Zak Calisto
- Net worth $1.2 billion
- Status -
- Country South Africa
- Source(-s) of wealth Businessman, CEO, Entrepreneur
How much is Zak Calisto Worth? Zak Calisto Net Worth in 2026
Zak Calisto’s net worth is estimated at $1.2 billion as of November 2026. Almost all of it is one block of 17.6 million shares in Karooooo, the vehicle-tracking company he started as Cartrack in 2001, and in the summer of 2026 he kept trimming it: 180,282 shares sold over three weeks for about $11.5 million, with no reason given. Our figure is below the $1.5 billion that circulates, for a simple reason we explain below: that number only works if he owns shares he does not.
| Net worth | $1.2 billion (our estimate, range $1.0 billion to $1.4 billion) |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966 or 1967, Portugal; grew up in Mozambique |
| Country | South Africa |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Cartrack and its parent, Karooooo |
| Main income sources | Karooooo shares, dividends, share sales |
How much is Zak Calisto worth in 2026?
About $1.2 billion, by our estimate. His Karooooo stake was worth $1.12 billion at the Nasdaq price of $63.79 around midday on November 10, 2026, and he holds roughly $90 million more, after an assumed 20% tax, from share sales and this year’s dividend. Because nearly the whole fortune is one listed stock, it moves with Karooooo’s share price, which has ranged from $41.25 to $68.80 over the past year.
How we got to $1.2 billion
| Source | Our estimate | What it rests on |
|---|---|---|
| Karooooo shares | $1.12 billion | 17,631,026 shares, 57.07% of the company, as of August 26, 2026, times $63.79, the Nasdaq price around midday on November 10, 2026. |
| Cash from share sales and dividends | $90 million | About $75 million from a June 2025 share sale, about $11.5 million from sales in July and August 2026, and $26.4 million from the $1.50-a-share dividend on his holding. That is $113 million before tax; we take off an assumed 20% for tax and fees. Some of it may have gone into the King Price insurance deal, whose price is not public. |
| Total | $1.21 billion | Rounded to $1.2 billion. |
Why other estimates disagree
To reach $1.5 billion at today’s price, he would need to own about three quarters of Karooooo. Company filings tracked by MarketScreener show 57.07% held directly. Total insider ownership, which includes other people, has run between 69% and 75%. Counting all of it as his is the likeliest source of the higher figure.
Our calculation: 74.73% of 30.89 million shares is about 23.1 million shares, worth about $1.47 billion at $63.79. That is the $1.5 billion figure, and it counts about 5.5 million shares that filings do not show in his name.
A $26 million dividend he did not have to sell for
Karooooo pays a $1.50 dividend per share, with the latest ex-dividend date on July 17, 2026, according to StockAnalysis data. Across his holding that is about $26.4 million a year to him before tax, by our math, more than twice what he raised from the summer share sales. The company can afford it: trailing revenue was $376 million and net income $66.2 million.
The summer sales were small next to that. Filings showed 98,476 shares sold over four days in late July, 50,527 on July 29 and 30 at an average of $64.08, and 31,279 on August 6 and 7 at an average of $63.76, Billionaires.Africa reported. The stake fell by about 1%.
From tracking boxes to a billion
He founded Cartrack in 2001 as a subscription vehicle-tracking service, listed it on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 2014 and rebranded the holding company as Karooooo in 2021, his biography notes. Subscriptions make up about 98% of revenue, which is the kind of steady income investors pay up for.
His direct stake was worth just over R3 billion in 2018 and about R18.1 billion in October 2026, a rise of 417%, Billionaires.Africa reported. In rand terms our $1.2 billion is about R19.8 billion, at R16.5 to the dollar on November 10, 2026.
His next move is into insurance. In February 2026 South Africa’s Competition Commission recommended approval of a deal in which his Singapore company, Orient Victoria, and KP Partners would take stakes in King Price Financial Services, Shore Africa reported. Neither the stake size nor the price has been published.
What would move the figure
Every $10 move in Karooooo’s share price changes his stake by about $176 million. More Form 4 sales would turn shares into cash at a slow pace, and a published King Price price would show how much of the cash row has already been spent.
Zak Calisto net worth FAQ
What is Zak Calisto’s net worth?
We estimate $1.2 billion as of November 2026: $1.12 billion in Karooooo shares and about $90 million in after-tax cash.
How much of Karooooo does Zak Calisto own?
About 57%: 17,631,026 shares as of August 26, 2026, out of 30.89 million.
How much did Zak Calisto make from selling Karooooo shares in 2026?
About $11.5 million from 180,282 shares sold in July and August 2026, on top of a roughly $75 million sale in June 2025.
How much does Zak Calisto earn in dividends?
At $1.50 a share on his stake, about $26.4 million a year before tax, by our calculation.
What is Cartrack?
A vehicle-tracking and fleet software business he founded in 2001. It is the main operating company of Karooooo, which had $376 million in trailing revenue in November 2026.
Is Zak Calisto buying King Price?
His company Orient Victoria and KP Partners agreed to take stakes in King Price Financial Services. The Competition Commission recommended approval in February 2026; terms were not disclosed.
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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.