From the Editor

Last Updated Sep 15, 2026, 6:30am EDT

  • Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff owns about 2% of the cloud computing software firm he cofounded in 1999.
  • Before Salesforce, he spent 13 years at database software giant Oracle as a protege of Larry Ellison.
  • Salesforce was a pioneer in hosting its software online, rather than installing it in clients' computer systems.
  • He's an angel investor in dozens of tech startups and a prolific philanthropist.
  • Benioff and his wife Lynne have pledged $350 million to University of California, San Francisco, for its children's hospitals and research.
Wealth History
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Forbes Lists

list appearances

39

Personal Stats

Age
62
Source of Wealth
Business software, Self Made
Self-Made Score
8
Philanthropy Score
4
Residence
San Francisco, California
Citizenship
United States
Marital Status
Married
Children
2
Education
Bachelor of Arts/Science, University of Southern California
Did you know
At 17, Benioff developed and sold Atari video games, and earned enough to pay his way to USC.
Benioff spoke out against laws permitting discrimination against LGBT people in North Carolina, Georgia and Indiana.
In May 2018, Benioff celebrated construction of the 1,070-foot tall Salesforce Tower in San Francisco.
In Their Own Words

When I get something in my head, it's hard for me to just let it go.

Marc Benioff
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