Forbes Reveals the 8 Richest Latin American Immigrants

The landscape of wealth and entrepreneurship in the United States is experiencing a profound transformation driven by foreign talent. The prestigious business magazine Forbes published on July 15, 2026 its annual ranking of the richest immigrants in this country. The report reveals a historic record of 144 billionaires born outside U.S. borders. This select group concentrates a combined fortune estimated at $2.2 trillion dollars, significantly surpassing the 125 members recorded in last year’s edition. Among these prominent global figures, 8 entrepreneurs born in Latin America and the Caribbean have managed to solidify themselves within the exclusive billionaire club.

This phenomenon highlights the socioeconomic impact of the Hispanic community in a context where migration policies and debates surrounding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) occupy the center of the public agenda. In first place, this year’s list is led overall by South African Elon Musk, whose estimated net worth reached $927 billion dollars following the stock market debut of his aerospace firm SpaceX on June 12.

On the other hand, the composition of this select Latin American group includes 2 Mexicans, 2 Argentines, 1 Venezuelan, 1 Bolivian, 1 Panamanian, and 1 Haitian. However, it is important to note that Guatemalan Luis von Ahn, co-founder of the language platform Duolingo, left the list this year due to a downward fluctuation in his company’s shares. Despite these financial market movements, Hispanic representation continues to demonstrate enormous resilience in sectors that drive the global economy.

Who leads Hispanic wealth in the United States this year?

At the top of Latin American entrepreneurs is Venezuelan Abel Avellan, who occupies position number 41 in the general ranking of immigrants with a net worth of $5.7 billion dollars. Avellan is the founder and chief executive officer of the technology company AST SpaceMobile. This firm is dedicated to the construction of satellites designed to emit broadband signals directly to commercial mobile phones. Thanks to this innovation, the company maintains active strategic contracts with telecommunications sector giants such as AT&T, Verizon, and Vodafone.

The second place among Latinos corresponds to Mexican Pablo Legorreta, positioned at number 50 on the general Forbes list. Legorreta possesses an estimated fortune of $5 billion dollars thanks to the founding of Royalty Pharma. This corporation is considered the largest firm on the planet in the acquisition of pharmaceutical royalty streams.

The real estate sector also has notable representation through Argentine Jorge Pérez, who occupies position number 83 with wealth of $2.6 billion dollars. Pérez leads Related Group, one of the most influential real estate developers in Florida, with its main headquarters in the city of Miami. Since its founding in 1979, the company has built more than 100,000 condominiums and residential apartments. The following table details the positions and net worth of the top 4 leaders in the region:

Latam Position	Entrepreneur Name	Country of Origin	Estimated Fortune	Main Company
1	Abel Avellan	Venezuela	$5.7 billion	AST SpaceMobile
2	Pablo Legorreta	Mexico	$5 billion	Royalty Pharma