The mysterious figure behind Bitcoin, known as Satoshi Nakamoto, has unofficially entered the ranks of the world’s richest people—now sitting at the 11th spot—after Bitcoin briefly surged to $120,000 on Sunday.
Blockchain analytics firm Arkham estimates that Nakamoto holds approximately 1.096 million BTC, spread across multiple wallets. At current market prices, that’s more than $131 billion worth of Bitcoin.
This sizable fortune would technically place Nakamoto just ahead of Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell, whose net worth is around $125.1 billion, according to Forbes. However, Forbes does not count crypto wallet balances when compiling its billionaire rankings, focusing instead on assets like public company shares.
Could Nakamoto Eventually Take the Top Spot?
Although Bitcoin reached a record high of just over $120,000 on Monday (according to Nansen data), that figure still falls short of what’s needed for Nakamoto to top the billionaire charts.
Currently, Elon Musk holds the number one position with a fortune of more than $404 billion. Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg follow closely, each with around $274 billion.
For Nakamoto to leap to the very top, Bitcoin would need to climb by roughly 208%, reaching around $370,000—assuming other billionaires’ wealth remains stable.
A Potential Climb in the Years Ahead
According to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, Nakamoto could rise even further in the billionaire ranks. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) from June 2, he suggested that if Bitcoin follows its historical trend of gaining 50% annually, Nakamoto could claim the number two spot sometime in 2026.
Balchunas remarked on how remarkable it is that someone who created such a transformative asset has never touched their holdings, comparing it to Vanguard founder Jack Bogle, who famously passed up immense personal wealth in favor of investor-first principles. Bogle passed away in 2019 with a modest net worth of $80 million, despite revolutionizing the finance industry.
Meanwhile, market experts remain bullish on Bitcoin’s future. Markus Thielen, head of 10x Research, recently stated there’s a 60% chance Bitcoin could rise another 20% to reach $133,000 by September.
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan believes Bitcoin could hit $200,000 by the end of 2025, largely due to increasing institutional demand. Similarly, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes has predicted an even more optimistic target of $250,000 by year-end.
How Other Bitcoin Whales Compare
Nakamoto stands in a league of their own when it comes to Bitcoin holdings. For comparison, major companies and custodians collectively hold around 847,000 BTC—roughly 4% of the total supply—according to BiTBO.
Among individuals, the closest contenders include the Winklevoss twins, who are estimated to own around 70,000 BTC. Venture capitalist Tim Draper purchased about 30,000 BTC during a government auction in 2014. MicroStrategy co-founder Michael Saylor, aside from his firm’s Bitcoin assets, personally holds roughly 17,732 BTC.
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