Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings has made over $500 million on stock options since last year

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings has made over $500 million on stock options since last yearListen(4 min)Listen(4 min)Reed Hastings, the co-founder and chair of streaming giant Netflix, has made about $136 million in 2026, and more than $500 million since the start of last year, by barely lifting a finger — converting stock options into Netflix common shares and simultaneously selling them into the open market.The net effect on the market is the sale of stock. But for Hastings, there’s no change in his ownership stake, as he’s just moving pieces of his portfolio around. And he’s been doing this kind of thing every month, for the past three years.About the AuthorTomi Kilgore is MarketWatch's Managing Editor, Companies, and is based in New York. You can follow him on Twitter @TomiKilgore.A Dow Jones CompanyCopyright © 2026 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved.