Fred Ridley net worth 2026 is estimated at $3.8 million to $13.5 million, with a base case near $7 million. He has never published his finances, so every figure in this article is our estimate unless a source is named.
Ridley is the chairman of Augusta National and the Masters, a Tampa real estate lawyer and the last U.S. Amateur champion who never turned professional. Below, we show where his money plausibly comes from, why the “$2 million” you see online is too low, and the one pay number that is documented.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Fred Scobie Ridley |
| Age / Date of Birth | 74 (born August 16, 1952) |
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Lakeland, Florida; raised in Winter Haven |
| Profession | Lawyer, golf administrator, corporate director |
| Known For | Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters since 2017; 1975 U.S. Amateur champion |
| Net Worth | $3.8M–$13.5M (our estimate) |
| Income Sources | Law partnership, board fees and stock, undisclosed Augusta National compensation |
| Relationship Status | Married to Elizabeth “Betsy” Herndon Ridley |
| Height | 6’0″ (per Golf Monthly) |
| Residence | Tampa, Florida |
Who Is Fred Ridley?
Fred Ridley is an American lawyer and golf leader. Since October 2017 he has been the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, which means he is the person who speaks for the club and the Masters. Wikipedia notes that the chairman is the only person officially authorized to publicly discuss the tournament.
He did not arrive at Augusta as a businessman first. He arrived as a golfer. In 1975 he won the U.S. Amateur, then went on to play in the Masters three times as an amateur, which Golf Monthly says makes him the first Augusta chairman to have played in the tournament.
Because he keeps his finances private, Fred Ridley net worth 2026 has to be pieced together from public facts. That is the approach this guide takes.
Early Life & Career Beginnings
Ridley was born August 16, 1952, in Lakeland, Florida, and grew up in nearby Winter Haven, according to Wikipedia’s biography. He played golf for the University of Florida Gators and earned a marketing degree there in 1974.
Then he turned to law. He received his Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law in 1977, after studying there from 1974 to 1977. He did it while still competing at the top of amateur golf, which is no small thing.
The golf kept pace. In 1975 he won the U.S. Amateur at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond, beating Keith Fergus in the 36-hole final, according to Wikipedia. Golf Digest ranked him the second-best amateur in the country that year.
He never turned professional. He is the last U.S. Amateur champion who stayed an amateur, and he chose a law career instead, which shapes everything about Fred Ridley net worth 2026.
Career & Rise to Fame
In 1976 he played in the Masters, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship, missing the cut in each, per Golf Monthly. He played the Masters again in 1977 and 1978. In 1977 he was on the U.S. Walker Cup team and beat Sandy Lyle twice, as the Americans won 16-8 at Shinnecock Hills.
Golf kept him close to the game in other roles. He captained the U.S. Walker Cup teams in 1987 and 1989 and the 2010 U.S. World Amateur team. Golf Monthly also says he managed Hal Sutton while working under Mark McCormack at the sports management company IMG.
At the USGA, he served on the executive committee from 1994 to 2005, and was the 58th president in 2004 and 2005. Golf Monthly says he has been an Augusta National member since 2000.
In August 2017, Augusta National announced that he would succeed Billy Payne as chairman, and he took the role on October 16, 2017. Under his leadership the club announced the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, with the first event held in 2019. The club also hosts the finals of Drive, Chip and Putt, a youth skills contest first held in 2014.
His 2026 news cycle was busy. At his April 8, 2026 press conference, reported by The Augusta Press, he said Tiger Woods would not play that year’s Masters and that the club supports his decision to focus on his health. He also discussed the renovated Patch and its short course, the Loop, and the planned TGR Learning Lab. None of that comes with a public price tag, so Fred Ridley net worth 2026 depends on estimates of his law and club pay.
Fred Ridley Net Worth 2026
Fred Ridley net worth 2026 is estimated at $3.8 million to $13.5 million, with a base case near $7 million.
We found no reliable outlet that reports his net worth. Citimuzik and FamousPeopleToday both say $2 million, but neither gives a source or a method. FamousPeopleToday also claims an Augusta National salary of “over $300,000,” which it does not support. Golf Monthly offers no net worth at all.
Two facts push us above $2 million. First, Ridley is a longtime lawyer at Foley & Lardner, a large national law firm, and Foley’s own site still lists him as a partner in Tampa. Second, he is a paid director of a public company. That is a hard pay number we can verify, and it is shown below.
Augusta National, for its part, gives us nothing. Wikipedia says the club is a for-profit corporation that does not disclose its income, holdings or membership list. So any figure about his chairman pay, including the $300,000 claim, is a guess.
Our approach to every estimate is explained on the how we calculate net worth page.
How We Built the Fred Ridley Net Worth 2026 Estimate
We estimated cumulative earnings before tax from his law career through 2026, then applied a retention rate. Retention means the share of gross income left after taxes, living costs and other spending. Every number below is our assumption unless a source is named.
| Income stream | Estimated cumulative earnings (before tax) |
|---|---|
| Law partnership (Foley & Lardner and earlier) | $8M–$20M |
| Starwood Property Trust director fees and stock (2018–2026) | $1.4M–$2.1M |
| Augusta National chairman (2017–2026) | $0–$2M |
| Sports management and other | $0.1M–$0.4M |
| Total | About $9.5M–$24.5M |
The law line is the biggest and the least certain. Starwood’s 2018 announcement says Ridley has represented lenders and developers for more than 35 years, and a partner’s pay ranges widely by year and by equity share. Foley does not publish partner pay, so we use a broad band.
The Starwood line is tight, because it comes from a filing. The Augusta line starts at zero because we do not know whether the role is paid, or how.
We then assumed he keeps 40% to 55% of gross income. Florida has no state income tax on wages, which helps, but federal tax, a long family life and spending still take a large share. That leaves roughly $3.8 million to $13.5 million.
To compare your own finances with a public figure’s estimate, try the How Rich Am I calculator.
What We Can Verify About Fred Ridley Net Worth 2026
It helps to separate three kinds of information. Documented facts include his education, his 1975 U.S. Amateur win, his captaincies, his USGA presidency, his Augusta National chairmanship and his Starwood board pay. Those come from Wikipedia, Golf Monthly, an SEC proxy filing and the company’s announcements.
Inferred facts include the competitor figures, such as the $2 million and the $300,000 claims. They are not tied to a filing or a contract.
Everything else is our assumption: partner earnings, Augusta National pay and how much he kept. That third group is why Fred Ridley net worth 2026 has such a wide range.
One anchor is useful. The Starwood proxy shows he beneficially owns 44,165 shares of the company. At the $20.38 closing price the proxy used for director stock grants in September 2024, that is about $900,000. The price has certainly changed since, so treat that as a rough floor for identifiable assets, not a current value.
Three Scenarios
| Scenario | Estimate | What would need to be true |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | About $3.8M | Lower partner earnings, unpaid chairman role, heavy spending |
| Base | About $7M | Solid partner earnings and steady board fees, with modest saving |
| High | About $13.5M | Strong partner earnings, a paid chairmanship and good retention |
The spread in Fred Ridley net worth 2026 is wide because his law pay and Augusta National pay are private. Treat the base case as a reasoned guess, not a fact.
Income Sources
Each stream below feeds Fred Ridley net worth 2026 differently.
Starwood Property Trust board. Starwood announced on September 5, 2018 that Ridley had joined its board. In its 2025 proxy statement filed with the SEC, Starwood shows his 2024 director pay as $260,011: $120,000 in cash and $140,011 in stock. The cash is a $110,000 annual retainer plus $10,000 for chairing the nominating and corporate governance committee.
Law practice. Ridley is a Foley & Lardner partner based in Tampa, and a former national chair of the firm’s real estate practice. Starwood’s 2018 announcement describes more than 35 years representing lenders and developers of real estate projects. Partner pay is private.
Augusta National chairman. Nothing is public. The club is a private, for-profit corporation, and the chairman role may not be paid in a way anyone outside the club can see. We carry a wide $0 to $2 million band.
Sports management and past roles. Golf Monthly says he once managed Hal Sutton at IMG. We assume this added a small amount early in his career.
Investments. The one documented holding is his Starwood stock, a key anchor for Fred Ridley net worth 2026. Competitors credit “strategic investments,” but none names any.
For a different model of a salaried career, see our Ruthie Polinsky net worth profile.
Why Online Estimates Disagree
Two sites say $2 million, and both copy the same shape: a short bio, a vague mention of income and no method. Neither shows a filing. That suggests they may be repeating each other, not measuring anything.
ERI, the one site with a real figure, lists $260,442 for Ridley’s fiscal 2023 Starwood pay, taken from proxy filings. We checked the 2024 proxy ourselves and found $260,011 for 2024, so the two years are close. ERI’s table, however, does not add up to its own headline, so we do not rely on its breakdown.
The deeper reason is simple. The biggest piece of his income, law partnership pay, is not public, and Augusta National discloses nothing. Fred Ridley net worth 2026 should be read as a range for that reason.
For another athlete profile where we separate documented facts from estimates, see our Mia Scott net worth page.
What Could Change Fred Ridley Net Worth 2026 Next?
Three things matter most. Starwood’s stock price moves the value of his shares and the stock part of his board pay. A change in his Foley role, such as moving to a different status, would affect partner income. And any change in his Augusta National role, including retirement from the chairmanship, would change what he earns there, if anything.
Net Worth Comparison
How does Fred Ridley net worth 2026 compare with other leaders in golf? We found no reliable net worth figures for the people closest to his role, so the table compares pay benchmarks instead.
| Benchmark | Reported figure | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Ridley’s Starwood director pay (2024) | $260,011 (SEC proxy) | Cash plus stock for one board seat |
| Standard Starwood director pay | $110,000 cash plus $140,000 stock | What every non-executive director receives |
| Augusta National chairman pay | Not public (FamousPeopleToday says “over $300,000,” unsourced) | A claim, not a record |
| Billy Payne (predecessor as chairman) | Net worth not published | Wikipedia states none |
| Fred Ridley | $3.8M–$13.5M (our estimate) | Estimated net worth, not income |
The table shows why a single board seat pays him more than many people’s full salary, yet far less than his decades of law income. Fred Ridley net worth 2026 depends mostly on the part nobody publishes.
For another athlete profile on the site, see our Truett Hanes net worth page.
Personal Life
Ridley keeps his family private, and it does not change Fred Ridley net worth 2026, so we report only what is public. He is married to Elizabeth “Betsy” Herndon Ridley, a fellow University of Florida graduate, and they have three daughters and two grandchildren, according to Golf Monthly and Wikipedia. We do not publish the names of his children.
They live in Tampa, Florida. We do not publish or look for any address.
Lifestyle & Public Image
His public image is that of an institutional spokesman. He is the face of the Masters at its annual press conference, where he announces the club’s decisions.
He has said he supports golf’s 2024 ball rollback, citing concern that Augusta National could one day reach 8,000 yards, according to Golf Monthly. He has also used his platform for amateur and youth golf, including the Women’s Amateur and Drive, Chip and Putt.
We found no public information on property or luxury purchases, which is another reason Fred Ridley net worth 2026 includes no assets we cannot verify.
For another profile where one early athletic dream gave way to a different career, see our Jeffrey Dean Morgan net worth profile.
People Also Ask
What is Fred Ridley’s net worth?
Fred Ridley net worth 2026 is estimated at $3.8 million to $13.5 million, with about $7 million as the base case. He has not disclosed his finances, and other sites that say $2 million give no source.
How old is Fred Ridley?
Fred Ridley is 74. He was born August 16, 1952, in Lakeland, Florida, according to Wikipedia.
How much does the Augusta National chairman make?
No one outside the club knows. Augusta National is a private, for-profit corporation that does not disclose its finances, and a “$300,000” figure on one site has no source.
Is Fred Ridley still a lawyer?
Foley & Lardner’s website lists him as a partner in Tampa. He is a former national chair of the firm’s real estate practice.
What is Fred Ridley’s job besides Augusta National?
He is a partner at Foley & Lardner and has been an independent director of Starwood Property Trust since September 2018.
How much does Fred Ridley make from Starwood Property Trust?
Starwood’s 2025 proxy statement shows $260,011 for 2024, including $120,000 in cash and $140,011 in restricted stock.
Did Fred Ridley win the U.S. Amateur?
Yes. He won the 1975 U.S. Amateur at the Country Club of Virginia, beating Keith Fergus in the final. He is the last U.S. Amateur champion who never turned professional.
When did Fred Ridley become Augusta National chairman?
He was announced as Billy Payne’s successor in August 2017 and took over on October 16, 2017.
Who is Fred Ridley married to?
He is married to Elizabeth “Betsy” Herndon Ridley. They have three daughters and live in Tampa.
What did Fred Ridley announce before the 2026 Masters?
On April 8, 2026, he said Tiger Woods would not play and discussed the renovated Patch and the Loop, the TGR Learning Lab and the 91-player field.
Is Fred Ridley net worth 2026 higher than $2 million?
Probably. Starwood stock alone is worth about $900,000 at the 2024 grant price, and decades of law income would likely add much more. The $2 million figure on other sites has no source.
How was Fred Ridley net worth 2026 calculated?
We added his estimated pre-tax earnings from law, board fees and other roles, then assumed he keeps 40% to 55%. The result is a range, not an audited figure.
Related Net Worth Profiles
Every profile on Snoopstats separates what is documented from what is estimated. The Fred Ridley net worth 2026 profile shows why: other websites quote a flat number with no method, so we show our reasoning and label each assumption.
For more fact-checked, sourced profiles of business figures, athletes and public figures, visit Snoopstats.
