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Billionaire Index

A daily ranking of the world's richest people

Last updated: November 11, 2026 · $11.70T tracked

Methodology

No. 158United States

Eric Smidt

Hardware stores · Beverly Hills, California

Net worth

$17.8B

Today

$00.00%

Past month

+$500K+0.00%

As of Nov 11, 2026, 1:50 PM EST

Eric Smidt is CEO of $9.5 billion (sales) Harbor Freight Tools, a home improvement retailer that has over 1,600 stores. Smidt was a teenager when he started Harbor Freight Tools with his father Allan in 1977. He earned enough credits at his job to graduate high school. In the beginning, Harbor Freight was a mail-order business that sold tools out of a small warehouse in North Hollywood. Smidt became president of the company in 1985 and CEO and sole owner in 1999. In 2010, his father Allan sued him for "looting" the company and leveraging it to finance his own lavish lifestyle. The case was settled out of court.

Net worth over time

+0.00%+$500K over the past month
$18B$18B$18B
Oct 12Nov 11

Principal holdings

1 positions
CompanyShareValue

Private holdings

100.0%$17.8B

Also known for

  • Smidt and his wife live in a 35-room Beverly Hills mansion called "the Knoll," whose previous residents include oilman Marvin Davis and country singer Kenny Rogers.
  • In 2013, Smidt and his wife created Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, a philanthropic initiative that supports skilled trades education in America.