Who Is the Richest Doctor in the World? Top Medical Millionaires & Billionaires in 2025

Think being a doctor is all about long shifts, endless studying, and piles of paperwork? Well, most of the time, you’d be right. But there are a handful of doctors who don’t just save lives—they’ve also built massive fortunes, rivaling tech tycoons and celebrity billionaires. You might picture the world’s richest doctors laboring away in hospitals or their own clinics. That’s not always the case, though; medical knowledge opens doors to all kinds of money-making opportunities. So, who tops the charts as the richest doctor in the world today? The answer isn’t as simple as you might think.

The Billion-Dollar Doctors: Who Took Medicine to the Next Level?

When most people think “doctor,” they imagine white coats and stethoscopes. But the actual richest doctors in the world don’t just rely on their medical practice. They branch out. They invent. They build empires. Take Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, for example—a name you definitely want to remember. Born in South Africa, he made a fortune not just treating patients, but by inventing cancer drugs, buying the LA Times, and investing in biotech. As of 2025, his net worth sits around $6.5 billion, making Dr. Soon-Shiong the reigning richest doctor in the world by a landslide. There are a few more contenders, though, like Dr. Thomas Frist Jr. (co-founder of HCA Healthcare) with a net worth floating around $20 billion. But Dr. Frist owes much of his fortune to business acumen and investments in hospital management rather than direct patient care or scientific innovation.

Let’s break down what puts Dr. Soon-Shiong in a league of his own. Not only did he develop Abraxane, a game-changing cancer treatment, but he holds over 230 patents. He also owns NantWorks, a massive healthcare and artificial intelligence company. And just for fun, he snapped up the LA Times to reshape American media. Rising to this level isn’t your typical “work hard, see patients, retire wealthy” story. It means spotting opportunities, scaling ideas, and taking huge risks. The table below shows some of the top-earning doctors as of 2025:

It’s wild how different these stories are. Some made their money by founding hospital chains or launching companies, others through decades of inventions or connecting medicine with cutting-edge tech. The critical takeaway? To hit billionaire status as a doctor, you have to see medicine as a launchpad, not the finish line.

How Did They Get So Rich? Strategies of Medical Billionaires

What separates the world’s wealthiest doctors from their peers? It turns out, tons of smart moves way outside the hospital. Let’s dig into how these doctors flipped about 6-12 years of medical training into billion-dollar empires.

• Innovation: Most billionaire doctors aren’t famous for their bedside manner—they’re famous for what they create. From pharmaceuticals to surgical tools, they spot a need and build something nobody else has.
• Business Acumen: Hospital moguls like Dr. Frist didn’t just practice medicine—they reimagined how healthcare gets delivered. Frist built mega-hospital networks, taking advantage of new laws and trends, and turned them into public companies worth billions.
• Patents: Many fortune-building doctors get dozens—or even hundreds—of patents. Dr. Gary Michelson, for instance, invented over 250 devices for spinal surgery. Eventually, he sold his portfolio for $1.35 billion. That’s a lot of brains and hustle rolled into one.
• Entrepreneurship: Dr. Phillip Frost turned his knowledge of dermatology and medicine into major stakes in drug companies and biotech startups. It’s not about selling your doctor services, but multiplying your reach through products, companies, or even stock trading.
• Media & Investments: Take Dr. Soon-Shiong. He isn’t just a physician—he’s a media mogul, investor, tech entrepreneur, and philanthropist. By spreading skillsets way beyond traditional medicine, these doctors build wealth that can last generations.

The journey isn’t exactly smooth, though. You can’t just put on a lab coat, invent a drug, and cash in next week. Think setbacks, years in labs, risky investments, and lots of rejection. But if you’re up for the grind (and a bit of luck), the path from med school to multi-billionaire is possible. These stories can be inspiration if you’re dreaming on a huge scale.

For folks thinking about this kind of path, here are a few things you might want to know:

• Build skills beyond medicine: Learn about patents, business management, and investments. Doctors who make it big know how to think like business people, not only clinicians.
• Spot trends early: Many of the richest doctors were quick to jump into biotech, hospital networks, or pharma at just the right time. Medical fields change fast—being ahead gives you a huge edge.
• Don’t fear risk: Some of the biggest fortunes started with bold, risky moves. You don’t get to billionaire status by playing it safe all the time.
• Patience is everything: It can take decades for patents or medical companies to hit big. These doctors show that long-term play beats chasing quick cash.

So, if you just want to be rich, there are probably easier roads—finance, tech, maybe winning the lottery. But if you love medicine and you’ve got the drive, there’s a path to world-class wealth on a doctor’s career map. It’s all about combining what you know with a willingness to do what most doctors never consider.

Can Doctors Still Get Rich Today? Modern Pathways to Medical Wealth

Lots of people look at the crazy wealth of Dr. Soon-Shiong or Dr. Frist and wonder, “Could that be me?” The short answer is yes—but you’ll need way more than a medical license. Even today in 2025, brand-new trends are opening up fresh ways for doctors to get seriously rich, if they’re willing to step out of the operating room.

Let’s talk about tech. AI-driven diagnostics, telemedicine, genetic testing, and personalized health apps are exploding. Doctors who launch startups or help build this tech can find themselves sitting on gold mines. Look at Dr. Wu Yiling, who combined traditional medicine and pharma techniques, turning a small herbal company into a global player in Chinese pharmaceuticals. Or think about healthcare influencers—medical TikTok stars and YouTube doctors who leverage their authority into book deals, paid speaking gigs, and private courses. Not everyone will get billionaire-level rich, but there’s money to be made for creative docs.

Investor interest in health startups is at an all-time high in 2025. According to PitchBook, global investments in digital health hit nearly $45 billion in 2024—a record peak. That means huge opportunity for doctors with fresh eyes and ideas. There are even doctors-turned-investors who build wealth by backing other doctors’ ideas. Stack on pharma royalties, licensing medical devices, or running private clinics in booming cities, and the earning ceiling climbs higher than ever.

Of course, there’s always that classic path: rise through the ranks at a big hospital, become department chair, open your own clinics, invest wisely. But you can accelerate everything by chasing what’s just around the corner, not what everyone else is already doing.

For aspiring medical moguls, here are a few actionable tips:

• Get comfortable learning skills outside medicine—think marketing, coding, or fundraising.
• Look for unmet needs in healthcare. If something’s broken, maybe you’re the one to fix it.
• Don’t be afraid to work with people from other fields. Some of the richest doctors teamed up with engineers, investors, or even media execs to go big.
• Stay curious. Almost every mega-wealthy doctor bounced through multiple career pivots before they landed something world-changing.

Sure, the number of billionaire doctors is tiny compared to business moguls or movie stars. That’s what makes their stories stand out. They remind us that medicine can be a launchpad for wild success if you’re willing to shake things up and chase big ideas. So next time you picture the richest person in a hospital, remember—sometimes those white coats are hiding a business genius in disguise.