Melanie Perkins was rejected by investors more times than she can count before anyone would bet on her idea that design should be easy for everyone. Today that idea is Canva, the design platform used by hundreds of millions of people – and it has made her one of the richest self-made women on the planet. So how much is she worth in 2026? Here is a closer look at her fortune, the company behind it and the unlikely path that got her there.
What is Melanie Perkins’s net worth in 2026?
Melanie Perkins’s net worth is estimated at $6 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth’s current estimate. As with every profile here, that is an informed estimate rather than a verified bank balance. Nearly all of her wealth comes from her stake in Canva, the graphic design platform she co-founded and still runs as CEO. When Canva’s valuation peaked at $40 billion in late 2021, Perkins became one of the richest people in Australia and one of the richest women in the world; the company’s valuation has retreated somewhat since, and her estimated fortune has moved with it.
Early life and background
Melanie Perkins was born in 1987 in Perth, Western Australia, to a teacher and an engineer; her father gave her Malaysian, Filipino and Sri Lankan roots. As a teenager at Sacred Heart College in the suburb of Sorrento, she trained before dawn chasing a dream of professional figure skating, and at 14 she started her first business, selling handmade scarves around Perth. At the University of Western Australia she studied communications, psychology and commerce while tutoring other students in graphic design. Watching beginners wrestle with complicated professional software convinced her that design tools should be simple – and she dropped out to build that idea.
Career timeline
- 1987: Born in Perth, Western Australia.
- 2001: At 14, starts her first business selling handmade scarves.
- 2007: Co-founds Fusion Books with Cliff Obrecht, software that lets students design their own school yearbooks. Within five years it becomes the largest yearbook company in Australia and expands to France and New Zealand.
- January 1, 2013: Co-founds Canva with Obrecht and Cameron Adams, on the belief that graphic design should be accessible to everyone. The freemium platform passes 750,000 users in its first year.
- 2018: After raising $40 million, Canva is valued at $1 billion, making Perkins one of the youngest female CEOs of a billion-dollar tech startup.
- 2019-2021: Canva acquires Pixabay, Pexels, Smartmockups and Flourish, later adding software maker Serif, and keeps raising hundreds of millions of dollars as its valuation climbs.
- Late 2021: Canva’s valuation peaks at $40 billion.
- 2026: Canva counts upwards of 220 million users in more than 100 languages, and Perkins remains its CEO.
How Canva made her a billionaire
Canva runs on a freemium model: anyone can design for free, and paying subscribers unlock premium tools, templates and brand kits. That formula turned a Perth startup into one of the world’s most valuable private software companies. Perkins’s fortune is almost entirely her equity in the business, which is why her estimated net worth rose and fell with the company’s valuation – from the $1 billion mark that first made her a paper billionaire in 2018 to the $40 billion peak of 2021 and the cooler market that followed. Her story sits alongside Sara Blakely’s Spanx fortune as proof that the biggest business empires often start with one frustrated customer – in Blakely’s case herself, in Perkins’s case every design student she ever tutored.
The kite-surfing networker
One of the more unusual chapters in the Canva story is how Perkins raised money: she took up kite surfing after learning it was a good way to meet venture capitalists. She became a regular on kite-surfing outings with investor Bill Tai, whose backing and introductions played an integral role in Canva’s early growth. It is a very different route to the top from the corporate climb of Tim Cook at Apple, but it got the same result – the corner office of a company that changed how the world works.
Personal life
In 2019, Perkins got engaged to her Canva co-founder Cliff Obrecht, who proposed with a $30 ring while the couple was on vacation in Turkey. They married on Rottnest Island, off the Perth coast, in early 2021. Later that year the couple joined the Giving Pledge, the commitment created by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, promising to donate the majority of their fortune to philanthropic causes. Away from work she still kite surfs, and she credits a trip to India as life-changing.
Melanie Perkins interview
FAQs
What is Melanie Perkins’s net worth in 2026?
Her net worth is estimated at around $6 billion, according to Celebrity Net Worth’s current estimate, almost entirely from her stake in Canva.
Who is Melanie Perkins’s husband?
Cliff Obrecht, her Canva co-founder. He proposed with a $30 ring in Turkey in 2019, and they married on Rottnest Island in early 2021.
How much is Canva worth?
Canva’s valuation peaked at $40 billion in late 2021 and has retreated somewhat since, while the company has grown to more than 220 million users in over 100 languages.
Who founded Canva?
Melanie Perkins co-founded Canva on January 1, 2013, with Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams. She serves as CEO.
How old is Melanie Perkins?
She was born in 1987, making her around 39 years old in 2026.
About the Author
Jason Liam writes about celebrity net worth on Frotheen. He loves exploring the stories behind the fortunes: the career breakthroughs, businesses and endorsements that helped famous names build their wealth. His favorite part is looking beyond the headline number to tell the story of how the money was made.
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