Michael Saylor Net Worth & Bitcoin Holdings

Who is Michael Saylor?

Michael J. Saylor is a tech entrepreneur who co-founded the American business intelligence firm MicroStrategy, now known as Strategy. Forbes calls him the "Bitcoin Alchemist" and ranks him as the fourth wealthiest figure in cryptocurrency, with a net worth of $8.2 billion.

Saylor’s tech career began at MIT, where a lecture on systems dynamics inspired him and his future business partner, Sanju Bansal, to launch MicroStrategy in 1989. The company initially developed enterprise analytics software, providing businesses with tools to analyze and visualize complex data.

Today, Saylor is an influential figure in the Bitcoin community. He actively engages on social media (as @saylor on X) and at Bitcoin conferences. Michael is also known for his bullish predictions, such as forecasting Bitcoin will reach $13 million per coin by 2045.

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What is Michael Saylor's Net Worth?

Michael Saylor’s net worth is estimated at $8.2 billion, primarily due to his investments in Bitcoin and MicroStrategy. He owns 17,732 Bitcoins, which are valued at around $1.72 billion. Additionally, his 19,998,580 shares in MicroStrategy contribute approximately $6.48 billion to his wealth.

Saylor’s wealth is closely tied to the performance of MicroStrategy, which holds 478,740 BTC, representing about 2.28% of Bitcoin's total supply. The company's stock price tends to move in tandem with Bitcoin's performance, especially during volatile market periods.

As of Q1 2025, Saylor owns 9.90% of MicroStrategy, giving him 45.2% voting power within the company, a drop from 56.7% the previous year. His ownership continues to influence the company’s strategy, directly impacting both its direction and his personal wealth.

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How Did Michael Saylor Get Rich?

Michael Saylor’s wealth journey is anything but ordinary. While he’s now best known for his Bitcoin advocacy, many may be surprised to learn that he was actually wealthier over two decades ago.

MicroStrategy’s first major breakthrough came in 1993 when it secured a $10 million contract with McDonald’s. In 1998, the company went public, and its stock doubled on the first day of trading, officially making Saylor a billionaire.

By 2000, his net worth peaked at $7 billion (equivalent to $12.79 billion today). However, the dot-com crash in 2001 wiped out most of his fortune, with Saylor losing $6 billion in a single day.

During Bitcoin’s bull run, Saylor’s net worth reached $9.4 billion when BTC hit $108,000 and MicroStrategy traded at $390. Yet, even at his Bitcoin peak, he was still 26% poorer than his early 2000s fortune when adjusted for inflation.

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Interesting Facts About Michael Saylor

Here are four intriguing facts from Saylor’s four-decade journey in technology and finance:

• Inventor: Saylor holds 34 patents, dating from 1992 to 2021, covering various innovations in business intelligence and analytics.
• Legal Trouble: In 2000, the SEC fined him $350,000 and ordered him to pay $8.3 million in personal disgorgement. In 2024, he settled a $40 million tax fraud case with the District of Columbia.
• Diamond Hands Holder: Since his first Bitcoin purchase, Saylor has never sold a single coin; not even when his position was at risk of liquidation in 2022.
• Military Upbringing: Saylor was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and grew up in a military family. His early years were spent on various U.S. Air Force bases.
• Author & Speaker: In 2012, Saylor wrote The Mobile Wave, a book analyzing the impact of mobile technology on global business and society.
• Salary: In 2014, Saylor reduced his MicroStrategy salary from $875,000 to just $1 when he stepped down as CEO. His most recent 2025 SEC filing reflects the symbolic $1 salary.

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What Does Michael Saylor Think About Ethereum?

Michael Saylor has been openly critical of Ethereum, often questioning its technical foundation and long-term stability. He has referred to it as an "unfinished protocol" and expressed skepticism about its security and ethical robustness.

His stance on Ethereum has evolved slightly over time. In a recent interview, Saylor acknowledged its strengths, stating that "digital art, NFTs, tokens, and DeFi" showcase a wide range of use cases in the crypto ecosystem. However, he remains convinced that Bitcoin is the superior and dominant asset.

Critics have pointed out the irony of his skepticism, resurfacing a 2013 tweet where he dismissed Bitcoin itself, writing, "#Bitcoin days are numbered. It seems like just a matter of time before it suffers the same fate as online gambling."

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Final Thoughts

Michael Saylor’s net worth, now at $8.2 billion, has been a rollercoaster, shaped by both the dot-com crash and Bitcoin’s volatility. Once worth $12.79 billion in today’s dollars, he has lost and regained billions, reinforcing his high-risk, high-reward approach.

Whether his Bitcoin strategy will elevate him beyond his past peaks or expose him to another massive downturn remains to be seen.

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FAQs

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How Much Bitcoin Does Michael Saylor Own?

Michael Saylor personally owns 17,732 BTC, worth about $1.72 billion as of 2025. He also holds a 9.90 percent stake in MicroStrategy, which owns 478,740 BTC, making it the largest corporate Bitcoin holder. While this gives him significant financial exposure to Bitcoin, only 17,732 BTC is in his direct possession. MicroStrategy’s holdings belong to the company, not its shareholders.

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Has Michael Saylor Ever Sold His Bitcoin?

No, Michael Saylor has publicly stated that he has never sold a single Bitcoin since his first purchase. Even during volatile market crashes and potential liquidation risks in 2022, he maintained his conviction in BTC as the ultimate store of value.

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Does Michael Saylor Have a Wife?

Michael Saylor has kept his personal life largely private, and there are no public records confirming that he is married or has a wife. Despite his high-profile presence in the Bitcoin and tech communities, he rarely discusses personal relationships. His public focus remains on MicroStrategy, Bitcoin advocacy, and his business ventures.

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What Other Investments Does Michael Saylor Have Besides Bitcoin?

Beyond Bitcoin and MicroStrategy, Saylor has invested in real estate, patents, and private tech ventures. He owns multimillion-dollar properties in Florida and Washington, D.C., and holds 34 patents related to business intelligence and analytics. However, Bitcoin remains his dominant asset.