Bill Perkins, born in February 1969, is considered to have a net worth of around $500 million due to his success in the energy trading industry.
He plays poker as a hobby and has enrolled in several well-known poker events.
Despite being a recreational player, he has racked up a few big cashes in notable poker tournaments.
Bill Perkins: Trading Career
Bill began his career as an energy trader in 1991. His expertise led him to found Small Ventures in 1997 – a project to build a natural gas power plant in El Salvador.
Perkin's career took a significant upturn in 2002 when he joined Centaurus Energy, a hedge fund founded by his friend John Arnold. While trading for the firm, Perkins made a massive $1 billion. Despite the success, Centaurus eventually shut down in 2012 due to low natural gas prices.
Perkins went on to found Skylar Capital, another energy trading hedge fund. In its first three months, Skylar Capital raised $102 million in capital. It currently controls approximately $500 million in assets.
Bill Perkins: Philanthropy
In 2016, Perkins contributed $1.5 million towards the construction of William O. Perkins III '86 Athletic Center. Located at his former school, St Peter’s Prep in New Jersey, the facility spans 15,000 square feet across three stories and serves as a hub for athletic activities.
Perkins’ philanthropy is entwined with his philosophy of spending or giving away all earnings during a lifetime. In 2020, he released the book "Die with Zero," which emphasises the importance of maximising life's experiences and not dying with money left in the bank.
Unspent money is considered a missed opportunity. In poker terms, this type of thinking is rooted in GTO poker strategy.
Bill has also donated to support hospitals and healthcare workers in the U.S. Virgin Islands during natural disasters and emergencies.
Bill Perkins: Personal Life
Bill was born on February 2nd, 1969, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He grew up in a working-class family, and his father was a criminal defence attorney and politician. Bill earned a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Iowa, where he briefly played football as a walk-on defensive back.
Due to his philosophy of 'die with zero,' Bill is often considered to have an 'indulgent' lifestyle, which is reinforced through his social media activity.
For his 45th birthday, Bill hosted a lavish party in St. Barts, renting out the entire beachfront Hotel Taiwana and additional rooms at a neighbouring luxury hotel. He flew in dozens of guests and arranged boat trips, picnics, and nightly entertainment, including a live concert by Natalie Merchant.
Bill argues that spending money on experiences diminishes in value as one ages. There should be a balance between saving for an early retirement and enjoying the value of purchasing experiences while still relatively young.
Getting crazier as we age, just the way we planned... loving every moment @larasebastian ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Happy Birthday!!! pic.twitter.com/9QTJNhQEyk
— Bill Perkins (Guy) (@bp22) April 16, 2025
In the mid-2010s, Bill moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands, specifically the island of St. Thomas. The location offers good financial incentives, such as favourable tax policies. It also provides a tropical climate with warm temperatures and high humidity all year round.
In 2017, Bill filed a lawsuit against the U.S Virgin Islands claiming that he was entitled to a $5 million tax refund for the 2015 tax year. He had made a tax payment of $7.2 million expecting to get a sizeable refund which didn’t materialise.
The tax office countered that the refund claim was premature due to an ongoing audit. As of 2025, almost ten years later, no final resolution has been reported.
Presumably, dying with money held by the tax office is just as bad as dying with money in the bank.
| The audit appears to be routine, rather than the result of suspicion, but the U.S. Virgin Island’s government has historically faced financial challenges, including delays in processing tax refunds due to their limited resources. However, recent efforts to improve the system have been made and tax refunds are beginning to flow more naturally. |
In 2022, Perkins married Lara Sebastian, a dancer. He was previously married to Stephanie Park and has two daughters with her.
Bill Perkins: Film Production
Bill debuted as a film producer in 2009 with the movie "After.Life," starring Justin Long, Christina Ricci, and Liam Neeson.
He has also acted as a producer for the following films -
- Unthinkable (2010) – A psychological thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson.
- The Baytown Outlaws (2012) – An action-comedy film.
- Cat Run (2011) and its sequel, Cat Run 2 (2014).
His films have received mixed reviews, but Unthinkable is the most popular, with a 7/10 rating on IMDb.
Bill Perkins: Poker Life
Bill has participated in several high-profile poker events.
Here are his most notable tournament cashes:
|
Tournament |
Year |
Position |
Payout |
|
|
WSOP $111,111 One Drop High Roller |
2013 |
3rd |
$1,965,163 |
|
|
Triton Million for Charity |
2019 |
4th |
$2,678,386 |
|
|
EPT London £50K NLH Super High Roller |
2013 |
4th |
$470,368 |
|
Bill has also featured in televised cash games such as the PokerStars Big Game and the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series.
Despite his live tournament cashes, Bill is generally a weak recreational player. PokerStars even released a video compilation entitled “Bill Perkins BURNING MONEY at the Poker Table." The series featured snippets from the Big Game where Bill loses massive poker chips value in big pots.
To his credit, Bill seems completely fearless and mostly unaffected by big losses.
Bill plays poker for fun and out of an adventurous/competitive spirit, but he is far from a professional player. Due to his high net worth, even the massive types of poker games he plays are like loose change.
Whether or not he makes money may not be overly critical to him.
Bill Perkins: Conclusion
From his early days in Jersey City to his current net worth of $500 million, Perkins has demonstrated his ability to excel in various fields. His philosophy of living life to the fullest, his authored book and his contributions to the poker community make him an inspiring figure.
While arguably not ranked among the greatest poker players of all time, Bill’s warm and entertaining personality makes him a welcome addition to any poker game.
