Charlotte CEO joins billionaires club

Forbes magazine has taken notice of a Charlotte CEO who quietly built a fortune in digital media, naming him among the ranks of “The Richest People In The World.”

The publication released its annual ranking of the world’s billionaires last month. Ric Elias, co-founder and chief executive of Red Ventures, appeared on the list for the first time, coming in at No. 2,692. Forbes pegs his net worth at about $1 billion.

The feature notes that Elias, 56 and a native of Puerto Rico, created the company along with co-founder Dan Feldstein in 2000. It has since become a massive conglomerate of media properties such as CNET, The Points Guy, Bankrate.com and Healthgrades.com.

Elias was one of 67 new names from the U.S. on the list in 2024 — but his wealth on paper would’ve qualified years ago, according to a profile by The New York Times in 2021. That article noted a “conservative valuation” of Red Ventures at the time of $11 billion, of which Elias owns 20%.

That same year, Elias and wife Brenda became greater Charlotte’s first signees of the Giving Pledge, promising to give the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.

Keep reading on CBJ’s website here.

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