Ryan Smith

Net worth over time

Forbes estimates of Ryan Smith's net worth each year, next to the Forbes value of the Utah Jazz. From 2020 to now the net worth went from $1.3B to $3.3B, about 3 times as much.

Yearly points are from the Forbes billionaires lists, mostly the spring World's Billionaires list; the last point is the latest Forbes real-time figure, which can differ a lot from the spring list. Years without a published figure are skipped.

The businesses in detail

How the main business makes money. Qualtrics sells online survey software. Companies, universities and governments pay a yearly subscription. They use it to send questionnaires to customers and staff and to analyse the answers. Smith became rich when German software company SAP bought Qualtrics for $8B in cash.

Biggest deals.

• January 2019: SAP completed its $8B purchase. Forbes put the founders' share at about $3B.
• December 2020: bought the Jazz, their arena and a minor-league team for a reported $1.66B.
• June 2023: Silver Lake and CPP Investments took Qualtrics private for $12.5B, with Smith investing alongside.
• April 2024: paid $1.2B for a new NHL franchise in Utah.
• May 2026: Qualtrics completed its $6.75B purchase of healthcare-survey firm Press Ganey, debt included.

Career path

1. 2002

   Co-founds Qualtrics in Provo with his father Scott, brother Jared and Stuart Orgill

2. 2012

   Takes the first outside funding, $70M from Sequoia and Accel

3. 2016

   Founds cancer charity 5 For The Fight

4. 2020

   NBA approves his purchase of the Jazz (18 December)

5. 2022

   Buys soccer club Real Salt Lake with David Blitzer

6. 2024

   Awarded an NHL franchise for Utah (18 April)

7. 2025

   Sells his soccer interests to the Miller family; arena rebuild begins; launches HXCO

8. 2026

   Says his group wants more teams (September)

Teams and sports assets

Owns now 6

• teamUtah JazzNBA · basketball · USSince 2020 · his group bought 80%; own share not published · Reported $1.66B with the arena and the Stars
• teamUtah MammothNHL · ice hockey · USSince 2024 · owned with wife Ashley · $1.2B
• teamSalt Lake City StarsG League · basketball · USSince 2020 · through SEG · Included with the Jazz
• arenaDelta Centerbasketball and ice hockey · USSince 2020 · owner through SEG · Included with the Jazz; $525M rebuild to about Oct 2027
• sports businessSalt Lake Bees (management only)Triple-A · baseball · USSince 2020 · management; the Miller family kept ownership · Included with the Jazz
• sports businessHalo Experience Company (HXCO)sports technology investing · USSince 2025 · co-founder with Ryan Sweeney · Aims to raise up to $1B

Owned before 5

• teamReal Salt LakeMLS · football (soccer) · USSince 2022 to 2025 · co-owner with David Blitzer · Purchase price not found; sold to the Miller family, with the Royals and stadium, for a reported $600M
• teamUtah RoyalsNWSL · football (soccer) · USSince 2022 to 2025 · co-owner with David Blitzer · Part of the same sale
• teamReal Monarchsfootball (soccer) · USSince 2022 to 2025 · co-owner with David Blitzer · Part of the same sale
• arenaAmerica First FieldMLS · football (soccer) · USSince 2022 to 2025 · co-owner with David Blitzer · Part of the same sale
• arenaZions Bank Stadiumfootball (soccer) · USSince 2022 to 2025 · co-owner with David Blitzer · Part of the same sale

Other investments and assets

• Companies and funds: A family office that he says has invested heavily in artificial-intelligence companies; no names given. An earlier investment in ticketing firm SeatGeek.
• Property: He secured $900M in funding for the Delta Center and a surrounding district in downtown Salt Lake City.
• Family in the business: Wife Ashley co-owns SEG. His father and brother co-founded Qualtrics with him.

Giving and politics

• Founded 5 For The Fight in 2016, a cancer-research charity that asks for $5 donations. It had raised more than $25M by 2020.
• He funds Brigham Young University athletes and says he expects much of his wealth to go to the university.
• Political donations or party affiliation: not found.

How they run their teams

• Highly visible: he posts often on social media and sits courtside. He treats the teams, arena and downtown district as one business.
• The Jazz are rebuilding: four straight seasons without playoffs, and 22-60 in 2025-26.
• On 12 February 2026 the NBA fined the Jazz $500,000 for breaking its player-participation policy, AP reported. A $100,000 fine came the season before. Smith publicly disagreed.
• Partners include Ryan Sweeney, Mike Cannon-Brookes, Dwyane Wade, the Miller family and Arctos. See the Utah Jazz page.

What they have said

• He sees the Jazz as a commitment of about 30 years, and sport as an anchor tenant that draws development.
• His group has the appetite for more teams; he named an English Premier League club as one possibility.
• Sports betting is here to stay, he said; his worry is new betting markets with unclear rules.
• He called the money now flowing into sport extreme, and said sport and technology are converging.
• He said owning a team is hard work, not a perk, and that he plays the long game.

Little-known facts

• SAP bought Qualtrics three days before its planned stock-market listing.
• At 17 he moved to South Korea to teach English.
• He sold his soccer clubs to the same family he bought the Jazz from.