von Bechtolsheim vs Pham Nhat Vuong

Arista Networks and Vingroup.

The differences

Forbes puts Andreas von Bechtolsheim about $2.2B ahead of Pham Nhat Vuong.Forbes figures from 9 Oct 2026 and 9 Oct 2026.
Both started the company their money comes from.
Andreas von Bechtolsheim is about 13 years older than Pham Nhat Vuong.
Andreas von Bechtolsheim is from Germany; Pham Nhat Vuong is from Vietnam.

Put someone else on either side

von Bechtolsheim

Pham Nhat Vuong

Net worth, Forbes: $36BForbes, 9 Oct 2026; $33.8BForbes, 9 Oct 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $42.5BBloomberg, 14 Oct 2026; $30.1BBloomberg, 12 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 64Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026; No. 68Real-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; Founded itFounded Technocom, the predecessor of Vingroup, in Ukraine in the 1990s, selling Mivina instant noodles
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; Vingroup and VinFast stockBloomberg: his fortune is largely his stakes in the two listed companies
Companies: Arista NetworksArista Networks: Co-founder and chief architect; Vingroup, VinFastVingroup: Founder and chairman; VinFast: CEO until September 2026
Biggest stake: Arista Networks14.6% owned; VinFast97.825% owned

Born: 30 Sep 1955Bavaria, Germany; 1968Vietnam
Country: GermanyLives in Palo Alto, California, United States; VietnamLives in Hanoi, Vietnam
Education: Graduate degreeMS computer engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (1976); doctoral student in computer engineering at Stanford, 1977-1982; Not statedMoscow Geological Prospecting Institute, graduated 1993
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; Not a signer
Foundation: Not stated; Kind Heart Foundation (Thien Tam)A non-profit set up by Vingroup
Lifetime giving: Not stated; Not stated

Role now: Founder, no executive roleCo-founder and chief architect of Arista Networks; Chair of the boardChairman of Vingroup
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; Pham Nhat Quan Anh succeeded him as CEO of VinFast Global in September 2026; his wife Pham Thu Huong is a Vingroup vice chairwomanNo successor named as Vingroup chairman
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