People usually think about doctors in white coats, walking hospital corridors and healing patients. But money? Most don’t imagine a doctor cracking the Forbes list, right? Yet, the world’s richest doctor is not only a billionaire—he’s part scientist, part entrepreneur, and totally redefining what “doctor” means. Ever found yourself wishing you could peek inside a life where medical know-how meets boardroom strategy? You’re in for a wild story because the richest doctor in the world is Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, and trust me, he’s not your average physician.

Meet Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong: The Billionaire Doctor Who Changed the Game

Born in South Africa in 1952 to Chinese immigrant parents, Patrick Soon-Shiong didn’t start with deep pockets. He studied medicine at just 23 and earned his medical degree from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. But he wasn’t content with a standard career. After finishing a surgical internship, he headed to Canada for more research, then to Los Angeles for a job at UCLA. Here’s where it gets interesting: he wasn’t focused on fancy houses or cars. His real obsession? Curing diabetes and cancer.

Soon-Shiong’s early life wasn’t about chasing wealth but fueling curiosity. By the late 1980s, he invented a revolutionary drug for diabetes—Abraxane, a chemotherapy treatment, turned cancer therapy upside down. But what does a surgeon do when his drug becomes a blockbuster hit? He starts building companies. He sold his first business, APP Pharmaceuticals, for $4.6 billion to German giant Fresenius. Then he sold Abraxis BioScience, which produced Abraxane, to Celgene for $2.9 billion. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to become ultra-wealthy and still stay hungry to solve huge problems, this is it.

By 2025, Patrick Soon-Shiong’s net worth is estimated at over $7 billion, making him unquestionably the world’s richest doctor. But his story isn’t all about balance sheets. He reinvested big money into research, the Los Angeles Times newspaper, and technology that supports both healthcare and data science. He even launched NantWorks, a network of companies aiming to connect things like artificial intelligence, diagnostics, and cloud computing with medical science. So, while he’s stacking dollars, he’s still hunting for the next big cure.

One quirky fact—he owns a basketball team! In 2010, he bought a minority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers, turning heads in both the sports and business worlds. If you ever doubted medicine could connect to the NBA, think again. This speaks volumes about the depth and range of his interests.

What makes Dr. Soon-Shiong’s fortune unique is that it’s not just built on medical practice. It’s built on a wild mix of invention, relentless research, and killer business instincts. He didn’t just build wealth for personal gain—much of what he earns goes right back into attacking big diseases. He’s not just the richest; he’s also the most relentlessly curious.

How Did He Get So Rich? The Secret Mix of Medicine, Business, and Vision

So, if you’re sitting there thinking every rich doctor simply bills lots of patients and charges high fees—think again. The world’s richest doctor didn’t rack up his billions with hospital rounds or private clinics alone. It comes down to risk-taking and innovation. The foundation of Soon-Shiong’s wealth is pretty straightforward: he solves massive medical problems and knows when to pivot at the right time. Here’s how he did it, step by step.

• Invention & Patents: Soon-Shiong holds over 100 patents. His blockbuster, Abraxane, wasn’t just another chemotherapy—it attached a well-known cancer drug, paclitaxel, to a protein (albumin) making it more effective and less toxic. This was truly innovative and gave him a big edge in pharmaceutical markets.
• Building & Selling Companies: He started APP Pharmaceuticals focused on generic injectable drugs. By selling two big companies, he made close to $7.5 billion just in business deals. That’s way different from traditional private practice earnings.
• Diversifying Investments: Instead of parking his cash in conservative funds, he bought stakes in tech ventures and even in sports franchises. Plus, he bought the Los Angeles Times—proving that media and medicine can mix when you think big enough.
• Reinvesting in Research: He constantly plows profits back into new medical startups. NantWorks, his parent company, owns a blend of startups that push the edge of AI, cloud data, biotech, diagnostics, and even wireless communication. This means every dollar he earns could spark a whole new medical discovery.
• Connecting Science and Business: Soon-Shiong didn’t just exist in labs. He walked straight into boardrooms, learned about market strategy, deal-making, and how to navigate US healthcare bureaucracy. For any doctor dreaming of billionaire status, this combo is gold.

You don’t have to invent the next cancer cure to learn from Soon-Shiong’s strategies. The real key? Spot big unsolved problems, learn deeply, and partner with people who fill your knowledge gaps. If you’re thinking about heading down a similar path—don’t just stick to the books; get curious about everything else around you.

Other Mega-Wealthy Doctors: Who Else Made the List?

Patrick Soon-Shiong isn’t the only doctor to hit it big—just the wealthiest. But there are a surprising number of doctors who turned their careers into multi-million (or even billion) dollar windfalls. If you’re wondering what they have in common, pay attention: business sense, risk-taking, and the guts to say yes to weird opportunities make all the difference.

• Dr. Thomas Frist Jr.: Co-founder of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA Healthcare)—he’s built a hospital empire across the US. As of 2025, estimates put his net worth north of $10 billion, much of it tied to hospital ownership and smart investments. But unlike Soon-Shiong, Frist went all-in on building hospital systems, not inventing new drugs.
• Dr. Gary Michelson: You may not have heard of him unless you’re in spinal surgery—but you use his tech if you’ve needed back surgery. He’s patented dozens of devices that revolutionized spinal surgery, then sold the patents to Medtronic for $1.35 billion in cash. He’s now a major philanthropist, with a focus on intellectual freedom and animal welfare.
• Dr. Phillip Frost: This Miami-based physician turned pharmaceutical entrepreneur led Teva Pharmaceuticals and his own generic drug company, Ivax Corporation, both with huge exits. His fortune is close to $2 billion. He proves individual doctors can build generics empires if they play the long game.
• Dr. Wu Yiling: From China, Wu built a fortune over $1 billion through herbal medicine firms and traditional Chinese medicine clinics. His blend of business and traditional science made him a household name in Asia.

What’s obvious from these mega-wealthy doctors is that the big money comes more from business ventures linked to medicine—like inventing a device or starting a chain of clinics—rather than classic doctor work. Still, all of them started with a passion for medicine, curiosity, and a knack for solving tough problems. That’s the real DNA of ultra-wealthy doctors.

If you’re still comparing this to standard medical salaries, brace yourself. Doctors in the US can make great money—neurosurgeons earn around $600,000 a year—but those numbers pale compared to building or selling a healthcare company. It’s a jump from seven figures a year to ten-figure fortunes built on solving system problems.

Lessons You Can Learn (Without a PhD or a Billion-Dollar Startup)

You might think these success stories are only for doctors with unusual genius or epic luck. But you’d be surprised how much a regular person can learn from these paths. So, don’t dismiss this as “just billionaire stuff.” Even if you don’t invent a drug or own a sports team, you can still borrow a few tricks from the medical billionaire playbook.

• Spot Opportunities at the Edge: All these wealthy doctors jumped on problems everyone else ignored. Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong saw the link between data science and immunology long before it was cool. Stay up to date on trends—sometimes the right idea looks obvious only in hindsight.
• Build, Don’t Just Work: These doctors didn’t limit themselves to standard jobs. They built companies, new treatments, hospital chains, and teams. Even if you’re not in medicine, look for ways to build a project, a product, or a service.
• Invest in Yourself: Each of these doctors spent years in education, but they never stopped learning. Real wealth comes from adapting, pivoting fast, and learning more every year. Don’t assume finishing medical (or any) school means you’re done learning.
• Network Beyond Your Field: Patrick Soon-Shiong hung out with data scientists, reporters, and pro basketball owners. He crossed industries, making wild partnerships. If you want to build something big, start talking to people outside your comfort zone.
• Use Your Profits for Bigger Impact: These doctors don’t stash money under their mattresses. Soon-Shiong keeps reinvesting to cure diseases faster. Philanthropy, research grants, and new startups—they push their money to do more for more people, not just themselves.

If you’re just now thinking, “But aren’t these guys just rare exceptions?”—sure, billionaires are rare. But building a career you love and stacking up more freedom, money, and impact isn’t just for the lucky few. You just need to keep your eyes open for that one wild breakthrough idea and not be afraid to go off the beaten path. I’ll admit, talking about this with my wife Mira, we both agree—if you follow only the usual routes, you miss out on the biggest adventures.

So next time you hear someone say, “Doctors aren’t business people,” feel free to mention Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, or any of these medical moguls. Because when science and business collide in the right person, who knows—maybe you’ll be the one everyone asks about when they want to know who the world’s next richest doctor is.