{{Short description|Annual ranking of dealmakers in technology by Forbes magazine}} The '''''Forbes'' Midas list''' is the annual ranking by ''Forbes'' magazine of the most influential and best-performing venture capital investors. Described by Kara Swisher as the "Oscars for venture capitalists in tech,"<ref>{{cite web|title=Accel's Breyer Leads Forbes Midas List of Top Tech Investors Again, While Kleiner's Doerr Leads in Media Scrutiny|url=https://allthingsd.com/20130508/accels-breyer-leads-forbes-midas-list-of-top-tech-investors-again-while-kleiners-doerr-leads-in-media-scrutiny/|last=Swisher|first=Kara|access-date=May 14, 2026|website=AllThingsD|language=en-US|date=}}</ref> the Midas List uses parameters that include the first-day market capitalization of IPOs and the opinions of a panel of experts.<ref name=fortune>{{cite news|last=Primack|first=Dan|title=Nitpicking the Forbes Midas List|url=http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/04/06/nitpicking-the-forbes-midas-list/|work=Fortune|date=April 6, 2011|access-date=August 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130123753/http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/04/06/nitpicking-the-forbes-midas-list/|archive-date=January 30, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The name alludes to the mythological King Midas, renowned for his ability to turn anything he touched into gold. ''Forbes'' partnered with venture capital fund TrueBridge Capital Partners to create the list from 2011 to 2016.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite magazine|date=April 6, 2011|url=https://www.forbes.com/2011/04/05/midas-list-methodology.html|magazine=Forbes|last=Perlroth|first=Nicole|title=Midas: The Methodology}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated5>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2012/05/02/midas-2012-the-methodology/|magazine=Forbes|last=Geron|first=Tomio|title=Midas 2012: The Methodology - Forbes|date=May 2, 2012}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated6>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2013/05/08/midas-list-2013-the-methodology/|magazine=Forbes|last=Geron|first=Tomio|title=Midas 2013: The Methodology - Forbes|date=May 8, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Konrad|first=Alex|date=March 23, 2013|title=The Top 10 Venture Capital Investors In The World: Midas List 2016|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2016/03/23/the-midas-list-top-investors-in-2016/#2d9b016839a5|magazine=Forbes}}</ref>
==History== The inaugural Midas List was published in the February 19, 2001 issue of ''Forbes''. The print issue featured the top 50 names while the full list of 100 names was posted exclusively online. Carleen Hawn was the editor of the list and five staffers were credited as producers.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=February 19, 2004|title=The Midas List: Tech's Best Venture Investors|url=https://archive.org/details/forbes167janforb/page/n753/mode/2up|magazine=Forbes|page=88|volume=167|issue=4}}</ref>
== Midas List Top 10, 2026== According to ''Forbes'', the top 10 venture capitalists in 2026 are as follows:<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Forbes 2026 Midas List - The Top Venture Capital Investors Ranked|url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/midas/|date=May 27, 2026|magazine=Forbes}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" !Rank !Name !Firm !Notable Deal !Headquarters |- |1 |Vinod Khosla |Khosla Ventures |OpenAI |Portola Valley, California |- |2 |Neil Shen |HSG |ByteDance |Hong Kong, China |- |3 |Eric Vishria |Benchmark Capital |Cerebras |Atherton, California |- |4 |Gili Raanan |Cyberstarts |Wiz |Michmoret, Israel |- |5 |Peter Thiel |Founders Fund |SpaceX |Los Angeles, California |- |6 |Elad Gil |Gil Capital |OpenAI |San Francisco, California |- |8 |Trae Stephens |Founders Fund |Anduril |San Francisco, California |- |8 |Douglas Leone |Sequoia Capital |Wiz |Atherton, California |- |9 |Martin Mignot |Index Ventures |Revolut |New York, New York |- |10 |Shardul Shah |Index Ventures |Wiz |New York, New York |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Forbes Magazine Lists}}
Category:Private equity media and publications Category:Lists of 21st-century people Category:Midas List