David Duffield
Business software · Incline Village, Nevada
Net worth
$11.2B
Today
+$5M+0.04%Past month
+$28M+0.25%As of Nov 11, 2026, 1:50 PM EST
David Duffield cofounded not just one, but two successful enterprise software companies after age 40: PeopleSoft and Workday. He resigned as chairman of Workday in 2021; he cofounded the HR and finance software firm in 2005 and took it public in 2012. Duffield cofounded PeopleSoft at age 47 in 1987 and sold it to Oracle for $10.7 billion in cash in 2005. He founded his sixth enterprise software company, Ridgeline, in 2017, and is chairman of the cloud software firm for investment managers. He has spent more than $900 million supporting animal welfare, education and other causes, mostly via his family foundation and Maddie's Fund.
Net worth over time
Principal holdings
2 positions| Company | Industry | Share | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
Workday, Inc. NASDAQ: WDAY | Technology | 61.5% | $6.9B |
Private and other holdings | Technology | 38.5% | $4.3B |
Also known for
- Duffield mortgaged his home to bootstrap PeopleSoft in the 1990s.
- Duffield says he plans to leave the bulk of his fortune to Maddie's Fund--named after his beloved schnauzer--and other charitable causes, not to his 10 children.
“If you truly listen to what people are saying, you'll find out what's on their mind that they want to be comfortable with. And then you'll be more effective in addressing their concerns.”