According to Forbes’ profile updated June 3, 2026, Colette Kress has an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion, making her one of the wealthiest female executives in the technology industry. Her wealth is associated primarily with her NVIDIA career and financial assets, including company stock. NVIDIA’s 2026 annual report also disclosed total compensation of approximately $14.34 million for Kress during fiscal 2026. Her exact personal net worth has not been independently established through publicly available financial statements.
Important distinction: The $1.2 billion figure is Forbes’ wealth estimate, not a company-confirmed or independently audited personal balance sheet.
Introduction: Colette Kress Net Worth and Her Billionaire Status
The colette kress net worth question has attracted considerable attention following her appointment as NVIDIA’s interim Chief Executive Officer in November 2026. Colette Kress is a longtime financial executive who has served as NVIDIA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since September 2013.
According to Forbes’ billionaire and wealth profile, her estimated net worth reached approximately $1.2 billion as of June 3, 2026. This estimate places her among the notable self-made women associated with the technology industry.
Her wealth is particularly interesting because she built her career through senior financial positions rather than founding a technology company or becoming a public-facing entrepreneur.
Before joining NVIDIA, Kress worked at Texas Instruments, Microsoft and Cisco. Her financial leadership at NVIDIA coincided with the company’s transformation into a major global supplier of artificial intelligence processors and data-centre technology.
Her financial background has also become a subject of interest after NVIDIA announced on November 12, 2026, that she would take over as interim CEO following Jensen Huang’s resignation.
However, understanding her wealth requires looking beyond one headline figure. Her reported net worth, annual salary, stock-based compensation and ownership of company shares are different financial measures.
What Is Colette Kress’s Net Worth in 2026?
According to Forbes, Colette Kress had an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion as of June 3, 2026.
Forbes identifies NVIDIA as her primary source of wealth.
This estimate reflects the value attributed to her financial assets, including her association with NVIDIA stock. However, Forbes’ estimate should not be confused with the amount of money she earns annually.
Net worth generally represents the value of a person’s assets minus liabilities.
For a senior technology executive, assets can include:
- Shares in publicly traded companies.
- Stock options and vested equity awards.
- Cash and investments.
- Real estate and other personal assets.
- Other financial holdings.
The value of stock-based wealth can change significantly as the market price of a company’s shares rises or falls.
Therefore, Colette Kress’s estimated wealth should be treated as a date-specific figure rather than a permanent amount.
FORBES ESTIMATE · JUNE 3, 2026
$1.2 billion
Estimated Colette Kress net worth
Source: Forbes profile. This is an estimate, not a verified personal financial statement.tollbit.forbes.com+1
How Did Colette Kress Build Her Wealth?
Colette Kress’s wealth is connected to her long career in corporate finance and her executive position at NVIDIA.
Unlike technology founders who build wealth by establishing companies, Kress developed her financial position through senior management roles, executive compensation and equity ownership.
Her career can be divided into four important stages.
1. Early Career at Texas Instruments
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Kress started her career in the semiconductor and technology industry at Texas Instruments.
She spent eight years in finance-related positions at the company, according to Reuters’ November 12, 2026, executive profile.
This early experience helped establish her professional background in financial planning and technology business operations.
2. Microsoft: 13 Years in Finance Leadership
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Kress worked at Microsoft from 1997 to 2010.
During her 13 years there, she held several finance leadership positions, including CFO of Microsoft’s Server and Tools division.
Working at a major international technology company gave her experience in managing complex financial operations and supporting business growth.
3. Cisco: Senior Financial Leadership
Before moving to NVIDIA, Kress joined Cisco in 2010.
She served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Business Technology and Operations Finance organization.
Her responsibilities included financial planning, reporting, business development and financial strategy.
This experience further strengthened her position as a senior finance executive in the technology industry.
4. NVIDIA: The Most Important Stage of Her Career
forbes.com
Kress joined NVIDIA in September 2013 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Her time at the company has been particularly important to her financial success.
NVIDIA experienced significant business expansion as demand for GPUs increased across gaming, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data centres.
As CFO, Kress was responsible for leading the company’s finance organization during this period.
Her long association with NVIDIA also provided access to executive compensation arrangements that included substantial stock awards.
This is an important distinction: her estimated billionaire status is not simply the result of her annual salary. Equity ownership and stock-related wealth are central to understanding her financial position.investing.com+2
Colette Kress Salary: How Much Does She Earn at NVIDIA?
One of the most useful ways to understand Colette Kress’s financial position is to examine NVIDIA’s official executive compensation disclosures.
The company’s 2026 annual report, filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), provides detailed information about her compensation for three fiscal years.
According to NVIDIA’s Summary Compensation Table, her reported compensation was:
Colette Kress’s reported NVIDIA compensation
| Fiscal year | Total compensation |
| 2024 | $13,266,792 |
| 2025 | $21,362,532 |
| 2026 | $14,340,850 |
Source: NVIDIA 2026 Annual Review and SEC-filed executive compensation disclosures. Amounts are in US dollars.
These figures represent reported total compensation, not annual take-home salary.
Breakdown of Colette Kress’s 2026 Compensation
Her fiscal 2026 compensation included the following components:
| Compensation type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base salary | $898,577 |
| Stock awards | $12,825,872 |
| Cash incentive compensation | $600,000 |
| Other compensation | $16,402 |
| Total | $14,340,850 |
The figures show that stock awards accounted for the largest portion of her reported compensation.
This is common among senior executives at major publicly traded technology companies, where equity awards are used to align executive incentives with company performance and shareholder interests.
Important: Stock awards are not necessarily cash received immediately. Their value depends on award conditions, vesting schedules and applicable stock prices.sec.gov+1
How Many NVIDIA Shares Does Colette Kress Own?
NVIDIA’s 2026 proxy statement also provides information about Colette Kress’s beneficial share ownership.
According to the beneficial ownership table, Kress was listed with 4,443,523 NVIDIA shares.
This disclosure is particularly relevant when examining her estimated wealth because NVIDIA stock is an important part of the financial picture.
However, there is an important detail that readers should understand.
The SEC filing’s ownership footnote explains that the disclosed total includes shares held through different arrangements, including certain family holdings, trusts and entities.
Therefore, the full 4,443,523-share figure should not automatically be interpreted as shares personally held in her individual brokerage account.
The filing also distinguishes beneficial ownership from economic ownership and describes arrangements involving shared voting and investment powers.
Consequently, it would be misleading to multiply the entire disclosed share count by a current stock price and present the result as her personal net worth.
The share disclosure nevertheless provides useful evidence of her connection to NVIDIA’s equity and financial arrangements.sec.gov+1
What Is the Difference Between Colette Kress’s Net Worth and Salary?
These two financial terms are often confused when people search for executive wealth.
However, they measure very different things.
| Financial term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Net worth | Total assets minus liabilities |
| Annual salary | Regular compensation paid for employment |
| Stock awards | Company equity granted under compensation arrangements |
| Cash incentives | Performance-related cash payments |
| Realized stock value | Value of shares when they are sold or otherwise realized |
For example, NVIDIA disclosed that Kress received approximately $14.34 million in total compensation for fiscal 2026.
That does not mean her net worth increased by $14.34 million during the year.
Her net worth can also change because of stock-market movements, taxes, investments, spending, property values and other financial activities.
This explains why an executive can have a net worth of more than $1 billion while receiving annual compensation measured in millions rather than billions.
Is Colette Kress a Billionaire?
Forbes estimate: Billionaire
Yes. Forbes listed Colette Kress with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion in its June 3, 2026, profile.
However, the billionaire classification should be attributed to Forbes rather than presented as a verified personal financial disclosure.
NVIDIA’s SEC filings provide information about her compensation and beneficial share ownership, but they do not disclose a complete balance sheet of her personal assets and liabilities.
Forbes’ estimate is therefore the strongest specific published wealth figure identified for this article, while the exact amount remains subject to uncertainty.
Colette Kress’s Education and Professional Qualifications
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Colette Kress’s professional achievements are supported by her educational background.
She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance.
She subsequently earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Southern Methodist University.
These qualifications provided an academic foundation for her career in corporate finance and business management.
Her career demonstrates how financial expertise can lead to senior executive positions in the global technology industry.
Her professional background also explains why NVIDIA’s board selected her as an interim leader during its November 2026 leadership transition.
Colette Kress’s New Role as NVIDIA Interim CEO in 2026
nvidianews.nvidia.com
On November 12, 2026, NVIDIA announced that Colette Kress would become its interim CEO after Jensen Huang resigned from his positions as president, CEO and board member.
Kress will continue serving as NVIDIA’s Executive Vice President and CFO while holding the interim CEO position.
The company’s board also announced that it would search for a permanent CEO, considering both internal and external candidates.
The appointment has increased public interest in Kress’s professional background, financial position and executive compensation.
Her new role also places her in charge of a company with substantial influence over the global semiconductor and AI infrastructure industries.
However, her appointment as interim CEO does not automatically establish that her personal net worth or annual compensation has increased.
NVIDIA has not disclosed a separate interim CEO salary or a revised compensation package in the announcement.NVIDIA Newsroom+1
What Has NVIDIA Officially Disclosed About Colette Kress?
NVIDIA’s official disclosures provide two important types of financial information:
- Annual compensation: The company’s annual proxy statement reports salary, stock awards, incentive payments and other compensation.
- Share ownership: Its beneficial ownership disclosures provide information about shares associated with senior executives.
These documents are more reliable for financial reporting than websites that publish unsupported celebrity-style net worth figures.
For personal wealth, however, neither document provides a complete accounting of all assets, investments, liabilities and property owned by Kress.
The Forbes estimate should therefore be understood as an independent wealth assessment rather than an official NVIDIA figure.
What Happens Next? Could Colette Kress’s Net Worth Change?
Colette Kress’s financial position could change over time, particularly because a significant part of her disclosed compensation involves NVIDIA stock awards.
Several factors could influence her estimated wealth:
- NVIDIA stock performance: Changes in the company’s share price can affect the market value of her equity holdings.
- Future compensation: Any new salary, bonus or equity arrangements could affect her financial position.
- Stock vesting and sales: The vesting and sale of shares can change the composition of her assets.
- Investment performance: Other investments and financial holdings can influence her overall wealth.
- Taxes and liabilities: Personal financial obligations also affect net worth.
NVIDIA’s board is conducting a search for a permanent CEO, and Kress’s interim appointment may eventually lead to another leadership arrangement.
Whether she receives a revised compensation package or additional equity incentives has not been confirmed.
For now, Forbes’ $1.2 billion estimate remains the clearest specific publicly reported figure identified for her wealth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is Colette Kress’s net worth in 2026?
Colette Kress’s net worth is estimated at $1.2 billion by Forbes, based on its June 3, 2026, profile. This is an estimate, not an officially verified personal financial statement.
2. Is Colette Kress a billionaire?
Yes. Forbes included Colette Kress in its 2026 list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women, with an estimated fortune of $1.2 billion.
3. How does Colette Kress make her money?
Her wealth is associated primarily with her executive career at NVIDIA, including stock ownership and equity-based compensation. She previously held senior finance positions at Microsoft, Cisco and Texas Instruments.
4. What is Colette Kress’s annual salary at NVIDIA?
Her base salary was $898,577 for fiscal 2026. However, her total reported compensation, including stock awards, cash incentives and other compensation, was $14,340,850.
5. How many NVIDIA shares does Colette Kress own?
NVIDIA’s 2026 proxy statement reported 4,443,523 beneficially owned shares associated with Kress. This figure includes certain family and trust arrangements and should not be treated as her individually held share count.
6. When did Colette Kress join NVIDIA?
Colette Kress joined NVIDIA in September 2013 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. She remained in the CFO role when she was appointed interim CEO in November 2026.
7. What companies did Colette Kress work for before NVIDIA?
Before NVIDIA, she worked at Texas Instruments, Microsoft and Cisco. Her career includes eight years at Texas Instruments, 13 years at Microsoft and senior financial leadership at Cisco.
8. Is Colette Kress the permanent CEO of NVIDIA?
No. As of November 13, 2026, she is the interim CEO. NVIDIA’s board has announced a search for a permanent chief executive and will consider both internal and external candidates.
