Luis von Ahn
- Net worth $480 million
- Birthday August 19, 1978
- Status -
- Country United States
- Source(-s) of wealth Entrepreneur, Software Engineer
How much is Luis von Ahn Worth? Luis von Ahn Net Worth in 2026
Luis von Ahn’s net worth is estimated at $480 million as of November 2026, most of it about 3.35 million Duolingo shares.
His reported pay for 2025 was $767,500, a $750,000 salary and a $17,500 retirement match, with no stock awards at all. The money is in the shares he already owns, which give him roughly 7 percent of Duolingo’s value and 40 percent of its votes.
Von Ahn, born in Guatemala, sold his first company, reCAPTCHA, to Google in 2009. He then co-founded Duolingo and has run it as CEO since its start.
| Net worth | $480 million (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Estimated annual income | About $0.77 million reported pay for 2025; the rest is stock value |
| Born | 19 August 1978, Guatemala City, Guatemala (age 48) |
| Country | United States |
| Known for | Duolingo and the CAPTCHA tests |
| Main income sources | Duolingo shares, salary, past sale of reCAPTCHA |
How much is Luis von Ahn worth in 2026?
We put von Ahn at about $480 million. Most of it is documented: the number of shares comes from Duolingo’s 2026 proxy statement and the price from the stock market. The softer parts are what he got from selling reCAPTCHA, which was never disclosed, and how much tax he would pay on options.
Public estimates differ mainly by date, because the share price has moved a great deal since the 2021 listing, and by whether they count only his Class B shares or the voting power. A number that treats his 40 percent of the votes as 40 percent of the company would be several times higher.
How Luis von Ahn built it
- Sold a first company early. Google bought reCAPTCHA in 2009, before he started Duolingo.
- Took a modest salary. His 2025 pay was $767,500, with no stock awards.
- Kept control of the votes. His Class B shares give him 40.0 percent of Duolingo's voting power.
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Get the Alux appHow we got to $480 million
| Source | Our estimate | What it rests on |
|---|---|---|
| Class B shares held directly | $441 million | The 2026 proxy statement shows 3,352,995 Class B shares held directly as of 7 April 2026. Duolingo closed at $131.59 on 30 October 2026, per Yahoo Finance. |
| Exercisable options | $22 million | The same table lists 226,000 options he can exercise within 60 days. The proxy shows two tranches: 51,000 at $14.42 and 175,000 at $38.08. At $131.59 the gain is about $6.0 million plus $16.4 million. |
| Performance share units due to settle | $16 million | 120,000 units due within 60 days, valued at the October price. |
| reCAPTCHA sale and past cash | $20 million | Assumption. Google bought reCAPTCHA in 2009 for an undisclosed sum. Our $20 million is after tax and includes savings from his professorship and salary. |
| Tax on options and units | minus $15 million | Assumption. 40 percent of the gain on the options ($9 million) and of the units ($6 million). No tax is taken off the shares, which are unsold. |
The rows add up to $484 million, which rounds to $480 million. The first row is 91 percent of the total, so this is mostly an arithmetic exercise in one share price. The proxy states that none of the company’s executive officers has pledged any shares.
Seven percent of the money, forty percent of the votes
Duolingo’s market value was $6.16 billion on 30 October 2026 at $131.59 a share, which implies about 46.8 million shares. Our calculation: 3,352,995 shares is about 7.2 percent of that, and with options and units his total is 3,698,995 shares, about 7.9 percent. Yet the proxy gives him 55.2 percent of the Class B stock, and so 40.0 percent of the voting power. He has a large say in a company where his economic stake is smaller than that of many fund managers.
A stock that has not paid the early buyers much
Duolingo listed in July 2021 with an offer price of $102. At $131.59 the stock is only about 29 percent above that, so his 3.35 million direct shares are worth about $441 million against about $342 million at the offer price. The price has not stood still in between, and that is the main reason estimates written at different times disagree.
What would move the figure
Every $10 on the share price moves his shares by about $34 million. Duolingo’s earnings reports are the usual trigger. We assume no sales since the April proxy, because we found none.
Luis von Ahn net worth FAQ
What is Luis von Ahn’s net worth?
Our estimate is $480 million as of November 2026, built mostly from 3,352,995 Duolingo Class B shares at $131.59.
How much of Duolingo does Luis von Ahn own?
About 7 percent of the shares by our count, but 40.0 percent of the voting power, according to the April 2026 proxy statement.
How much does Luis von Ahn earn as Duolingo CEO?
His 2025 total compensation was $767,500: a $750,000 salary and $17,500 of other pay. He received no stock awards.
How old is Luis von Ahn?
He was born on 19 August 1978 in Guatemala City, so he is 48.
What did Luis von Ahn sell to Google?
reCAPTCHA, the CAPTCHA security service, which Google acquired in 2009. The price was not disclosed.
Why do estimates of Luis von Ahn’s net worth differ?
They use different Duolingo share prices from different dates, and some confuse his 40 percent of votes with 40 percent ownership.
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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.
Photo: EneasMx / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped