If you're searching 'Charles Kim net worth,' the most important thing to know upfront is that there is no single Charles Kim with a widely published, verified wealth figure. The name is common enough that it attaches to several distinct real people across finance, law, and other fields, and most dollar amounts floating around online for any of them lack credible sourcing. The most defensible approach is to identify exactly which Charles Kim you mean, then build a net worth range from verifiable career facts rather than trusting a single headline number.
Charles Kim Net Worth: How to Verify a Reliable Estimate
Marcus Rothwell
30 May 2026
Clarifying which Charles Kim you mean
The name 'Charles Kim' appears dozens of times in public records alone. SEC EDGAR filings, for example, list at least three distinct individuals: 'Choungho (Charles) Kim' as a CFO, 'Charles S. Kim' in an exhibit, and 'Charles Kim' named as a co-founder and vice president of Biremis Corporation in a 2012 SEC enforcement action (Release No. 34-68456). These are different people, and mixing them up produces wildly wrong net worth estimates.
The variant search 'Charles M. Kim net worth' adds a middle initial, which narrows things somewhat. The most prominent public match for 'Charles M. Kim' in a financial context is the co-founder of Alpine Global Management, a New York-based investment firm. Owler's company profile explicitly identifies 'Charles M Kim' as co-founder of Alpine Global, and BusinessWire reported in 2023 that Charles Kim and co-founder Uriel Cohen stepped back from day-to-day management at the firm. A separate 'Charles M Kim' also appears as the chairman and president of the nonprofit 'Charles M Kim Vi Foundation Inc' (EIN 66-1037965) according to ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer, though that entity had total assets of just $33,697 and net assets of negative $10,875 as of its FY 2023 Form 990-PF filing.
Before you go any further, pin down which Charles Kim you're researching by matching at least two of these context cues: industry (finance, law, entertainment, nonprofit), geography (New York, Toronto, etc.), notable roles or affiliations, and middle initial. If you're looking for the Alpine Global co-founder, 'Charles M. Kim, Alpine Global Management, New York' is the right search string to use consistently.
What 'net worth' actually includes and excludes
Net worth is total assets minus total liabilities. That sounds simple, but the definition shifts depending on who's calculating it. Fidelity's standard definition includes home value among assets, then subtracts mortgages and other debts. Investopedia uses the same structure for individuals. Forbes, when building its Forbes 400 list, explicitly deducts debt and makes valuation adjustments for private and venture-backed companies. Bloomberg's Billionaires Index handles closely held companies differently depending on whether net debt can be determined, and documents its methodology in individual profile notes.
What this means practically: a $50 million 'net worth' estimate from one source might include primary home equity and pre-tax investment value, while another source strips those out or applies a discount for illiquid private equity stakes. For someone like Charles M. Kim of Alpine Global, whose wealth would be primarily tied to a private investment management firm, the valuation methodology matters enormously. Private firm equity is notoriously hard to value without AUM figures, management fee economics, and any disclosed ownership percentage.
How to find the most reliable estimate today
As of May 2026, there is no publicly confirmed net worth figure for Charles M. Kim of Alpine Global Management from a primary source (court filing, regulatory disclosure, or credible investigative report). If you're specifically looking for Choo-Choo Charles net worth figures, the same rule applies: prioritize documented sources and disambiguate what you're actually being shown. Sites that publish a specific dollar amount without citing a documented transaction, SEC filing, or verified salary/compensation record are almost certainly estimating or fabricating the number. This isn't a general warning: content specifically covering the Alpine Global Charles Kim has flagged this exact problem, noting that unsupported figures should be treated skeptically.
The most reliable starting points for a real estimate are: SEC filings (EDGAR) for any registered investment adviser disclosures, Form ADV filings for Alpine Global Management (which may show AUM and firm structure without personal net worth), court records if any litigation involved financial disclosures, and credible financial journalism from outlets like Bloomberg, Reuters, or the Financial Times that covered Alpine Global's fund performance or leadership transition.
- Search SEC EDGAR for 'Alpine Global Management' Form ADV filings to find AUM, ownership structure, and any disclosed compensation arrangements.
- Search ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer for 'Charles M Kim' to cross-reference any foundation or nonprofit activity that might surface related financial disclosures.
- Search Bloomberg and Reuters archives for 'Charles Kim Alpine Global' to find any reported fund performance or deal coverage that implies firm valuation.
- Check BusinessWire and PR Newswire for press releases tied to Alpine Global that mention leadership roles, fund launches, or investor announcements.
- Search PACER (federal court records) for any litigation involving Charles Kim or Alpine Global that might include financial affidavits or settlement terms.
Key earnings drivers worth verifying
For a private equity or alternative investment fund co-founder like Charles M. Kim, wealth accumulates through a few distinct channels. Understanding these helps you build a rational estimate even without a published number.
- Management fees: Typically 1-2% of assets under management annually. If Alpine Global managed, say, $1 billion AUM, that's $10-20 million in gross fee revenue per year before expenses and splits.
- Carried interest: The industry standard 20% profit share on fund returns above a hurdle rate. On a successful fund, this can dwarf management fees and represents the primary wealth-building mechanism for fund managers.
- Co-investment returns: General partners often invest their own capital alongside limited partners, generating direct investment gains.
- Ownership stake in the management company itself: If Alpine Global was sold or recapitalized, any equity stake would generate a lump-sum liquidity event.
- Salary and bonuses: Less relevant for co-founders of self-owned firms, but relevant if the firm had external investors or institutional backing with formal compensation structures.
The 2023 leadership transition reported by BusinessWire, in which Kim and co-founder Uriel Cohen stepped back from day-to-day management, is a significant data point. Transitions like this sometimes involve equity buyouts, distributions of accumulated carried interest, or negotiated separation packages. If any regulatory or court filings accompanied that transition, they could surface financial details not otherwise public.
A timeline of wealth milestones to anchor your research
Building a rough timeline helps you identify when major wealth-building events likely occurred and what gaps remain in the public record.
| Period | Event | Financial Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Alpine founding | Charles M. Kim's career in finance prior to co-founding Alpine Global | Establishes baseline wealth; prior employer, compensation history, and exits largely unknown without public record |
| Alpine Global founding (date not publicly confirmed) | Kim co-founds Alpine Global Management in New York with Uriel Cohen | Ownership stake established; fund launches would determine AUM trajectory and carried interest potential |
| Fund performance years | Alpine Global operates and (presumably) raises successive funds | Management fees and carried interest accumulate; no public AUM figure confirmed as of 2026 |
| 2023 | Kim and Cohen step back from day-to-day management per BusinessWire report | Potential equity liquidity event, distribution of accumulated earnings, or structured succession; details not publicly disclosed |
| FY 2023 | Charles M Kim Vi Foundation Inc files Form 990-PF showing $33,697 in assets and negative net assets | Suggests a small, early-stage or winding-down personal foundation; not a reliable indicator of personal wealth |
| 2012 (different Charles Kim) | SEC bars Charles Kim (co-founder, Biremis Corp.) from U.S. securities industry; $500,000 combined settlement with co-respondent | Relevant only if reader is researching the Biremis Charles Kim; completely unrelated to Alpine Global's Charles M. Kim |
The 2012 SEC action is worth calling out explicitly because it's a high-profile result that will appear in search results for 'Charles Kim finance.' That case involves a Toronto-based broker-dealer and a different individual entirely. Conflating the two is an easy mistake that produces seriously misleading conclusions about the Alpine Global co-founder.
How to cross-check sources and spot outdated or inflated numbers
Most net worth numbers you'll find for relatively private individuals like Charles M. Kim fall into one of three categories: genuinely researched estimates based on verifiable data, algorithmic guesses generated by celebrity wealth aggregator sites, or copied figures that started as one site's guess and spread across dozens of others. The third category is the most dangerous because it looks like consensus when it's actually one bad number repeated.
- Ask what the source cites. A net worth figure should link back to a specific filing, contract, transaction, or credible reporting. If the page just states a number, treat it as unverified.
- Check the date. Alpine Global's management transition in 2023 likely changed Kim's financial picture significantly. Any estimate predating that event may be stale.
- Look for internal consistency. If a site claims a $X million net worth but Alpine Global's disclosed AUM (if available) doesn't support that scale of carried interest or management fee income, the number is suspect.
- Check multiple independent sources, not multiple pages that all reference each other. Cross-referencing five aggregator sites that pulled from the same original guess adds no verification value.
- Watch for identity confusion. Confirm the source is writing about the Alpine Global co-founder, not the Biremis Charles Kim, the Choungho (Charles) Kim CFO, Charles S. Kim, or another individual.
Presenting a defensible net worth range and what to do next
Based on all publicly available information as of May 2026, there is no confirmed net worth figure for Charles M. Kim of Alpine Global Management. What can be stated defensibly is a range built from structural reasoning: co-founders of mid-sized alternative investment management firms with multi-year track records typically accumulate net worth in the range of $10 million to $100 million or more, depending heavily on fund performance, AUM size, and whether any liquidity events have occurred. Without confirmed AUM data for Alpine Global or disclosed terms of the 2023 leadership transition, a tighter range is not supportable without speculation.
If you need a working estimate for a specific purpose (journalistic research, competitive intelligence, or general curiosity), the honest answer is: unknown, with a plausible floor in the low tens of millions based on career trajectory and industry norms, and no confirmed ceiling. That's less satisfying than a single number, but it's accurate. This same approach is also the best way to evaluate claims about Charles Hoogland net worth.
Here are practical next steps depending on what you need:
- For the most current estimate: Set a Google Alert for 'Charles Kim Alpine Global' and 'Alpine Global Management' to catch any new reporting, fund announcements, or filings that surface financial details.
- For regulatory data: Pull Alpine Global Management's Form ADV directly from the SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database (IAPD) to find AUM, firm ownership structure, and any disclosed financial industry affiliations.
- For nonprofit disclosures: Revisit ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer periodically for updated Form 990-PF filings from the Charles M Kim Vi Foundation Inc, which may show asset changes over time.
- For litigation history: Run a PACER search on 'Charles Kim' with Alpine Global as a filter to check for any civil or regulatory cases that might include financial affidavits.
- If the figure you find online has no citation: Discard it or label it explicitly as unverified. Using an uncited number as if it's confirmed is the most common mistake readers make with private finance figures.
It's worth noting that this kind of research challenge isn't unique to Charles Kim. Other financial figures with common names, like Charles Chi or Charles Ho, present similar disambiguation problems where search results blend multiple individuals and unreliable aggregator figures. If you meant Charles Chi, you can apply the same approach to evaluate Charles Chi net worth using verifiable career and compensation details instead of a single headline figure. The methodology here, which starts with identity confirmation, then moves to verifiable income sources, then builds a range rather than accepting a single number, applies equally to any of them.
FAQ
How can I tell if a “Charles Kim net worth” page is talking about the same person I mean?
Check for at least two hard identifiers together, like the company affiliation (for example Alpine Global), location, and a matching middle initial, then confirm the individual appears in the same role in a primary source (SEC filing, Form ADV, court docket, or credible reporting). If the page only uses the name and a dollar figure without matching job history details, treat it as unverified.
Do net worth estimates for private investment founders usually include carried interest and equity incentives?
Often they do not transparently. Many estimates assume simplified asset values, but carried interest depends on fund terms, vesting or performance hurdles, and whether distributions occurred. A good verification step is to look for any disclosed ownership percentage, incentive compensation disclosures, or regulatory filings around employment or separation, then adjust the estimate for timing and liquidity.
What’s the biggest mistake people make when using “Forbes” or “Bloomberg” style net worth numbers for someone not publicly listed?
They assume the same valuation logic applies. For privately held stakes, some platforms apply discounts, others use indirect proxies like AUM and fee economics, and some leave the number unreported when valuation inputs are missing. If there is no note about methodology for the specific person and ownership structure, do not treat the number as directly comparable to public-company net worth.
If I find AUM figures for Alpine Global, can I convert them into a reliable net worth range for Charles Kim?
Only as a rough starting point. AUM can help estimate potential fee revenue, but net worth depends on ownership share, fund leverage or co-invest positions, management expenses, tax treatment, and realized gains versus unrealized holdings. A practical approach is to build a band of plausible ownership and realized liquidity events, then widen the net worth range accordingly.
Why do two “Charles M. Kim net worth” estimates differ by tens of millions?
Common reasons include different definitions of assets and debt, inclusion or exclusion of the primary residence, and different assumptions about the value of illiquid private equity holdings. Another cause is identity mixing, where one estimate uses the CFO or co-founder from a separate record. Always compare whether both sources disclose their valuation method and whether they match the same employment timeline.
What primary documents should I prioritize for a private finance executive with no confirmed public net worth?
Start with SEC EDGAR if the person or their firm is tied to an investment adviser, look for Form ADV and related adviser filings, then check court records if there was litigation, and finally use reputable financial journalism that describes leadership changes or compensation. If you cannot link any of these to the individual you mean, you are likely dealing with an estimate unsupported by primary data.
How should I treat “net worth” claims that mention specific life details like houses or luxury assets?
Be skeptical unless you can connect the asset claim to a documentable transaction, like a recorded property sale, a verified bankruptcy filing, or a credible investigative report with documentation. Vivid lifestyle details are often used to make an estimate feel precise, but they do not prove ownership percentage or liquidity, which are what matter most for net worth.
Can a negative or small nonprofit “net assets” balance tell me anything about the donor’s wealth?
Not reliably. Nonprofit net assets reflect the nonprofit’s financial position, not the individual’s personal wealth. A nonprofit can have low or negative net assets while the associated individual has substantial private assets. Use nonprofit records only to confirm identity and role, not as a substitute for personal asset valuation.
If I need a working estimate for research, what’s a defensible way to present it?
State an “unknown” confirmed figure and provide a range with assumptions. Clearly explain what you anchored to, such as career stage, typical industry co-founder ranges, and any evidence of liquidity events (like a documented leadership transition). Avoid presenting a single number as fact, and note what key data is missing (for example, ownership %, AUM linkage, and realized distributions).
Where do copied net worth numbers usually originate, and how can I detect it?
They often originate from one initial aggregator or blog post, then get replicated across multiple sites without new sourcing. Detect copying by comparing phrasing and the exact same dollar amount, especially if multiple pages share the same unsupported “method” or identical wording around valuation. If there is no unique primary source referenced on the later pages, treat it as propagated speculation.
Citations
BusinessWire reports that Uriel Cohen and Charles Kim (Alpine Global Management co-founders) stepped back from day-to-day management in 2023.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230519005062/en/Alpine-Global-Management-Announces-Industry-Veterans-as-Co-CIOs
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer shows a nonprofit named “Charles M Kim Vi Foundation Inc” (EIN 66-1037965) with extracted Form 990-PF financials for FY ending Dec. 2023: total assets $33,697; total liabilities $44,572; net assets -$10,875, and lists Charles Kim as Chairman/President with $0 compensation for that filing year.
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/661037965
SEC press release (Dec. 18, 2012) states the SEC revoked the registration of Biremis and imposed permanent industry bars on Peter Beck and Charles Kim, and that they agreed to settle SEC charges including paying a combined $500,000.
https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2012-2012-271htm
The SEC administrative order (Release No. 34-68456, Dec. 18, 2012) is explicitly “In the Matter of Biremis Corporation, Peter Beck, and Charles Kim,” and states Charles Kim is a co-founder and vice president of Biremis (respondent identification).
https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2012/34-68456.pdf
The SEC’s 2012 administrative proceedings index lists a case titled “Biremis Corporation, Peter Beck, and Charles Kim” with Release No. 34-68456 (Dec. 18, 2012).
https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/administrative-proceedings?aId=edit-year&month=All&year=2012
Forbes’ published methodology for the Forbes 400 states (among other details) that it deducts debt when calculating net worth, and excludes certain donated funds; it also describes valuation adjustments for venture-backed/private businesses using secondary market/other data sources.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2025/09/09/2025-forbes-400-methodology-how-we-crunched-the-numbers-in-2025/
Bloomberg Billionaires Index methodology notes that detailed valuation methods for closely held companies appear in profile valuation notes, and describes net worth calculation behaviors (e.g., how closely held debt is handled when net debt cannot be determined).
https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/methodology/
Fidelity defines net worth as total assets (including the value of your home) minus total debts (liabilities such as mortgages and other obligations).
https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/smart-money/net-worth
Investopedia’s explanation of net worth calculation (for individuals/couples) includes home value among assets and subtracts liabilities to arrive at net worth (example format).
https://www.investopedia.readthedocs.io/en/latest/invest/Ch5/Chapter511.html
A site claiming to estimate “Charles Kim (Alpine) net worth” explicitly warns that if a site provides a specific dollar amount without citing a filing/documented transaction, the number is likely estimated or fabricated (i.e., it critiques unsupported estimates).
https://www.charlesfinancialprofile.com/asian-charles-net-worth/charles-kim-alpine-net-worth
Owler’s profile page states “Charles M Kim is the Co-Founder of Alpine Global,” and identifies the firm’s headquarters as New York, New York; this is a non-authoritative third-party identifier but can be a disambiguation cue for “Charles M Kim.”
https://www.owler.com/company/alpineglobal
BusinessWire also provides the “Charles Kim” label in the context of Alpine Global Management (co-founder; named alongside Uriel Cohen) and reports leadership stepping back from day-to-day management.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230519005062/en/Alpine-Global-Management-Announces-Industry-Veterans-as-Co-CIOs
SEC EDGAR filing snippet shows “Choungho (Charles) Kim” as CFO (name differs from “Charles M. Kim,” but demonstrates how many distinct “Charles Kim” individuals appear in SEC records, increasing name-confusion risk).
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1575051/000110465914010660/a14-5613_1sc13da.htm
SEC EDGAR exhibits can include individual names like “Charles S. Kim,” illustrating that “Charles Kim” net-worth search queries could match many different people depending on middle initials and context.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0002104204/000119312526151891/d39680dex51.htm
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