Latest Update: Erik Prince's Assets & Salary - Is the Star a Billionaire? Net Worth 2026: Career Earnings & Assets

As one of the most talked-about figures, Erik Prince has built a significant fortune. Our team analyzed the latest data to provide a clear picture of their income.

What is Erik Prince's Net Worth and Salary?

Erik Prince was born Erik Dean Prince on June 6, 1969, in Holland, Michigan. He grew up with mother Elsa, father Edgar (a businessman and engineer), and three older siblings, including future United States Secretary of EducationBetsy DeVos.

Erik's sister Betsy DeVos, is certifiably a billionaire thanks to her marriage to Dick DeVos. Dick's father, Richard Sr.founded the multi-billion-dollar Amway company.

Edgar Prince invented the illuminated car sun visor with a built-in mirror. He sold these through the company he founded, Prince Machine Corporation. The automotive sun visor innovation was particularly notable as it became a standard feature in many vehicles, though it was just one of many automotive innovations and parts that Prince Corporation produced. The company was based in Holland, Michigan, and was a major employer in the area before its sale in 1996 to Johnson Controls for $1.35 billion.

In 1990, Prince got a White House internship, but he left after he secured an internship with California congressman Dana Rohrabacher. When he was 21, Erik volunteered to go to Nicaragua to search for a mass grave, later stating, "We found a mass grave: bones sticking out of the ground, hands tied with wire at the wrists." In 1992, Prince attended Officer Candidate School and became an officer in the US Navy. He eventually became a Navy SEAL and was deployed to the Middle East, Haiti, and the Balkans with SEAL Team 8. Erik left the Navy after his father died in 1995 and ran Prince Machine Corporation until his mother sold it to Johnson Controls for $1.35 billion the following year.

Erik Prince's original fortune comes from anautomotive accessory empirestarted by his father that the family sold in 1996 for $1.35 billion. After cashing out the family business, Erik founded the military contractor Blackwater Worldwide, which carried out highly secretive government operations. Between 1997 and 2010, Blackwater received $2 billion worth of government security contracts. Between 2001 and 2010, the company received an additional $600 million worth of highly classified contracts from the CIA.  It came under scrutiny in 2007, and Erik stepped down as its head in 2009. The following year Blackwater was sold to a group of investors. In 2011, the company was renamed Academi. In 2013, Prince published the book "Civilian Warriors: The Inside Story of Blackwater and the Unsung Heroes of the War on Terror."

Erik attended Holland Christian High School and often traveled around the world with his father. After high school, Prince attended the United States Naval Academy for three semesters, then left because although he loved the Navy, he didn't like the Naval Academy. He then enrolled at Hillsdale College, graduating with a B.A. in economics in 1992. As a college student, Erik worked as a cold-water diver for the local sheriff's department and was a volunteer firefighter. He later found work as an emergency medical technician.

Erik Prince is an American businessman and former US Navy SEAL who had a peak net worth of $200 million. Most mainstream outlets continue to describe him as a billionaire, but in an October 2024 interview with VladTV, Erik claimed to be worth "way less" than a billion dollars. He claimed to have been "crushed by 14 years of cancel culture, getting denied capital by banks… look, I'm not starving, but I'm worth way less than when I decided to start to serve my country. Look, it would have been better to take the proceeds from the sale of my dad's business, put it in municipal bounds and go to the golf course. Maybe the lesson is, DON'T serve your country because they'll fuck you for it." In the same interview, Eric confirmed that at his peak, his net worth based on the value of Blackwater would have been billions of dollars.

Early Life & Family Fortune

Ultimately, Erik Prince's financial journey is a testament to their success.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.