Did you know that accountants are in demand and command the best salaries among the skilled professionals of today?
Thus, it may not come as a surprise that many of the Richest and most successful professionals are accountants by qualifications. However, what is surprising is that most of the richest accountants are entrepreneurs, reflecting the practicality and usefulness of the skills one gain when pursuing a qualification in accountancy.
Here are some of the richest accountants in the world.
Top 6 Richest Accountants in the World in 2025
The accounting profession has produced some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and billionaires. These individuals leveraged their financial expertise and business acumen to build massive fortunes, proving that accounting skills can be the foundation for extraordinary wealth creation. Here are the top 6 richest accountants globally:
1. Phil Knight (Nike Co-founder) – $37.6 Billion
Background: Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Company: Nike Inc.
Achievement: Co-founded the world’s largest athletic footwear company
Phil Knight, born in 1938, stands as the wealthiest accountant in history. After completing his CPA qualification, he worked at prestigious firms Coopers & Lybrand and Price Waterhouse. Following his Stanford MBA in 1962, Knight secured US distribution rights for Tiger brand running shoes during a world trip. This opportunity led to co-founding Nike with his former track coach Bill Bowerman. As of 2019, Knight was ranked the 21st richest person globally, with Nike valued at $82 billion.
2. Kumar Mangalam Birla (Aditya Birla Group) – $19 Billion
Background: Chartered Accountant (ICAI) + MBA (London Business School)
Company: Aditya Birla Group
Achievement: Transformed family business into global conglomerate
Kumar Mangalam Birla took control of the Aditya Birla Group at age 28 following his father’s sudden death in 1995. As a qualified CA from ICAI, he scaled the organization twenty-fold, expanding operations across over 40 countries. The group operates in cement, metals, textiles, and telecommunications, making Birla one of India’s wealthiest business leaders with an estimated net worth of $19 billion as of 2025.
3. David Sun – $4.9 Billion
Background: Accountant turned technology entrepreneur
Achievement: Built massive wealth through technology ventures
David Sun represents the intersection of accounting expertise and technology innovation. His accounting background provided the financial foundation for building technology companies that generated billions in value, making him one of the richest accountants globally.
4. John D. Rockefeller – Historical Wealth Leader
Background: Started as bookkeeper at age 16
Company: Standard Oil
Achievement: America’s first billionaire and richest person in history
Rockefeller began his career as a bookkeeper and leveraged his accounting skills to build Standard Oil into a massive empire. He redefined both business and philanthropy, funding educational institutions and contributing to medical research. His wealth, adjusted for inflation, makes him potentially the richest person in American history.
5. Tony Fernandes (AirAsia) – $745 Million
Background: ACCA and ICAEW qualified accountant
Company: AirAsia
Achievement: Transformed budget airline industry in Asia
Born in Kuala Lumpur in 1964, Fernandes graduated from London School of Economics with an accounting degree. He became a member of ACCA (1991) and ICAEW (1996) before working in corporate finance. After leaving Time Warner in 2001, he established AirAsia, transforming it into a worldwide success. His estimated net worth reached $745 million by 2018, along with various other successful ventures.
6. Paul Coulson (Ardagh Group) – $1.5 Billion
Background: Chartered Accountant (1978)
Company: Ardagh Group (formerly Irish Glass Bottle Company)
Achievement: Transformed glass bottling company into $2.5 billion enterprise
Paul Coulson, born in 1952, attended Trinity College Dublin for business studies before qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1978. He worked at Price Waterhouse before establishing Yeoman International Group. Coulson transformed the Irish Glass Bottle Company into Ardagh Group, valued at approximately $2.5 billion, making him one of Ireland’s richest individuals.
Key Success Factors
Financial Acumen: All these individuals leveraged their accounting expertise to make strategic business decisions and manage complex financial operations effectively.
Entrepreneurial Vision: Rather than remaining traditional accountants, they identified business opportunities and took calculated risks to build substantial enterprises.
Global Perspective: Most expanded their businesses internationally, understanding global markets and financial systems through their accounting background.
Strategic Partnerships: Many formed successful partnerships and made strategic acquisitions that multiplied their wealth significantly.
Lessons for Aspiring Accountants
These success stories demonstrate that accounting qualifications provide:
- Strong Foundation: Technical skills in financial analysis, risk assessment, and strategic planning
- Business Understanding: Deep comprehension of how businesses operate and generate profits
- Decision-Making Skills: Ability to analyze complex financial data and make informed choices
- Credibility: Professional qualifications that open doors to investment opportunities and partnerships
The careers of these wealthy accountants prove that accounting education can be a stepping stone to extraordinary entrepreneurial success, combining technical expertise with business vision to create billion-dollar enterprises.
Pursuing a career in accountancy does seem to sharpen your intuition for entrepreneurship.
The fact that most top accountants are entrepreneurs just goes to show how accounting improves your prediction, analytical and forecasting abilities.
