Michael Saylor Joins Bloomberg Billionaires Index Top 500 Club

Michael Saylor, co-founder and executive chairman of MicroStrategy, has officially joined Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The latest update places him 491st. With an estimated net worth of $7.37 billion as of September 5, 2025. Bloomberg’s index tracks the fortunes of the world’s wealthiest individuals in real time. Saylor entered the rankings after a sharp increase in his wealth. Which grew by $167 million in a single day, a rise of 2.3%. Since January, his fortune has climbed more than $1 billion. It underscores how closely his wealth moves with MicroStrategy’s share price and Bitcoin’s trajectory.

Wealth Built on Bitcoin Strategy

Saylor’s presence on the billionaire list is tied to one decisive bet: Bitcoin. MicroStrategy, the Virginia based firm he co-founded. That has become the largest publicly traded holder of the cryptocurrency. By May 2025, the company controlled over 580,000 Bitcoin tokens. It is valued at roughly $60 billion. This position has turned MicroStrategy into a central figure in the digital asset industry. His personal fortune comes largely from his stake in MicroStrategy. He holds nearly 20 million shares spread across Class B and Class A stock. 

Although he once disclosed owning 17,732 Bitcoin personally. Bloomberg excludes those assets from its wealth estimate because they cannot be independently verified. In addition to his stake, Saylor has realized significant gains by selling portions of MicroStrategy stock. In 2024, he sold more than $410 million worth of shares. Which is diversifying into cash holdings and investments. However, most of his wealth remains tied to the company’s performance. By extension, the price of Bitcoin.

From Dot-Com Heights to Bitcoin Champion

Saylor’s journey to the Bloomberg index reflects resilience through success and setbacks. Born in 1965 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He grew up in a military family. Saylor attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on an Air Force scholarship. He graduated with honors in 1987. But left his planned flight career after being diagnosed with a heart murmur. In 1989, Saylor co-founded MicroStrategy with his fraternity brother Sanju Bansal. The firm quickly gained recognition. It signed a major deal with McDonald’s and went public in 1998. By 2000, his personal fortune had surged to $7.5 billion. That placed him among the richest executives of the dot-com era.

That moment proved short-lived. MicroStrategy restated its financials, and Saylor, along with two other executives, settled with the SEC for $11 million. The company’s share price plummeted. As a result, his wealth evaporated. Despite the crash, MicroStrategy survived by focusing on enterprise software. It has maintained a steady role in the tech sector for two decades. The turning point came in August 2020. Saylor redirected MicroStrategy’s treasury into Bitcoin. He started with a $250 million purchase. At the time, it was a controversial move. Five years later, it has defined his company and his reputation.

Cementing His Role in Bitcoin’s Future

MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin strategy propelled its market capitalization beyond $100 billion. That secured its place in the Nasdaq 100. The company’s purchases now represent more than 2% of Bitcoin’s fixed supply. This underscores its influence in the market. He has embraced his role as one of Bitcoin most vocal advocates. Saylor speaks regularly at industry conferences. Also, engages with regulators and shares frequent commentary on X.

His mix of technical knowledge and public persona made him a prominent figure. Both in financial and crypto circles. Not all of his fame stems from business. In 2000, at the height of the dot-com boom, he announced a presidential run. Later, clarifying that he was only “half-joking.” It reflected the mix of ambition and eccentricity that has followed him throughout his career.

Outlook

Saylor’s inclusion in Bloomberg Billionaires Index signals a return to the ranks of the world’s wealthiest, decades after his first fortune. Yet his position remains unusually tied to the volatility of Bitcoin. Unlike peers whose fortunes rest on diverse industries. His wealth rises and falls with a single asset. Even so, Saylor’s path, from soaring dot-com billionaire. Through regulatory battles to becoming the corporate face of Bitcoin, it shows a pattern of reinvention. Currently, he stands not only as a wealthy executive. But also as a symbol of Bitcoin’s growing reach into mainstream finance.