Hamdi Ulukaya
- Net worth $11 billion
- Status -
- Country United States
- Source(-s) of wealth Entrepreneur
How much is Hamdi Ulukaya Worth? Hamdi Ulukaya Net Worth in 2026
Hamdi Ulukaya’s net worth is estimated at $11 billion as of November 2026, within a range of $7 billion to $14 billion. He bought a closed yogurt plant in 2005 with a Small Business Administration loan, and the company he built there raised $650 million in October 2025 at a reported $20 billion valuation. The raise was only 3.25 percent of that valuation, which tells you how little of Chobani he had to give up to fund the next stage.
| Net worth | $11 billion (estimate, range $7 billion to $14 billion) |
|---|---|
| Born | 1972, ?liç, Turkey (age about 54) |
| Country | United States, born in Turkey |
| Known for | Founding Chobani and giving employees 10 percent of its shares |
| Main income sources | A 68 percent stake in Chobani |
How much is Hamdi Ulukaya worth in 2026?
We put Ulukaya at about $11 billion. Chobani is private, so there is no screen price. The figure rests on one reported valuation, and we haircut it for the simple reason that a funding round sets the price of the newest shares, not of his.
How Hamdi Ulukaya built it
- Bought a dead factory. In 2005 he bought a closed yogurt plant in New York and financed it with an SBA loan within five months.
- Gave staff a stake. In April 2016 he announced that employees would receive 10 percent of Chobani's shares.
- Kept raising for growth. The $650 million raise in October 2025 funds plants in Idaho and New York, and is 3.25 percent of the valuation.
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Get the Alux appHow we got to $11 billion
| Source | Our estimate | What it rests on |
|---|---|---|
| Chobani stake | $13.6 billion | Partly documented. Wikipedia’s Chobani entry lists him at 68 percent, which we treat as a reported estimate and not a filed number. The October 16, 2025 raise of $650 million was tied to a $20 billion valuation, a trade report said, passing on a figure first published elsewhere. 68 percent of $20 billion is $13.6 billion. |
| Discount to the round price | Minus $2.7 billion | Assumption. We take 20 percent off because investors in a round usually get preferred terms, and because Chobani spent $900 million on La Colombe in December 2023 and bought Daily Harvest in May 2025. Its debt is not public. |
| Cash and other assets | $0.1 billion | Assumption. He is known for foundation giving and a refugee-hiring program; personal holdings outside Chobani are not public. |
| Total | $11.0 billion | $13.6 billion minus $2.7 billion plus $0.1 billion. |
The 68 percent and the $20 billion are both reported, not audited. The discount and the cash row are ours.
What the employees own
On April 26, 2016, Ulukaya announced that employees would receive 10 percent of Chobani’s shares, per Wikipedia. By our calculation that pool is worth $2 billion at the October 2025 valuation (10 percent of $20 billion). We do not know whether the 68 percent he holds is before or after that pool, and we have assumed it is after.
Chobani filed to go public in July 2021, in an offering Wikipedia puts at more than $10 billion, then withdrew its plans. The 2025 number is double the figure from the cancelled listing.
What the 2025 money is for
The October 2025 equity is earmarked for a $500 million plant expansion in Idaho, which should lift output by nearly 50 percent, and a $1.2 billion food plant in Rome, New York, according to Wikipedia’s Chobani entry. Those two projects add to $1.7 billion, which is 8.5 percent of the valuation (our calculation: $1.7 billion divided by $20 billion). The same entry lists a $567 million expansion of the La Colombe plant in Norton Shores, Michigan, in 2026.
The loan that started it
Chobani began when Ulukaya bought a closed yogurt factory in South Edmeston, New York, in spring 2005. He financed it within five months with an SBA loan and local business-incentive grants. BJ’s Wholesale Club and Costco began carrying the brand in 2009, and in April 2014 TPG agreed to invest $750 million.
Why other estimates disagree
Public estimates cluster close to our upper end because they multiply 68 percent by the round price with no discount. Some use the older $10 billion listing figure, which produces roughly half. A few count the employee pool as his. None of them can see Chobani’s debt.
What would move the figure
A new priced round, a sale or a public listing. Each $1 billion on the valuation moves his fortune by about $0.54 billion (68 percent less our 20 percent discount). Revenue and profit are not public, so the next documented event is the one to watch.
Hamdi Ulukaya net worth FAQ
How much of Chobani does Hamdi Ulukaya own?
About 68 percent. In April 2016 he also promised employees 10 percent of the company’s shares.
How much is Chobani worth?
A $650 million equity raise on October 16, 2025 was linked to a $20 billion valuation. The cancelled 2021 listing had pointed to more than $10 billion.
How did Hamdi Ulukaya start Chobani?
In 2005 he bought a closed yogurt factory in South Edmeston, New York, with an SBA loan and local grants. He launched the brand in 2007.
What did Chobani pay for La Colombe?
$900 million in December 2023. In May 2025 it also bought Daily Harvest.
How old is Hamdi Ulukaya?
He was born in ?liç, Turkey, in 1972, which makes him about 54. He is unsure of his exact birth date.
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How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
Last updated: November 2026.