If you think the person running Netflix is sitting on a mountain of gold like a dragon, you’re kinda right, but also definitely wrong. Most people assume there's just one guy at the top. In reality, Netflix is currently steered by a "two-headed" leadership model. Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters share the title of Co-CEO, and their financial lives are as different as a prestige drama is from a reality dating show.
Trying to pin down a precise Netflix CEO net worth is a bit of a moving target. Why? Because most of their wealth isn't sitting in a savings account. It’s tied up in Netflix stock (NFLX), which, if you’ve been watching the tickers lately, has been on a bit of a roller coaster. As of early 2026, the company has dealt with everything from a massive stock slump to rumors about buying Warner Bros. Discovery.
Honestly, the "net worth" you see on those flashy celebrity trackers is often a lagging indicator. Let’s break down what these guys actually own, what they earn, and why the co-CEO setup makes the math so weird.
The Ted Sarandos File: The $200 Million Creative Powerhouse
Ted Sarandos is the face of Netflix in Hollywood. He’s the guy who convinced the world that "binge-watching" was a thing and that we should all be watching House of Cards. Because he’s been with the company since 2000, his wealth is deeply rooted in the company's long-term growth.
Most estimates place Ted Sarandos net worth at approximately $200 million to $250 million.
Now, that might sound "low" compared to billionaires like Elon Musk, but Sarandos isn't a founder. He’s a professional executive. In 2023, he actually became the highest-paid media CEO in the world, raking in about $50 million in a single year. By 2024 and 2025, his target compensation was set around the $40 million mark.
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But here’s the kicker: his base salary is only about $3 million.
The rest? It’s almost entirely stock options and performance bonuses. If the stock tanks, Ted’s "worth" on paper takes a massive hit. For instance, in late 2025, Netflix stock saw a sharp decline—roughly 29% from its peaks—after missing some bottom-line expectations. When that happens, tens of millions of dollars in "potential" net worth basically vanish overnight.
Sarandos also moves his money around. SEC filings show he’s a frequent seller of stock. In November 2025 alone, he sold about 20,000 shares worth a couple of million dollars. He’s not just hoarding; he’s diversifying. He also owns some serious real estate, including a multi-million dollar estate in Montecito, which adds a nice "brick and mortar" cushion to his net worth.
Greg Peters: The Tech Architect’s Bottom Line
Then you have Greg Peters. If Sarandos is the "content" guy, Peters is the "product" guy. He’s the one who spearheaded the crackdown on password sharing and the launch of the ad-supported tier. You might not like those things as a consumer, but Wall Street loves them.
The Greg Peters net worth is slightly harder to pin down but is generally estimated to be in the $150 million to $200 million range.
Peters has a similar compensation structure to Sarandos, with a 2026 target pay package of roughly $40 million. He also recently saw some changes to his contract. As of January 1, 2026, Netflix updated its severance and equity plans. This basically ensures that if Peters (or Sarandos) were to leave under certain conditions, they’d get a payout equal to two times their salary plus their target bonus.
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Why the "Co-CEO" Thing Matters for Their Wealth
Having two CEOs means Netflix is essentially paying double for leadership. Most companies have one person taking the lion's share of the equity. At Netflix, Sarandos and Peters are essentially "financial twins."
- They both have a base salary of around $3 million.
- They both have a total target compensation of $40 million.
- They both rely on the stock hitting certain "milestones" to get paid the big bucks.
The Elephant in the Room: Reed Hastings
You can’t talk about the Netflix CEO net worth without mentioning the guy who started it all. Reed Hastings stepped down as CEO in early 2023 to become Executive Chairman.
Hastings is in a different league entirely. His net worth is estimated at roughly $4.9 billion to $5 billion.
While Sarandos and Peters are wealthy, Hastings is a billionaire. He still owns over 21 million shares of Netflix. To put that in perspective, even when he sells off a "small" chunk of stock—like the 426,000 shares he sold in January 2026 for about $39 million—it’s barely a dent in his total holdings.
Hastings is the reason people get confused. They see "Netflix" and "Billionaire" and assume Sarandos and Peters are in that club. They aren't. They are extremely high-paid employees, whereas Hastings is an owner.
How the Stock Market Actually Dictates Their Wealth
If you want to know what the Netflix CEOs will be worth by the end of 2026, you have to look at the subscriber numbers. Netflix is currently hovering around 300 million paid memberships.
But growth is slowing in the US and Canada.
Experts from Morningstar have pointed out that Netflix is "highly penetrated" in North America. This means they’ve basically run out of new people to sign up. To keep the stock price (and the CEO net worth) going up, they have to do two things:
- Raise prices. (Which they did again recently).
- Grow the ad business. If the ad revenue continues to double—as it did in 2024 and 2025—the stock will likely rebound. If the pivot to "live sports" (like the NFL Christmas games) fails to bring in enough ad dollars, the CEO net worths will likely stagnate.
The Reality of Executive Payouts
It's easy to look at a $40 million salary and feel a certain way. But in the world of big tech and entertainment, it’s actually somewhat standard. David Zaslav at Warner Bros. Discovery and Bob Iger at Disney often pull in similar or even higher numbers.
What makes the Netflix guys unique is the transparency. Netflix was one of the first companies to let executives choose how much of their pay they wanted in cash versus stock. Recently, the board moved toward a more "fixed" structure, but the emphasis remains on performance.
Basically, if we don't keep clicking "Next Episode," they don't get their full bonus.
Real-World Assets
Beyond the stock, here’s a peek at what that kind of net worth buys:
- Ted Sarandos: Known for an impressive art collection and a penchant for high-end luxury properties in Los Angeles and Montecito.
- Greg Peters: More private, but has served on boards like 2U Inc and DoorDash, which provided additional equity and income streams outside of his Netflix salary.
What This Means for You
Does it matter if Ted Sarandos is worth $200 million instead of $210 million? Probably not to your monthly bill. But it does tell you where the company is headed.
The fact that their wealth is so tied to stock performance means they are under immense pressure to keep you from canceling. Expect more "must-watch" live events, more aggressive crackdowns on sharing, and potentially more price hikes if the stock starts to dip again.
If you're looking to track this yourself, the best way isn't to check "net worth" sites. Look at the SEC Form 4 filings for Netflix. These are public documents that show every time a CEO buys or sells a share. It’s the only way to see the real money moving in real-time.
Next time you see a headline about a "Netflix CEO," remember there are two of them, and while they're doing very well, they're still working for the guy who owns the 21 million shares.
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Actionable Insights:
- Monitor the 10-K and 10-Q filings: If you’re an investor or just curious, these annual and quarterly reports show the exact compensation breakdown for the top five executives.
- Watch the "Churn": Net worth for these CEOs is a proxy for subscriber retention. If churn (cancellations) goes up, their wealth goes down.
- Diversification matters: Even the pros like Sarandos sell stock regularly to put money into "boring" things like real estate. It's a good reminder not to keep all your eggs in one basket.