Charles Woodburn, the CEO of BAE Systems since July 2017, has an estimated net worth in the range of $10 million to $15 million as of mid-2026, based on disclosed shareholdings, executive pay packages, and third-party insider-tracking data. MarketScreener puts the figure at $13 million as of May 30, 2026, which is the most specific public estimate available and sits comfortably within what you'd expect for a long-tenured FTSE 100 CEO with significant equity awards. Confidence level: moderate. The number is well-grounded in disclosed BAE Systems annual report data, but private assets, liabilities, and off-market holdings are unknown.
Charles Woodburn Net Worth: Estimate, Disambiguation, and How to Verify
Marcus Rothwell
3 Jul 2026
First, make sure you have the right Charles
If you searched 'Charles Woodburn net worth' or 'Charles R Wood net worth,' you could be looking at two entirely different people. The most prominent Charles Woodburn in public life today is Dr. Charles Nicholas Woodburn, born March 11, 1971, a British engineer and businessman who has led BAE Systems as Chief Executive since July 2017. Before that, he was Chief Executive of Expro Group and held senior operational roles at Schlumberger. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and has been publicly listed as a director in BAE Systems' annual reports, UK charity commission filings, and Modern Slavery Act governance documents. This is almost certainly who you're looking for. If you're specifically looking for Charles Woodburn's net worth, the rest of this guide explains the most reliable estimates and why different sites vary.
The 'Charles R Wood' variant is where things get murkier. There is a well-documented Charles R. Wood who was a philanthropist and businessman connected to the Great Escape Theme Park in Lake George, New York. His legacy lives on through the Charles R Wood Foundation, which as of the fiscal year ending December 2024 holds net assets of $45,739,061 and generated revenue of $5,477,409 (per IRS Form 990-PF data on ProPublica). That foundation figure does not represent a living individual's personal net worth. It is a nonprofit endowment. And court records show additional 'Charles R.' name collisions in unrelated legal contexts, none of which connect to the BAE Systems executive.
The fastest way to confirm you have the right person: check whether the Charles Woodburn you're researching is tied to BAE Systems, Expro Group, or Schlumberger. If the answer is yes, you're in the right place. If the connection is to New York tourism, theme parks, or a philanthropic foundation, that's a different individual entirely.
What we can actually verify about Charles Woodburn
Charles Woodburn has a substantial paper trail for a private individual. His identity is confirmed through multiple authoritative sources: BAE Systems' official website and annual reports (2024 and 2025), the Royal Academy of Engineering's fellow profile, UK charity commission governance filings listing him as chair of a specific charity, and the UK Modern Slavery Act response registry. He is also named and quoted in BAE Systems' FY2025 full-year results communications, confirming he remained in the CEO role as of early 2026.
On the assets side, what's publicly verifiable is his BAE Systems shareholding. The 2025 Annual Report (with data current to February 15, 2026, the latest practicable date for inclusion) discloses his beneficial shareholdings in the company. The Annual Report 2025 disclosure is the basis for Charles Woodburn’s beneficial shareholding at the latest practicable date for inclusion (15 Feb 2026) and notes small subsequent acquisitions via the all-employee Share Incentive Plan beneficial shareholdings at the latest practicable date for inclusion (15 Feb 2026). He also participates in BAE Systems' all-employee Share Incentive Plan, with confirmed purchases of additional shares as recently as February 16, 2026, per Sharecast's director-deals feed. Beyond BAE Systems equity, the specifics of any private investments, property holdings, pension entitlements, or other assets are not in the public domain.
The best net worth estimate and what confidence to assign it
MarketScreener's insider profile for Charles Woodburn shows a net worth of $13 million as of May 30, 2026. A broader view of his finances is often summarized as Charles Wellesley net worth, though details can vary by source and methodology. GuruFocus, which derives its figures strictly from SEC-equivalent insider shareholding disclosures, estimates 'at least $771,310' as of July 1, 2026. GuruFocus, which bases its estimates on SEC-derived insider shareholding and transactions, puts Charles Woodburn’s net worth at “at least $771,310” as of 2026-07-01. That GuruFocus figure is explicitly a floor based only on tracked listed stock holdings and should not be read as a total net worth. The MarketScreener $13 million figure incorporates a broader methodology, though that methodology is not publicly explained in detail.
Taking both figures together alongside what we know about his salary trajectory, share award history, and tenure, a range of $10 million to $15 million is defensible for mid-2026. The lower end accounts for taxes, liquidity constraints on restricted share awards, and the possibility that some disclosed awards have not yet fully vested. The upper end reflects that a CEO of a major global defense contractor with nearly a decade in the role, multiple share incentive plans, and documented pay increases accumulates meaningful equity. Call the confidence level moderate: the floor is well-evidenced, but the ceiling is genuinely uncertain without private asset disclosures.
| Source | Estimate | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| MarketScreener (May 30, 2026) | $13 million | Insider profile methodology (not fully disclosed) | Moderate |
| GuruFocus (July 1, 2026) | At least $771,310 | SEC-derived listed shareholdings only (floor estimate) | Low as a total — useful as floor |
| Editorial range (this analysis) | $10M–$15M | Salary history, disclosed BAE equity, career tenure | Moderate |
How his wealth likely built up over time
Charles Woodburn's career arc is the kind that builds wealth steadily rather than through a single windfall event. His early years at Schlumberger gave him exposure to senior engineering and operational roles in the oil services industry, a sector known for competitive executive compensation. Moving to Expro Group as CEO gave him a C-suite equity stake in a private energy services company. Both of those phases likely contributed meaningful savings and investment capital before he ever joined BAE Systems.
The BAE Systems chapter is where the documented numbers get interesting. He joined as Chief Operating Officer and was appointed CEO in July 2017. By 2019 and into the early 2020s, Sky News reported that BAE Systems increased his base salary by well over £100,000 and awarded an additional 'golden handcuffs' share package worth £2 million specifically to retain him. That retention package alone signals the board's view of how hard he would be to replace, and it deposited a substantial equity block into his holdings.
His ongoing participation in BAE Systems' long-term incentive plans (LTIPs) and the all-employee Share Incentive Plan adds to this incrementally. BAE Systems is a FTSE 100 company with a market capitalization well above £30 billion as of 2026. Even a fractional equity stake, vested over time, compounds meaningfully. Add a base salary that, for FTSE 100 defense CEOs, typically runs in the £1 million to £1.5 million range annually, and the wealth-building math becomes straightforward over nearly a decade.
The income streams most likely contributing to his net worth
- Annual base salary as CEO of BAE Systems (publicly disclosed in annual reports, likely in the £1M+ range as of 2025/2026)
- Annual bonus payments tied to BAE Systems financial and operational performance metrics
- Long-term incentive plan (LTIP) share awards vesting over multi-year periods
- Retention share award (the documented £2M 'golden handcuffs' package)
- All-employee Share Incentive Plan (SIP) contributions (confirmed as recently as February 2026)
- Savings and investments accumulated during prior roles at Expro Group and Schlumberger
- Pension entitlements (BAE Systems discloses pension arrangements for executive directors in annual reports)
Why different net worth sites give you different numbers
Net worth figures for executives like Charles Woodburn vary across sites because each site uses a different methodology and a different slice of available data. GuruFocus, for example, pulls directly from insider ownership filings (the UK equivalent of SEC Form 4 disclosures) and only counts shares that have been publicly reported. That produces a very conservative floor. MarketScreener takes a broader approach that likely incorporates salary estimates, bonus history, and potentially some form of asset modeling, which is why its $13 million figure is higher.
Neither approach captures the full picture. What they consistently miss: property and real estate holdings, private investments or side ventures, pension accumulated value, unvested share awards that haven't yet been counted, tax liabilities that reduce gross figures, and any debt against assets. For a private individual who does not publish a personal balance sheet, the real number could be modestly higher or lower than any single site claims. Treat any specific figure as a best estimate with a margin of error, not a certified account balance.
It's also worth noting that BAE Systems reports in British pounds sterling, while most net worth aggregator sites display figures in US dollars. Exchange rate fluctuations between GBP and USD (which have varied significantly over 2024 and 2025) mean that a figure calculated six months ago in USD could look different today purely due to currency movement, not any actual change in Woodburn's wealth.
The most reliable sources to check right now
If you want to track Charles Woodburn's net worth with the most reliable, up-to-date data, the following sources are your best starting points today.
- BAE Systems Annual Report 2025 (PDF): Contains the official disclosure of his beneficial shareholdings as of February 15, 2026, salary, bonus, LTIP awards, and pension details. This is the primary source for his equity and compensation. Search 'BAE Systems Annual Report 2025 PDF' to find it directly on the BAE Systems investor relations page.
- BAE Systems Investor Relations page: Updated with new annual reports, half-year results, and any regulatory disclosures about director dealings. CEO pay disclosures appear in the remuneration report section of each annual report.
- Sharecast director-deals feed: Tracks individual share purchases and sales by BAE Systems directors in near real-time. You can search Charles Woodburn's name directly to see his most recent transactions, including the February 16, 2026 purchase documented in this research.
- MarketScreener insider profile (Charles Woodburn): Shows the $13 million estimate with a timestamp. Refresh this periodically as share prices and new disclosures update their model.
- GuruFocus insider page (Charles Woodburn): Useful as a floor figure based on verifiable listed holdings. Less useful as a total net worth estimate, but good for tracking specific share transactions.
- UK Companies House: Confirms his directorships and any personally connected company filings if he holds UK company interests outside BAE Systems.
- Royal Academy of Engineering fellow directory: Confirms identity and career history independently of BAE Systems sources.
How to validate the numbers and handle conflicting claims
When you encounter two different net worth figures for Charles Woodburn, the first thing to check is the date. A figure from 2022 will look very different from one calculated in 2026 simply because BAE Systems' share price has moved and additional compensation has accumulated. Always look for a 'last updated' timestamp on any net worth site you consult.
Second, identify what the figure is actually counting. If a site says '$771,310,' that is almost certainly a shareholding-only figure, not a total net worth. If a site says '$13 million,' ask whether it includes estimated salary, bonuses, and historical equity, or just current disclosed holdings. Sites that show only the former without explanation are not wrong, they're just incomplete.
Third, cross-reference the BAE Systems annual report figures yourself. The remuneration report section of each annual report (freely available as a PDF) gives you single-figure total remuneration for the CEO, including salary, bonus, and long-term incentives, for each reported year. Add those figures across his tenure (2017 to present), apply a rough estimate for taxes and spending, and you get a sanity-check range that should broadly align with the $10M to $15M window. If a site claims $50 million or $200 million for Charles Woodburn, that is not supported by the disclosed evidence and should be treated skeptically.
Finally, keep in mind that Charles Woodburn is a relatively private figure compared to celebrity wealth subjects. He does not appear on UK rich lists like the Sunday Times Rich List, which typically focuses on individuals with personal wealth above £100 million. That absence is itself informative: his wealth is substantial by most standards but not at the level that triggers rich-list coverage. For comparison, this puts him in a very different bracket from, say, historical wealth figures like Charles Frederick Worth (the 19th-century fashion house founder), or fictional characters like Charles Widmore from Lost, whose 'net worth' discussions are purely speculative entertainment. Charles Frederick Worth, by contrast, is a historical fashion house founder whose net worth is not comparable to Woodburn's modern, documented executive compensation and shareholding. Among real executives and business figures named Charles, Woodburn's disclosed wealth is solidly in the range you'd expect for a successful FTSE 100 CEO, not an outlier in either direction.
The bottom line: use the BAE Systems annual reports as your anchor source, MarketScreener's $13 million figure as your best current single-point estimate, and the $10M to $15M range as a reasonable envelope. Check back after each annual report release (typically in February or March) for updated shareholding and compensation disclosures. That gives you the most defensible, evidence-based picture of where Charles Woodburn's net worth stands today.
FAQ
Can the same “Charles Woodburn net worth” results apply to the wrong person?
Yes, but the article’s $10M to $15M envelope is specifically about the BAE Systems CEO. If you cannot confirm the person is linked to BAE Systems (or prior roles at Expro Group and Schlumberger), treat any net worth number you see as potentially about a different Charles Woodburn.
Why do some sites report Charles Woodburn net worth as a much lower number than others?
Most “insider” net worth figures you see online are closer to a listed-stock valuation than a full personal balance sheet. A practical check is whether the source states it only counts publicly disclosed shareholdings, in which case missing items like private assets, property, and pensions are likely not included.
How do taxes and unvested shares affect Charles Woodburn net worth estimates?
Because compensation is broken into components (salary, annual bonus, long-term incentive awards, and sometimes share awards with delayed vesting). Even if a vesting event occurred, taxes at vesting and any forced sale for liquidity can reduce how much that new equity actually increases spendable net worth.
Why does Charles Woodburn net worth change over time even if he did not change jobs?
Use a date check plus a currency sanity check. BAE Systems reports in GBP, while many net worth pages show USD, so a site’s figure can move noticeably even when share price and compensation are unchanged. Comparing the GBP-based underlying inputs when possible helps avoid “false” changes caused by FX.
What’s the best way to sanity-check net worth numbers using BAE Systems annual reports?
Look for the remuneration report table, then separate realized compensation (cash plus vested values) from long-term incentive grant amounts (which may not equal what is fully owned today). A helpful method is to total only what has vested or been realized across years, then apply a rough discount for remaining vesting and likely tax effects.
Why do director-deals updates sometimes disagree with the latest annual report data?
Follow the shareholding section and director dealings timing. If you see share acquisitions listed after the annual report’s “practicable date,” those buys may not be reflected until the next report, creating temporary mismatches between “latest” net worth pages and the most recently published filings.
How can I tell whether a Charles Woodburn net worth number is credible or exaggerated?
A simple red flag is if the site presents a single dramatic number (for example, far above the article’s described range) without specifying what is included, whether it is based on disclosed holdings only, or whether it models income and private assets. If methodology is not described, treat the figure as speculative.
Does the lack of Charles Woodburn on major rich lists tell us anything about his net worth?
For most executives, rich-list coverage is driven by personal wealth thresholds and methodology that often relies on estimates plus external indicators. If Charles Woodburn is not consistently listed on major UK rich lists, it suggests his wealth is below their cutoffs, which is consistent with a documented executive equity accumulation rather than celebrity-level fortune.
If BAE Systems’ stock price falls, will Charles Woodburn net worth estimates always fall immediately?
Yes, but approach it carefully. A share-price drop or a change in the valuation date can lower any estimate that is driven by current market value of holdings. However, long-term incentives can partially offset this over time through vesting, so you should compare multiple dates, not just the most recent snapshot.
What’s the practical workflow to keep a Charles Woodburn net worth estimate up to date?
If you want a near-current view, use a workflow: check the most recent annual report remuneration and beneficial shareholdings, confirm any director dealing updates around the same period, then compare one or two estimator sites that explicitly disclose what they count. Re-run the comparison after each annual report release cycle.
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