Moderna founders crack Forbes list for wealthiest people in US

Three people at the head of Moderna cracked the Forbes list of the wealthiest people in the U.S. following the company’s development of a coronavirus vaccine that has been used around the world. 

Co-founder and current chairman Noubar Afeyan, co-founder and board member Robert Langer, and investor Timothy Springer all made the Forbes 400 list for 2021. 

Springer reached the 176th spot with a fortune of $5.9 billion. Langer hit the 222nd spot with $4.9 billion, and Ageyan landed in the 212th spot with $5 billion.

Moderna’s profits and shares have skyrocketed over the past year, as the company is one of only three with coronavirus vaccines approved in the U.S., and one of only a handful of vaccines used around the world. 

Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have seen profits grow, while AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson have said they are not going to profit from their vaccines. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the Moderna vaccine for emergency use at the end of 2020. The company is still working toward full approval by the agency and is looking to get its vaccine approved for those under 18 years old.

Other notable aspects of the Forbes list include former President Trump getting kicked off for the first time in 25 years.