Indian-American entrepreneur Ankur Jain has emerged as one of the biggest wealth gainers in New York, according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2026. The report shows that 36-year-old Jain’s net worth has increased by 217 percent in the last year, mainly due to the growth of his housing startup that focuses on tackling high rents in the United States.According to Forbes, as of March 6, 2026, his real-time net worth is estimated at $3.4 billion, ranking him 1230th on the global rich list.Jain is the founder and chief executive of Built Rewards, a company that allows renters to earn loyalty points on their monthly rent payments. The idea targets a long-standing gap in the U.S. housing market, where rent, often the largest monthly expense for many families, typically doesn’t offer the same financial rewards as purchasing with a credit card.The company partners with landlords and property owners to allow tenants to earn points as they pay rent, which can be used toward travel, shopping, and even home purchases. The concept quickly gained popularity in major American cities, where high rents and large numbers of tenants have created a large market for such services.The Hurun Global Rich List 2026 noted Jain as one of the fastest rising billionaires in New York following a sharp rise in the valuation of Built Rewards. This growth significantly increased his wealth within a year and made him among the notable new wealth creators in the technology and fintech sectors.Jain’s journey in the startup world started long before Built Rewards. He founded Kairos, a venture studio that helps launch and support new companies focused on solving big social and economic problems. Through Kairos, Jain has worked on several projects related to housing, healthcare and technology.The idea behind Built Rewards came from Jain observing the financial pressures tenants face in cities across the United States. In markets like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, rents have increased significantly over the past decade, making housing one of the biggest expenses for many residents. Jain saw an opportunity to build a financial platform around those payments.By allowing tenants to earn profits from rent payments, the company aims to give tenants some financial return on an expense that would traditionally yield nothing. The model has attracted partnerships with major property owners and expanded its presence into several apartment buildings in the United States.The Hurun Report, which tracks the wealth of the world’s richest individuals, noted the rapid rise in Jain’s fortune as one of the standout turnarounds among entrepreneurs in the United States this year. New York remains one of the world’s largest centers for the wealth of billionaires, and the surge in Jain’s net worth reflects that of one of the city’s tech and startup founders.Ankur Jain’s father Naveen Jain is a former Microsoft executive. He founded the search company Infospace and briefly became a billionaire in 2000 when the company’s shares reached their peak.