von Bechtolsheim vs French Gates

Arista Networks and Microsoft.

The differences

Forbes puts Andreas von Bechtolsheim about $1.7B ahead of Melinda French Gates.Forbes figures from 9 Oct 2026 and 9 Oct 2026.
Andreas von Bechtolsheim: co-founded it. Melinda French Gates: through marriage.
Andreas von Bechtolsheim is about 9 years older than Melinda French Gates.
Melinda French Gates has signed the Giving Pledge; Andreas von Bechtolsheim has not.
Andreas von Bechtolsheim is from Germany; Melinda French Gates is from United States.

Put someone else on either side

von Bechtolsheim

French Gates

Net worth, Forbes: $36BForbes, 9 Oct 2026; $34.3BForbes, 9 Oct 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $42.5BBloomberg, 14 Oct 2026; $17.4BBloomberg, 12 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 64Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026; No. 67Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026
Billionaire since: Not stated; Not stated

How it started: Co-founded itCo-founded Arista in 2004 (as Arastra) after co-founding Sun Microsystems; Forbes says much of his fortune stems from the $100,000 cheque he wrote to Google in 1998; Through marriageBloomberg: her wealth mainly comes from assets transferred to her in May and August 2021 after her divorce from Bill Gates; Forbes estimates the settlement at $25 billion
Main source: An early Google investment and his Arista Networks stakeForbes' source of wealth is Google; the 2026 Arista proxy shows 14.6% held by his family trust; Assets transferred from Cascade Investment after her 2021 divorceForbes lists Microsoft as her source of wealth
Companies: Arista NetworksArista Networks: Co-founder and chief architect; MicrosoftMicrosoft: None; former general manager of information products
Biggest stake: Arista Networks14.6% owned; MicrosoftStake not stated

Born: 30 Sep 1955Bavaria, Germany; 15 Aug 1964Dallas, Texas, United States
Country: GermanyLives in Palo Alto, California, United States; United StatesLives in Seattle, Washington, United States
Education: Graduate degreeMS computer engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (1976); doctoral student in computer engineering at Stanford, 1977-1982; Graduate degreeBS in computer science and economics (1986) and MBA (1987), Duke University
Parents: Grew up on a farm in Bavaria; his father was an elementary-school teacher and his mother a homemakerThe farm was leased to a farmer; Not stated

Giving Pledge: Not a signer; Signed in 2010Co-founded the Giving Pledge
Foundation: Not stated; Pivotal Philanthropies FoundationPrivate foundation she formed in 2022 within Pivotal; she co-chaired the Gates Foundation from 2000 to 2024
Lifetime giving: Not stated; $52.6BForbes, 9 Feb 2026. Forbes' estimate of what Bill and Melinda Gates have given away together; Forbes publishes no figure for her alone

Role now: Founder, no executive roleCo-founder and chief architect of Arista Networks; No roleHeads Pivotal, the organization she formed in 2015
Successor: Jayshree Ullal, Arista's founding CEO, is now also its chairpersonArista said in 2015 he has no family relationship with any of its executive officers or directors; Not stated
Public office: None found; None found
Legal record: 2024: US District Court for N.D. California (SEC case)A consent final judgment in an SEC insider-trading case bars him from serving as an officer or director of a public company for five years and ordered a $923,740 civil penalty; Forbes reports he agreed without admitting guilt.; None found