Melanie Perkins

Melanie Perkins

Melanie Perkins (#502)

If the whole thing was about building wealth, that would be the most uninspiring thing I could possibly imagine.

  • $ 8 B
  • Software
  • Australia
  • F
  • 39 Years

About Me

Melanie Perkins is cofounder and CEO of design software maker Canva, which was valued by private investors at $42 billion in August 2025. Canva was launched in 2013 by Perkins, now-husband Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams in Sydney, Australia, but was met by investor skepticism due to its location. Like Obrecht, Perkins owns an estimated 18% stake. The couple has pledged to transfer more than 80% of their stake to the Canva Foundation for charitable causes. Defying the doubts, Canva has attracted 240 million monthly users to its freemium software, with 6 million teams from companies like Zoom paying for it. Canva's software enables the creation of attractive visuals for menus, resumes and Instagram graphics.
About Images

Achievements

Career Highlights

A snapshot of the defining milestones, leadership decisions, and breakthroughs that shaped Melanie Perkins’s rise and global influence.

  • #498   Billionaires (2026)
  • #93   Power Women (2025)
  • #13   World's Richest Self-Made Women (2025)
  •   30 Under 30 - Hall of Fame (2022)
  •   30 Under 30 - Asia - Enterprise Technology (2016)

Wealth Growth

Net Worth Growth Over Time

Tracking Melanie Perkins’s net worth journey over the years, highlighting key growth phases and financial milestones.

Current Net Worth: $7.6B (May 4, 2026)