He was born on July 30, 1952, and will be 73 years old in 2025. People know him best as the co-founder and previous CEO of Yum! Brands, which is the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. This made him famous in the business world. Novak has been praised throughout his career for being a great leader and coming up with new ways to sell products, which helped Yum! Brands become a global giant. It is thought that David Novak net worth, executive jobs, business projects, and board memberships will have added up to about $114 million by 2025.
He is also known for his charitable work and programs that help leaders learn how to do their jobs better. Novak keeps his personal life pretty quiet, even though he is famous and successful. Charles and Jean Novak only have one son, David Novak. He is the oldest of their three children.
He grew up in a mobile family because his father was a government surveyor and the family had to move around a lot. They lived in trailer parks in many states. David’s late wife Wendy and he started the Lift a Life Foundation together. It is a family charity trust that helps with things like ending hunger, educating young children, and helping military families.
Social Profiles
Quick Bio
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | David Charles Novak |
| Date of Birth | October 30, 1952 |
| Age in 2025 | 72 |
| Known For | Co-founder, former CEO, and chairman of Yum! Brands Inc. |
| Career Highlights | CEO of Yum! Brands from 1999 to 2016; grew company from $4 billion to over $32 billion in revenue; doubled restaurant count to 41,000 across 125 countries |
| Previous Roles | Senior management at PepsiCo, COO Pepsi-Cola, CEO of KFC USA, President and Vice Chairman of Yum! Brands |
| Education | Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from University of Missouri |
| Books | Author of bestselling leadership books such as “Taking People With You” and “O GREAT ONE!” |
| Philanthropy | Co-founder of the Lift a Life Foundation, supporting hunger relief, education, and military families |
| Awards | Horatio Alger Award (2015), UN World Food Program Leadership Award (2012), Chief Executive “CEO of the Year” (2012), Harvard Business Review “100 Best-Performing CEOs” |
| Current Activities | Founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership, podcast host, leadership development, and philanthropy |
| Family | Married to late wife Wendy; they have a daughter; closely involved in family philanthropy |
| Net Worth (2025, est.) | $114 million |
David Novak Net Worth in 2025
David Novak is thought to be worth about $114 million in 2025. His main source of wealth is the large amounts of stock he owns and his top positions in companies like Comcast Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Yum! Brands. Novak was the CEO and chairman of Yum! Brands, a big fast-food business. He was a big part of raising the market value of the company from about $4 billion to more than $31 billion. Besides the shares in Yum! Brands, he also has a lot of stock in JPMorgan Chase, which adds to his total net worth. As of 2025, his projected net worth was in the low hundreds of millions of dollars.
| Year | Estimated Net Worth (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Not specified | Paid ~$30.9 million for shares acquired |
| 2011 | Not specified | Cashed out shares for ~$50.8 million |
| 2015 | ~$107 million | Net worth estimate based on Yum Brands stock and other holdings reported in SEC filings |
| 2024 | $114 million | General estimate from recent reports |
| 2025 | $114 – $114 million | Estimates vary; some reports list $119 million, others up to $390 million based on multiple company holdings (Yum Brands, Comcast, JPMorgan Chase) |
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Business Ventures and Income Sources
Novak is a co-founder, past CEO, and chairman of Yum! Brands. He helped the company grow from $4 billion in market value to $32 billion in market value and spread its reach around the world. He still gets a lot of money from his job as CEO of Yum! Brands.
David Novak Leadership
Launched and runs the digital platform David Novak Leadership, which helps leaders learn, train, and encourage a culture of respect. As part of this business, they produce best-selling books on leadership and host a popular business podcast.
SpinCo (Comcast Spin-off)
Novak was named Chairman of the Board for SpinCo in 2025. SpinCo is a media company that was formed after Comcast. SpinCo has well-known channels like USA Network, CNBC, and the Golf Channel, and each year they make $7 billion. Novak’s work there helps him make money and stay involved in business.
Board Memberships and Investments
Novak is on the boards of several public and private companies and has investments in others. He makes money through dividends, stock appreciation, and advisory jobs.
Philanthropy through Lift a Life Foundation
This family charity trust was set up by his late wife Wendy to help feed the hungry, educate children, and support military families. Even though it’s mostly for charity, it shows Novak’s wider impact and dedication to social causes.
Venture Partner at Lumira Ventures
David Novak is a Venture Partner at this global healthcare venture capital firm. He focuses on biotech public market investments and combines his experience in the industry with capital venture possibilities.
Personal Life
Marriage and Family
David Novak married Wendy Novak, his college love, for more than 40 years. She died in early 2024 at the age of 71. Wendy has had Type 1 diabetes since she was seven years old. Throughout their life together, she was a great source of support and strength for David. They were very close as a family and had a girl.
Philanthropy and Family Foundation
David and Wendy set up the Lift a Life Foundation together in 1999. This charity trust helps people who are hungry, educates young children, takes care of kids with diabetes, helps military families, and builds leaders. They also gave money to the Wendy L. Novak Juvenile Diabetes Care Center at Kosair Children’s Hospital at the University of Louisville.
Values and Impact
David makes it clear that for him, success isn’t about money, but about making other people’s lives better. Novak’s leadership style and the family’s charitable work strongly show these values of appreciation, thanks, and giving back.
Legacy and Tribute to Wendy
Wendy Novak was Novak’s biggest inspiration in life, and he has recognized her in public. In her honor, Novak continues to support diabetes and leadership development causes.
Personal Background
Novak grew up in a family that moved around a lot, living in different U.S. states. He says that his background and work ethic shaped the way he leads others and his desire to see others succeed.
Career Journey
Early Career in Advertising
Novak started his job in advertising as a copywriter at the Ketchum agency. He worked his way up to Executive Vice President at Tracy-Locke BBDO, where he was in charge of big clients like PepsiCo and Frito-Lay.
PepsiCo and Restaurant Divisions (1986–1997)
Novak worked as a top marketing and sales manager at Pizza Hut and Pepsi-Cola before joining PepsiCo’s restaurant divisions. At one point, he was Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Pepsi-Cola. Later, he was named COO of Pepsi-Cola North America.
KFC Leadership (1994–1997)
Novak was President and CEO of KFC North America and then President and CEO of both KFC and Pizza Hut North America as a Group.
Tricon Global Restaurants (1997–1999)
Novak became Vice Chairman and President of the new company Tricon Global Restaurants when KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell were split off from PepsiCo.
Yum! Brands CEO and Chairman (1999–2016)
Novak was CEO from 1999 to 2016 and Chairman from 2000 to 2016. Yum! Brands’ sales went from $4 billion to over $32 billion, and the number of restaurants around the world doubled, from 20,000 to about 41,000. He pushed for multi-brand restaurant ideas and growth in other countries.
Executive Chairman and Retirement (2015–2016)
Novak changed his title to Executive Chairman in 2015 and quit his job in 2016, becoming the founder and retired chairman of Yum! Brands.
Post-Retirement Ventures (2016–Present)
Once Novak retired, he started David Novak Leadership, a company that helps people become better leaders through books, online classes, workshops, and a podcast called “How Leaders Lead.” He also serves on boards and does charitable work through the Lift a Life Foundation, which is run by his family.
Legacy, Awards, and Impact
Legacy
With 41,000 stores in 125 countries, David Novak turned Yum! Brands from a $4 billion spinoff into a global fast-food giant worth nearly $32 billion. The company became more global under his direction, and nearly 70% of its profits came from outside the U.S. It also became a leader in its field in terms of return on invested capital. People say that he created a “people-first” atmosphere and a strong focus on employee recognition, which are still very important to Yum!’s success.
Awards and Honors
- Horatio Alger Award (2015) for service to higher education and charity
- Yum! Brands’ work to fight hunger won the 2012 United Nations World Food Program Leadership Award.
- Winner of the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship
- CEO of the Year 2012 by Chief Executive Magazine
- Named by Barron’s as one of the “30 Best CEOs”
- by Harvard Business Review as one of the “100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World”
- Named one of Fortune’s “Top People in Business”
Impact
Novak’s popular books, such as Taking People With You and O GREAT ONE!, show how he thinks about leadership. His ideas about people-centered leadership and purposeful recognition have an impact on leaders all over the world. Through the Lift a Life Foundation, his charitable work has made a big difference in fighting hunger, educating kids, researching diabetes in teens, and helping military families. Novak has also put money into teaching leadership through the Novak Leadership Institute at the University of Missouri. This will make sure that future leaders keep learning and growing.
Current Status
- David Novak is the Chairman of SpinCo, a media company that was formed when Comcast split up in 2025. SpinCo makes about $7 billion a year from several internet platforms and cable networks like MSNBC, USA Network, and CNBC. He gave up his seat on Comcast’s board to become the head.
- Novak is still very busy as the founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership, a company that helps people become better leaders. It offers online training, workshops, and the popular business podcast “How Leaders Lead.”
- He still helps people in need through his family’s Lift a Life Foundation and supports leadership development around the world, such as through the Novak Leadership Institute at the University of Missouri.
- Novak is famous for being a great leader, and he often talks and writes about leadership, the culture of praise, and business growth.
- Even though he hasn’t worked for Yum! Brands since 2016, his impact lives on as he continues to mentor leaders and do different business and charity work.
Public Perception & Media Coverage
Widely Respected Business Leader
Many people agree that David Novak is an incredibly effective CEO and business strategist. The media praises his time as co-founder and longtime CEO of Yum! Brands, where he increased the value of the company eight times. Leaders and critics in the field praise his leadership skills and creative approach to recognizing employees and fostering a positive work culture.
Strategic Visionary in Media Industry
Analysts and executives have praised his strategic vision and ability to lead big public companies successfully in recent news stories about his appointment as Chairman of Comcast’s SpinCo. An important accomplishment in his career after Yum! is his part in this big media spin-off.
Leadership Expert and Author
Many good things are said about leadership expert and author Novak’s contributions to leadership growth. People look to him as a thought leader in developing leadership skills and a culture of respect. His books and podcast (“How Leaders Lead”) are bestsellers.
Personal Humility and Lifelong Learning
Media profiles of Novak often focus on how humble she is, how she is always learning, and how she overcame problems caused by moving around as a child. He is shown to be friendly and honest, which supports his image as a leader who cares about people and their growth.
Philanthropy and Giving Back
His charitable work, especially through the Lift a Life Foundation and investments in leadership education, is also mentioned in the news. This supports the public’s view of him as a kind and caring person.
FAQs
When did David Novak retire?
Novak stopped being CEO of Yum! Brands in 2015, but he is still involved in leadership, marketing, and advisory roles.
Who is the ex-CEO of Yum! Brands?
From 1999 to 2015, David Novak was the CEO. After Novak, CEOs have continued to build on his strategy ideas.
Where is David Novak from?
He was born in Missouri, USA, and grew up with ideals typical of the Midwest.
Is David Novak married?
He is married, yes.
What is David Novak’s podcast?
The podcast “How Leaders Lead” is all about leadership tips and tactics.
What is David Novak CD&R?
It’s about Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a private equity company that has nothing to do with this David Novak.
What about David Novak JP Morgan?
This is a different executive with the same name who works in banks and has nothing to do with the former CEO of Yum! Brands.
Conclusion
David Novak’s large net worth comes from the way he changed things at Yum! Brands, the strategic equity holdings he has, and his ongoing impact in the media and through charity work. Novak, a well-known and respected former CEO, author, and podcast host, continues to change the way people think about leadership while keeping a diverse portfolio that fits his skill in consumer brands and leadership development.
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