Barry Sternlicht and John Collison represent two very different paths to extraordinary business success. Sternlicht built his fortune through real estate, investment management and hospitality, while Collison helped transform online payments through Stripe. Sternlicht is the older and more established entrepreneur, with decades of experience behind Starwood Capital and major hotel brands. Collison reached billionaire status much earlier through technology and fintech. Their careers differ dramatically, but both built businesses around spotting opportunities early and scaling them internationally.
Barry Sternlicht and John Collison, Quick Bio
| Category | Barry Sternlicht | John Collison |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Barry Stuart Sternlicht | John Collison |
| Date of Birth | November 27, 1960 | August 1990 |
| Birth Place | New York City, United States | Limerick, Ireland |
| Age | 65 years (2026) | 36 years (2026) |
| Net Worth | Approximately $3.1 billion (2026 estimate) | Approximately $17.5 billion (2026 estimate) |
| Nationality | American | Irish |
| Profession | Businessman, real estate investor, entrepreneur and hotel executive | Entrepreneur, programmer and technology executive |
| Famous For | Founding Starwood Capital Group and creating W Hotels | Co-founding Stripe with Patrick Collison |
| Parents | Maurycy Sternlicht and Harriet Sternlicht | Denis Collison and Lily Collison |
| Siblings | Two brothers | Patrick Collison and Tommy Collison |
| Education | Brown University; Harvard Business School | Castletroy College; Harvard University |
| Height | Around 5 ft 10 in (178 cm), estimated | Around 5 ft 10 in (178 cm), estimated |
| Weight | Around 75–80 kg, estimated | Around 70–75 kg, estimated |
| Hair Color | Gray/white | Dark brown, reported |
| Eye Color | Brown, reported | Blue/green, reported |
| Marital Status | Divorced | Private; marriage not publicly confirmed |
| Children | 3 | Not publicly confirmed |
| Main Company | Starwood Capital Group | Stripe |
| Current Position | Chairman & CEO, Starwood Capital Group and Starwood Property Trust | President and Co-founder, Stripe |
| Major Business Field | Real estate, private equity, hospitality and finance | Fintech, online payments and financial technology |
| Major Achievement | Built Starwood Capital into a major global real estate investment platform and created W Hotels | Built Stripe into one of the world’s most valuable private fintech companies |
| Business Founded | Starwood Capital Group — 1991 | Stripe — 2010 |
| Hotel/Technology Legacy | W Hotels, St. Regis expansion, 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels and Treehouse Hotels | Stripe payments infrastructure and financial technology services |
| Career Background | Real estate investment, hotel development and financial services | Programming, software startups, fintech and entrepreneurship |
| Notable Earlier Venture | Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide | Auctomatic |
| Early Business Success | Founded Starwood Capital with Bob Faith after working in real estate | Auctomatic was acquired in 2008 for about $5 million |
| Hobbies/Interests | Real estate, hotel design, architecture, arts and consumer trends | Technology, programming, aviation, flying, reading and entrepreneurship |
| Social Media Presence | Public professional/business presence | Public professional presence; personal Instagram is not strongly established |
| Residence | Miami, Florida | United States; exact private residence not emphasized publicly |
| Company Scale | Starwood Capital manages roughly $125–130 billion in assets | Stripe was privately valued at roughly $159 billion in 2026 |
| Major Board Roles | Estée Lauder Companies and Real Estate Roundtable, among others | Primarily focused on Stripe and technology entrepreneurship |
| Leadership Style | Investment-driven, consumer-focused and entrepreneurial | Technology-focused, analytical and business-oriented |
| Career Strength | Real estate investing and hospitality | Fintech and technology entrepreneurship |
| Global Impact | Helped reshape modern hotel design and large-scale real estate investing | Helped simplify online payments for businesses worldwide |
| Estimated Wealth Source | Private equity, real estate and hospitality | Stripe ownership and technology entrepreneurship |
| Overall Career | Decades-long career in real estate and hospitality | Rapid rise from teenage entrepreneur to global fintech billionaire |
Barry Sternlicht and John Collison Images
