How much is Ivan Zhao Worth? Ivan Zhao Net Worth in 2026
Ivan Zhao’s net worth is estimated at $3 billion as of October 2026. Zhao is the co-founder and CEO of Notion, the workspace and productivity software company, which was valued at $11 billion in a January 2026 share sale. His wealth is almost entirely the value of his stake in Notion.
| Net worth | $3 billion (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Known for | Co-founding and leading Notion |
| Main income sources | Equity in Notion |
How much is Ivan Zhao worth in 2026?
We estimate Ivan Zhao’s net worth at about $3 billion. Notion was valued at $11 billion in a $270 million employee share sale that closed in January 2026, and one ownership analysis puts Zhao’s economic stake near 30 percent, which would be about $3.3 billion. Notion has not published its cap table and the stake figure is unverified, so we apply a small discount for dilution and uncertainty. Revenue supports the valuation: Notion reported $500 million in annualized revenue in September 2025, and third-party estimates since then are higher. This is an estimate, and the value is paper wealth in a private company, not cash.
How Ivan Zhao built it
- Co-founded Notion. He is the CEO of the workspace and productivity software company.
- Held on to a big stake. One analysis puts his economic stake near 30 percent.
- Grew revenue fast. Notion reported $500 million in annualized revenue in September 2025.
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Get the Alux appIvan Zhao in 2026: what they have been working on
- January 2026: Notion completed a $270 million employee tender offer at an $11 billion valuation, with GIC joining Sequoia and Index Ventures.
- September 2025: Notion launched version 3.0 with an AI agent feature, and told reporters it had reached $500 million in annualized revenue.
- February 2026: Notion introduced Custom Agents, and users had built over one million of them by May 2026.
- May 2026: the company launched the Notion Developer Platform, including Workers, database sync and external agent integrations.
- Reports in December 2025 said the company could consider an initial public offering as early as the end of 2026, but no listing has been announced.
How Ivan Zhao makes money
- Notion equity: the source of nearly all his wealth, estimated at around 30 percent of the company by one analysis (unverified).
- Notion’s revenue model: team and enterprise subscriptions, AI add-ons, and a usage-based credit system introduced in 2026.
- Liquidity events: employee tender offers, such as the January 2026 sale, sometimes let founders sell part of their shares. Whether Zhao sold is not public.
- Salary: not disclosed and small compared with the equity value.
What Ivan Zhao teaches (and what to take from it)
Zhao rarely writes books, but his interviews and product decisions show a consistent way of working that applies well beyond software.
- Build something people already want. He describes leading with a familiar use, notes and docs, then revealing the larger vision later. This week, describe your idea in the simplest form someone would use today.
- Care about craft. Zhao stresses that technical quality and aesthetics are a foundation, not decoration. Pick one piece of work to polish until you are proud of it before sharing.
- Stay lean and use systems. Notion reached unicorn status with only a few dozen employees. Choose one repeated task and write down the steps so it runs without you.
- Talk to users directly. He answered early users on social media and email himself. Contact three people who use your work and ask what they would change.
Career timeline
- 2011: moved to San Francisco after early tech work in Philadelphia and Seattle.
- 2013: co-founded Notion with a team that included Simon Last, Akshay Kothari and others.
- August 2016: Notion 1.0 released after a rebuild.
- September 2019: Notion reached 1 million users.
- 2020: raised $50 million at a $2 billion valuation.
- October 2021: raised $275 million at a $10 billion valuation, with 20 million users.
- January 2024: launched Notion Calendar.
- September 2025: launched Notion 3.0 and reported $500 million in annualized revenue.
- January 2026: tender offer at an $11 billion valuation.
Early life and background
Ivan Zhao grew up in a small town in China and later studied cognitive science at the University of British Columbia. Before Notion he worked as a product designer at the education publishing startup Inkling, and he has said he considered careers in photography and academia. His birth date was not found in the sources we reviewed, so we do not list it. Early versions of Notion failed, and the founders rebuilt the product from scratch, including a stretch of intensive coding in Kyoto, before the current product took off.
Ivan Zhao net worth FAQ
What is Ivan Zhao’s net worth?
Ivan Zhao’s net worth is estimated at $3 billion as of October 2026, based on his stake in Notion and its $11 billion valuation.
How does Ivan Zhao make money?
His wealth comes from his equity in Notion. He earns no major income from outside sources that are public.
How old is Ivan Zhao?
His birth date was not found in the sources we reviewed, so we do not state his age.
What is Ivan Zhao known for?
He is known as the co-founder and CEO of Notion, the all-in-one workspace software.
What is Ivan Zhao’s best-known product?
Notion, the productivity and collaboration platform used for notes, documents, databases and, more recently, AI agents.
How is Ivan Zhao’s net worth estimated?
We multiply Notion’s latest $11 billion valuation by an estimated stake of roughly 30 percent, then discount for dilution and uncertainty. Notion is private, so the number is approximate.
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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: October 2026.