Steven Udvar-Hazy

Steven Udvar-Hazy

Steven Udvar-Hazy (#919)

Global Rank #919
Country Rank #342
Country United States

Growing up in Hungary, I was fascinated by airplanes because I felt closed in living in a Communist country. I looked at aviation as a route to freedom.

  • $ 5 B
  • Aircraft leasing
  • United States
  • M
  • 80 Years

Snapshot

Quick Facts

Global Rank #919
Country Rank #342
Net Worth $4.6B
Previous Worth $4.6B
Worth Change +$0.0B
Country United States
Industry Aircraft leasing
Age 80 Years
Gender M
Worth As Of May 4, 2026
Residence Westlake, Texas
Citizenship United States

Profile Data

Personal Stats

Age 80
Source Of Wealth Aircraft leasing, Self Made
Self Made Score 9
Philanthropy Score 2
Residence Westlake, Texas
Citizenship United States
Marital Status Married
Children 4
Education Bachelor of Arts/Science, University of California, Los Angeles
Net Worth Change +$0.0B +0.0% from previous worth
Previous Net Worth $4.6B
Current Net Worth $4.6B

Worth as of May 4, 2026

About Me

Steven Udvar-Hazy, who immigrated to New York from Hungary as a child, is credited with creating the airplane leasing industry. He started his own airline in his 20s, but realized there was easier money to be made in buying planes and leasing them to airlines. Udvar-Hazy's first airplane leasing firm, International Lease Finance Corp., was sold to AIG in 1990 for $1.3 billion. He started his second airplane leasing company, Air Lease Corp., in 2010 and took it public a year later. He remains chairman. The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum named its sister location in Virginia for him after a $60 million donation in 2000. After immigrating to the U.S., Udvar-Hazy packed boxes in a Manhattan warehouse for 30 cents an hour when he was 14 years old.

Achievements

Forbes List Highlights

A snapshot of the list placements and rankings connected to Steven Udvar-Hazy.

#908
Billionaires (2026)
#339
Forbes 400 (2025)

Insights

Did You Know?

Udvar-Hazy took his first flying lesson as a teenager and is still certified to fly multiple jets.

Udvar-Hazy and his wife Christine have donated more than $100 million to education, including to Stanford and the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona.

Wealth Growth

Net Worth Growth Over Time

Tracking Steven Udvar-Hazy's net worth journey over the years, highlighting key growth phases and financial milestones.

Worth Trend Net Worth Growth
Period Change Worth Movement
Current Net Worth: $4.6B (May 4, 2026)