American software programmer and businessman James Goodnight has an estimated net worth of $12.8 billion in April 2019. He was one of the co-founders of SAS Institute in 1976. He served as the CEO of this multi-billion dollar company for over three decades.

James "Jim" Goodnight was born on January 6, 1943 in Salisbury, N.C. After attending New Hanover High School, Goodnight studied at North Carolina State University. Eventually, he married Ann Goodnight with whom he has three children. In addition to being a software programmer and businessman, James Goodnight is also an inventor, statistician and Chief Executive Officer.

In SAS Institute's first year, it was valued at $138,000 only. By 1993, it was valued at $420 million and by 2010, its value significantly rose to $2.43 billion.

In 2004, he was named by Harvard as Great American Business Leader. In the same year, Inc. Magazine listed him as one of America's 25 Most Fascinating Entrepreneurs. He is often invited as a speaker or a participant at the World Economic Forum. One of James Goodnight's interests is to improve the quality of education rendered especially in elementary and secondary. This led him and his wife to form the Cary Academy. His wife is also a businesswoman. In fact, she owns an Asian fusion restaurant known as An Cuisines in Cary, N.C.