ackman follows at $8.948B — a gap of $198.7B.
The two leaders come from distinct industries — Finance & Investments for William Ackman 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.
William Ackman is 59 years old versus 41 for Mark Zuckerberg, a difference of 18 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