Jeff Yass Net Worth

Jeff Yass Net Worth

Jeff Yass net worth – What is the net worth of Jeff Yass? Jeff Yass is an American billionaire businessman, options trader, and the co-founder of Susquehanna International Group (SIG). With a net worth of $65 billion, he is the richest person in Pennsylvania and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world. A former professional gambler turned Wall Street titan, Yass is best known for his firm’s massive early investment in ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, which has propelled his fortune to astronomical heights.

What is Jeff Yass’ Net Worth?

As of 2026, Jeff Yass has an estimated net worth of US $65 billion. His wealth stems primarily from his ownership of Susquehanna International Group, a global quantitative trading firm he co-founded in 1987. While SIG is a giant in options market making, the bulk of Yass’s recent wealth explosion is attributed to SIG’s early 2012 investment in ByteDance (the owner of TikTok). Yass personally owns an approximate 7% stake in ByteDance, which is valued at over $20 billion alone, in addition to his majority stake in SIG’s varied trading operations.

Net Worth Comparison with Other Finance Billionaires

Billionaire Estimated Net Worth
Jeff Yass $65 Billion
Ken Griffin $51.2 Billion
Stephen Schwarzman $46 Billion
Steve Cohen $19.8 Billion
Ray Dalio $15.4 Billion
Israel Englander $12 Billion

Jeff Yass Net Worth Growth Timeline

Year Net Worth
2018 $2.0 Billion
2021 $12.0 Billion
2023 $28.5 Billion
2024 $49.6 Billion
2026 **$65.0 Billion**

Who is Jeff Yass?

Jeff Yass is a quantitative trading pioneer born in July 1958 in Queens, New York. Unlike traditional Wall Street bankers, Yass applies the principles of poker and game theory to financial markets. He is a Libertarian mega-donor, pouring millions into school choice initiatives and political campaigns that favor low taxes and deregulation. He is often called the “TikTok Billionaire” because his firm was one of the earliest investors in the Chinese app, a bet that turned a few million dollars into tens of billions.

Jeff Yass Biography

Field Details
Full Name Jeffrey Steven Yass
Nickname The Poker Tycoon
Date of Birth July 1958
Age 67 years
Birthplace Queens, New York, U.S.
Nationality American
Profession Trader, Businessman, Investor
Years Active 1981–present
Net Worth $65 billion
Source of Wealth Susquehanna International Group, ByteDance (TikTok)
Education Binghamton University (B.A. in Math & Economics)
Marital Status Married
Spouse Janine Coslett Yass
Children 4
Parents Gerald Yass, Sybil Yass

Early Life and Education

Jeff Yass was born to a Jewish family in the Bronx and raised in Queens, New York. His father, Gerald Yass, was an accountant who introduced him to the concepts of market analysis. Jeff attended Binghamton University, where he studied mathematics and economics.

During college, Yass was less interested in traditional academics and more focused on gambling. He and a group of friends (who would later become his business partners) spent their time playing poker and betting on horse racing. Yass wrote his senior thesis on the mathematics of horse betting. After graduating, he moved to Las Vegas to play professional poker, honing the risk management skills that would later define his trading career.

Career

In 1981, Yass moved to Philadelphia to trade options on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. He quickly realized that the markets were inefficient and that he could use mathematical models to gain an edge. In 1987, he co-founded Susquehanna International Group (SIG) with five friends from Binghamton.

SIG became renowned for its use of game theory and probability. The firm’s culture is deeply rooted in poker; new hires are famously taught to play poker to learn how to make decisions under uncertainty. Today, SIG is one of the world’s largest market makers in stocks and options.

The defining moment of Yass’s career came in 2012 when a SIG team member in China identified a small startup called ByteDance. SIG invested roughly $5 million initially. That startup created TikTok, and SIG’s stake (approx. 15% for the firm) is now worth tens of billions, making it one of the greatest venture capital bets in history.

Personal Life

Jeff Yass resides in Haverford, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Janine Coslett Yass. They have four children. Yass is notoriously private and rarely gives interviews, preferring to let his money talk through political donations.

He is a staunch Libertarian and sits on the board of the Cato Institute. He and his wife are fierce advocates for school choice and charter schools, founding the Yass Prize to reward education innovators. In recent years, he has become one of the largest political donors in the U.S., supporting candidates who align with his views on low taxes and educational freedom.

Favorite Things

Category Favorite
Game Poker (No Limit Hold’em)
Sport Horse Racing
Political Cause School Choice / Vouchers
Economic Theory Game Theory
University Binghamton University
Philosophy Libertarianism

50 Unknown Facts about Jeff Yass

  1. He wrote his college thesis on “An Econometric Analysis of Horse Racing.”

  2. He played professional poker in Las Vegas before becoming a trader.

  3. He uses poker tournaments to recruit traders for Susquehanna.

  4. He requires SIG traders to read books on poker strategy.

  5. He was one of the investors who backed the “Moneyball” approach in sports betting.

  6. He personally owns about 7% of ByteDance (TikTok).

  7. He is the richest person in the state of Pennsylvania.

  8. He donated over $40 million to school choice initiatives.

  9. He backed Rand Paul’s presidential run in 2016.

  10. He is a major donor to the Club for Growth.

  11. He has never sold his stake in ByteDance despite regulatory pressure.

  12. He initially invested only a few million dollars into ByteDance in 2012.

  13. He has a net worth larger than the GDP of Croatia.

  14. He co-founded SIG with college roommates Arthur Dantchik, Steve Bloom, Eric Brooks, Andrew Frost, and Joel Greenberg.

  15. He lives in a relatively modest home compared to his multi-billion dollar fortune.

  16. He famously bets on almost anything to teach probability, including the weather.

  17. He was a professional gambler for 18 months in Vegas.

  18. He supports the legalization of online gambling.

  19. He donated $16 million to a pro-Trump super PAC in 2024.

  20. He has been criticized for his firm’s tax strategies.

  21. He rarely wears a suit, preferring casual attire.

  22. He is on the board of the Cato Institute.

  23. He believes the public school system is a monopoly that harms children.

  24. He founded the “Yass Prize,” often called the “Nobel Prize for Education.”

  25. He has been accused of trying to buy elections in Pennsylvania.

  26. He is an expert in “probabilistic thinking.”

  27. His firm, SIG, trades roughly 7-10% of the total US options volume.

  28. He has backed Israeli think tanks like the Kohelet Policy Forum.

  29. He is a critic of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy.

  30. He was once investigated by the SEC but settled without admitting guilt.

  31. He believes “making the right bet” is more important than the outcome of a single hand.

  32. He is friends with Benjamin Netanyahu.

  33. He funded a PAC called “School Freedom Fund.”

  34. He considers himself a “never-Trumper” turned pragmatic supporter.

  35. He has 4 children.

  36. He met his wife Janine in Pennsylvania.

  37. He donated $100 million to the University of Austin (an anti-woke startup university).

  38. He thinks taxes on billionaires are counterproductive to economic growth.

  39. He has a “black box” trading strategy that is a closely guarded secret.

  40. He employs over 3,000 people globally.

  41. He was born in the Bronx.

  42. He helped fund the “Moderate PAC” to support centrist Democrats against progressives.

  43. He believes in open borders for trade but is conservative on other issues.

  44. He is the 25th richest person in the world (approximate rank).

  45. He has avoided the public spotlight for decades until his net worth exploded.

  46. He has donated to initiatives that support autism education.

  47. He is a fan of Austrian economics.

  48. He lobbied against a U.S. ban on TikTok.

  49. He is known to be extremely competitive.

  50. He plans to donate a significant portion of his wealth to education reform.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Jeff Yass?

Jeff Yass is 67 years old (as of 2026).

Where does Jeff Yass live?

He resides in Haverford, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.

Is Jeff Yass married?

Yes, he is married to Janine Coslett Yass.

How much is Jeff Yass worth?

His estimated net worth is $65 billion.

What company does Jeff Yass own?

He is the co-founder and Managing Director of Susquehanna International Group (SIG).

Does Jeff Yass own TikTok?

His firm, SIG, owns approximately 15% of ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company), and Yass personally owns about 7%.

Is Jeff Yass a Republican?

He is a registered Libertarian but primarily donates to Republican candidates who support school choice and low taxes.

What is the Yass Prize?

It is a philanthropic award founded by Jeff and Janine Yass that gives millions of dollars to innovative education providers and charter schools.

Did Jeff Yass play poker?

Yes, he was a professional poker player in Las Vegas before starting his finance career and uses poker strategies in his trading.

Why is Jeff Yass so rich?

While successful in trading, his wealth skyrocketed due to an early $5 million investment in ByteDance (TikTok), which is now worth tens of billions.