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What is Jeff Yass’ Net Worth?
Jeff Yass, an American billionaire businessman, has an estimated net worth of $27.6 billion, making him the wealthiest individual in Pennsylvania. This substantial wealth is primarily derived from his role as the co-founder and managing director of Susquehanna International Group (SIG), a prominent trading and technology firm based in Philadelphia.
SIG specializes in market-making and proprietary trading across various financial products and asset classes, including derivatives, which have been a major contributor to Yass’s financial success.
Yass’s financial portfolio is diversified, with significant investments in high-profile companies. Notably, he holds a substantial stake in ByteDance, the parent company of the popular social media platform TikTok. This investment alone is valued at around $21 billion, representing a significant portion of his net worth.
Yass’s involvement with ByteDance has also positioned him as a key player in the ongoing political debates surrounding TikTok in the United States.
In addition to his business ventures, Yass is known for his substantial political donations. He has been a major donor in the 2024 U.S. election cycle, contributing millions to Republican groups and campaigns, particularly those supporting school choice and opposing former President Donald Trump.
Here’s the breakdown of Jeff Yass’ net worth:
Name: | Jeff Yass |
Net Worth: | $27.6 Billion |
Date of Birth: | 1958 |
Profession: | Businessperson |
If you’re curious about how we estimate a celebrity’s net worth, you can check out our methodology here.
Early Life and Education
Jeff Yass was born in 1958 in Queens, New York City, into a middle-class Jewish family. His parents, Gerald and Sybil Yass, were both accountants, which provided him with an early exposure to financial concepts.
Growing up in Queens, Yass attended public schools, where he developed a keen interest in mathematics and economics. This interest was further nurtured by his father, who introduced him to the world of arbitrage trading and horse racing, sparking a lifelong fascination with probabilistic analysis and market dynamics.
Yass pursued higher education at the State University of New York at Binghamton, now known as Binghamton University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and economics.
During his time at Binghamton, Yass’s passion for financial markets deepened. He wrote his senior thesis on the societal value of options, a topic that would later become central to his career. His thesis examined whether options, which had started trading at the Chicago Board Options Exchange in 1973, added value to society, and he concluded that they did.
After completing his undergraduate studies, Yass briefly pursued graduate studies in economics at New York University but did not complete the program. Instead, he moved to Las Vegas to become a professional gambler, applying his mathematical skills to poker and horse racing. This period of his life honed his ability to calculate odds and make strategic decisions under pressure, skills that would prove invaluable in his later career as a trader.
In 1981, Yass returned to the East Coast and began his career in options trading. He secured a seat on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange with the support of Israel Englander, a multi-millionaire who regularly staked young traders. This opportunity allowed Yass to apply his gambling instincts to the financial markets, leading to the founding of Susquehanna International Group (SIG) in 1987 with several partners. SIG would go on to become a powerhouse in options trading and a significant player in the global financial markets.
Susquehanna International Group
Jeff Yass co-founded Susquehanna International Group (SIG) in 1987 alongside five of his college friends from Binghamton University. SIG, headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, has grown into one of the most successful and influential trading firms globally. The firm specializes in market-making and proprietary trading across a wide range of financial products and asset classes, including equities, options, and derivatives.
SIG’s innovative approach to trading, which includes the application of probabilistic analysis and decision-making strategies derived from poker, has been a cornerstone of its success.
SIG’s annual revenue is estimated at $5.5 billion, with an EBITDA margin comparable to its competitors, such as Jane Street, at around 70%. The firm employs approximately 3,000 people and has a significant presence in major financial markets worldwide.
Yass’s leadership and strategic vision have been instrumental in SIG’s expansion and diversification into areas such as private equity and venture capital investments. One of the firm’s most notable investments is its substantial stake in ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, which has significantly contributed to Yass’s net worth.
The firm’s success is also attributed to its unique recruitment and training methods, which include using poker tournaments to enhance decision-making skills among its traders. This approach reflects Yass’s background as a professional gambler and his belief in the importance of probabilistic thinking in trading.
Political Donations
Jeff Yass is not only known for his financial acumen but also for his substantial political donations. As of 2024, Yass has emerged as the largest individual political donor in the U.S. election cycle, contributing over $46 million to various Republican groups and campaigns.
His donations are primarily directed towards super PACs and organizations that support conservative causes, particularly those advocating for school choice and libertarian principles.
One of the major recipients of Yass’s contributions is the Protect Freedom PAC, which has received millions to support GOP candidates in congressional races and other political endeavors.
Yass’s financial influence extends to other prominent conservative organizations, such as the Club for Growth, which has been a significant beneficiary of his donations. His contributions to these groups have helped shape the political landscape, particularly in promoting policies that align with his libertarian views.
Yass’s political donations have also sparked controversy, particularly regarding his support for groups with anti-Muslim and pro-Israel agendas. Investigations have revealed that Yass has funneled millions into organizations that advocate for hawkish U.S. policies in the Middle East and challenge progressive politicians.
Philanthropy
Through various foundations, Yass has channeled substantial resources into causes that align with his libertarian and conservative values. One of the primary vehicles for his philanthropy is the Susquehanna Foundation, which he co-founded with other veterans of Susquehanna International Group. This foundation has donated tens of millions of dollars to influence federal policy, education, and legal matters.
The foundation’s contributions have supported organizations such as the Cato Institute, the Institute for Justice, and the Atlas Network, all of which advocate for policies that align with Yass’s libertarian ideals.
In addition to the Susquehanna Foundation, Yass is also associated with the Claws Foundation, co-founded by his business partner Arthur Dantchik. This foundation has similarly directed significant funds towards libertarian and free-market organizations, as well as Jewish organizations in the U.S. and Israel.
Yass and his wife, Janine, are also prominent supporters of school choice initiatives. They founded the Yass Prize for Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, and Permissionless (STOP) education, which awards grants to innovative education providers. In 2022, the Yass Prize awarded over $20 million, including a $1 million grand prize to the Arizona Autism Charter Schools.
Yass has supported various charitable organizations, including Save the Children, the People’s Emergency Center, and the Franklin Institute.
His donations have also been directed towards disaster relief efforts, such as the fund established by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to assist victims of the September 11 attacks.
Personal Life
Jeff Yass is married to Janine Coslett, and together they have four children—two sons and two daughters. The family resides in Haverford, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Their home, while large, is described as unremarkable and modest compared to the extravagant residences often associated with billionaires.
Yass’s personal interests include art collection and sports. He is an avid supporter of several professional sports teams in Philadelphia and enjoys playing golf at a local country club.
Despite his significant wealth, Yass is known for his low-key lifestyle, often seen in casual attire such as a quarter-zip pullover sweater and Nikes.
Ashley Roberts is the founder of Real-Time Billionaires List. She founded this platform because she likes to know how much celebrities are actually making. She is always curious why these people can make much more money than the ordinary person.
With a Bachelor’s degree in finance, she is skilled at financial analysis and understands numbers related to wealth. Most of the articles on this site are edited by herself before publishing.
