2026 ranking of the wealthiest French business angels
Amounts mentioned are estimates based on public sources and can vary depending on methodology (income, assets, debt) and update date.
This guide is a countdown: it starts at no. 10 and ends with the French business angel with the highest estimated personal wealth. The method combines personal fortune, deployable liquidity and proven startup investing activity.
Ranking methodology
The ranking prioritizes personal wealth that can realistically be deployed into startups, then angel activity documented by available sources. Figures are editorial estimates, not audited or official declarations. When public ranges exist, Lama Fortune uses a high but plausible order of magnitude to keep the wealth ranking internally consistent.
n°10 — Pierre Kosciusko-Morizet
Estimated net worth : 120 M€
Vehicle / wealth origin : PriceMinister, Kernel Investissements
Sectors followed : e-commerce, fintech, marketplaces
Why this rank Boursier lists him among historic French business angels; wealth mainly comes from PriceMinister and tech stakes.
n°9 — Fabrice Grinda
Estimated net worth : 150 M€
Vehicle / wealth origin : OLX, FJ Labs
Sectors followed : marketplaces, fintech, climate, consumer
Why this rank Boursier credits him with €26M invested and 170 deals; his global portfolio supports an estimate above historic ticket totals.
n°8 — Oleg Tscheltzoff
Estimated net worth : 200 M€
Vehicle / wealth origin : Fotolia, angel investing Europe/US
Sectors followed : image, SaaS, consumer internet
Why this rank Sifted features him among notable European angels; the Fotolia/Adobe exit and later stakes justify a high but less liquid estimate than billionaire profiles.
n°7 — Thibaud Elziere
Estimated net worth : 250 M€
Vehicle / wealth origin : Fotolia, Hexa/eFounders
Sectors followed : SaaS B2B, future of work, product infra
Why this rank Challenges ranked him fifth among active investors in 2021; Hexa and unicorns such as Aircall, Front and Spendesk support the high end.
n°6 — Michaël Benabou
Estimated net worth : 400 M€
Vehicle / wealth origin : Veepee, Financière Saint James
Sectors followed : consumer, real estate, impact, marketplaces
Why this rank Challenges notes €17M invested since 2020 and major real-estate/participation assets; the estimate reflects post-Veepee entrepreneurial value.
n°5 — Bruno Rousset
Estimated net worth : 450 M€
Vehicle / wealth origin : April, Evolem
Sectors followed : health, industry, leisure, SaaS
Why this rank Challenges placed him on the active-angel podium through Evolem; the April exit and Evolem asset base support a high estimate.
n°4 — Marc Simoncini
Estimated net worth : 500 M€
Vehicle / wealth origin : Meetic, Jaïna Capital
Sectors followed : mobility, connected health, consumer tech
Why this rank Boursier and YouWorkHere cite him as a historic investor; Meetic, Jaïna and visible stakes keep him in the hundreds of millions.
n°3 — Jacques-Antoine Granjon
Estimated net worth : 1,2 Md€
Vehicle / wealth origin : Veepee, angel investing
Sectors followed : e-commerce, mode, consumer internet
Why this rank Sifted recalls his angel role and Veepee pioneer status; entrepreneurial wealth puts him ahead of tech multi-millionaires.
n°2 — Pierre-Édouard Stérin
Estimated net worth : 1,6 Md€
Vehicle / wealth origin : Smartbox, Otium Capital
Sectors followed : consumer, software, finance, education
Why this rank Challenges ranked him first active angel in 2021 with €80M invested; Otium and Smartbox make him one of the few billionaires in this segment.
n°1 — Xavier Niel
Estimated net worth : 10 Md€
Vehicle / wealth origin : Iliad/Free, Kima Ventures
Sectors followed : telecoms, global seed, Station F
Why this rank Boursier already described him as the no. 1 French business angel; Sifted highlights Kima Ventures and its roughly two-startups-per-week pace.
Preserved media gallery
These visuals already present in the article group are preserved to keep media history without changing image URLs.
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 1
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 2
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 3
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 4
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 5
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 6
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 7
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 8
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 9
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 10
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 11
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 12
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 13
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 14
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 15
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 16
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 17
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 18
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 19
Preserved visual from the business-angels article group 20
Key takeaways
- Xavier Niel remains the richest and most systematized profile thanks to Iliad/Free and Kima Ventures.
- Pierre-Édouard Stérin and Jacques-Antoine Granjon complete the podium with billionaire entrepreneurial wealth.
- Hexa, Veepee, Meetic, April, Fotolia and PriceMinister founders dominate because they combine exits, cash flow and tech deal flow.
Editorial methodology
The estimates published by Lama Fortune rely on public sources, media references, and sector comparisons. They are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.
Sources reviewed
Frequently asked questions
Who is the richest French business angel?
Xavier Niel ranks no. 1 here with an estimated net worth of about €10B, driven by Iliad/Free and startup investing through Kima Ventures.
