The 100 known most prolific inventors based on worldwide utility patents are shown in the following table. While in many cases this is the number of utility patents granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, it may include utility patents granted by other countries, as noted by the source references for an inventor.
Inventor | Pats | Fams | Fam % | Pat Yrs | Yrs | Pat /Yr | Inv /Pat | Pat Residence | Majority Assignment | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shunpei Yamazaki | [1] | 6603 | 2897 | 43.9% | 1972—2025 | 53.4 | 124 | 3.6 | ![]() | Semiconductor Energy Laboratory |
Kia Silverbrook | [2] | 4747 | 1311 | 27.6% | 1994—2014 | 20 | 237 | 1.6 | ![]() | Silverbrook Research |
Tao Luo | [3] | 4175 | 3474 | 83.2% | 2006—2025 | 19.2 | 217 | 5.6 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
Kangguo Cheng | [4] | 2815 | 1556 | 55.3% | 2004—2025 | 20.8 | 135 | 3.9 | ![]() | IBM |
Junyi Li | [5] | 2607 | 2195 | 84.2% | 2002—2025 | 22.8 | 114 | 5.2 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
Frederick E. Shelton IV | [6] | 2604 | 1197 | 46.0% | 2005—2025 | 20.2 | 129 | 4.5 | ![]() | Ethicon |
Peter Gaal | [7] | 2461 | 1893 | 76.9% | 2002—2025 | 23 | 107 | 5.9 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
Wanshi Chen | [8] | 2274 | 1746 | 76.8% | 2009—2025 | 16.3 | 140 | 5.7 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
Xiaoxia Zhang | [9] | 2029 | 1713 | 84.4% | 2009—2025 | 16.6 | 122 | 5.5 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
Lowell L. Wood, Jr. | [10] | 1998 | 1326 | 66.4% | 1971—2025 | 53.4 | 37 | 8.8 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Roderick A. Hyde | [11] | 1892 | 1252 | 66.2% | 2001—2023 | 22.4 | 84 | 8.7 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Esmael H. Dinan | [12] | 1886 | 751 | 39.8% | 2006—2025 | 19.2 | 98 | 3.6 | ![]() | Ofinno |
Chen-Hua Yu | [13] | 1874 | 975 | 52.0% | 1996—2025 | 29.2 | 64 | 4.9 | ![]() | TSMC |
Hanbyul Seo | [14] | 1771 | 1317 | 74.4% | 2012—2025 | 13.3 | 133 | 3.8 | ![]() | LG |
Jing Sun | [15] | 1685 | 1401 | 83.1% | 2012—2025 | 12.7 | 133 | 5.9 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
Jun Koyama | [16] | 1509 | 618 | 41.0% | 1991—2022 | 30.8 | 49 | 3.1 | ![]() | Semiconductor Energy Laboratory |
Shan Liu | [17] | 1494 | 944 | 63.2% | 2013—2025 | 11.9 | 126 | 3.4 | ![]() | Tencent |
Sarbajit K. Rakshit | [18] | 1451 | 1225 | 84.4% | 2013—2025 | 12.6 | 115 | 3.4 | ![]() | IBM |
Gurtej Singh Sandhu | [19] | 1432 | 584 | 40.8% | 1991—2024 | 32.5 | 44 | 2.5 | ![]() | Micron |
Yunjung Yi | [20] | 1368 | 926 | 67.7% | 2011—2025 | 14.6 | 94 | 3.3 | ![]() | LG |
Shou-Shan Fan | [21] | 1312 | 1097 | 83.6% | 2006—2025 | 19.1 | 69 | 4.2 | ![]() | Hon Hai |
Paul Lapstun | [22] | 1305 | 246 | 18.9% | 2000—2022 | 21.4 | 61 | 2.5 | ![]() | Silverbrook Research |
Alexander Reznicek | [23] | 1277 | 771 | 60.4% | 2006—2025 | 19.4 | 66 | 3.9 | ![]() | IBM |
Suckchel Yang | [24] | 1254 | 806 | 64.3% | 2013—2025 | 12.1 | 104 | 4.7 | ![]() | LG |
Clarence T. Tegreene | [25] | 1251 | 904 | 72.3% | 2000—2025 | 24.8 | 50 | 10.1 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Satoshi Seo | [26] | 1238 | 586 | 47.3% | 2002—2025 | 22.6 | 55 | 4.1 | ![]() | Semiconductor Energy Laboratory |
Juan Montojo | [27] | 1220 | 988 | 81.0% | 2004—2025 | 21.5 | 57 | 6.9 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
Kijun Kim | [28] | 1173 | 814 | 69.4% | 2013—2025 | 11.7 | 100 | 4.6 | ![]() | LG |
Joonkui Ahn | [29] | 1165 | 757 | 65.0% | 2013—2025 | 12.1 | 96 | 4.7 | ![]() | LG |
Takahiro Nishi | [30] | 1153 | 379 | 32.9% | 2001—2025 | 24 | 48 | 6.3 | ![]() | Panasonic |
Jason L. Harris | [31] | 1150 | 644 | 56.0% | 2011—2025 | 14.6 | 79 | 6.0 | ![]() | Ethicon |
Marta Karczewicz | [32] | 1123 | 920 | 81.9% | 2000—2025 | 24.6 | 46 | 4.0 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
Ruilong Xie | [33] | 1118 | 849 | 75.9% | 2013—2025 | 12.6 | 89 | 4.2 | ![]() | IBM |
Edward K. Y. Jung | [34] | 1111 | 794 | 71.5% | 1996—2022 | 26.1 | 43 | 8.0 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Leonard Forbes | [35] | 1109 | 411 | 37.1% | 1975—2019 | 43.3 | 26 | 2.6 | ![]() | Micron |
Thomas Edison | [36] | 1084 | NA | NA | 1869—1933 | 63.9 | 17 | 1.0 | ![]() | Thomas Edison |
Tingfang Ji | [37] | 1083 | 800 | 73.9% | 2006—2025 | 19.1 | 57 | 6.9 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
Rick Allen Hamilton II | [38] | 1063 | 714 | 67.2% | 1999—2024 | 25 | 43 | 4.2 | ![]() | IBM |
Jason K. Resch | [39] | 1047 | 513 | 49.0% | 2009—2025 | 15.7 | 67 | 4.2 | ![]() | IBM |
Seungmin Lee | [40] | 1047 | 783 | 74.8% | 2014—2025 | 10.9 | 96 | 3.5 | ![]() | LG |
Donald E. Weder | [41] | 1000 | 395 | 39.5% | 1978—2015 | 37.1 | 27 | 1.1 | ![]() | Weder Family Trust |
Michael J. Sullivan | [42] | 997 | 534 | 53.6% | 1989—2024 | 34.5 | 29 | 3.8 | ![]() | Acushnet Holdings |
Yan Zhou | [43] | 994 | 875 | 88.0% | 2012—2025 | 13 | 76 | 4.4 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
George Albert Lyon | [44] | 993 | NA | NA | 1901—1965 | 64.5 | 15 | 1.0 | ![]() | Lyon George Albert |
Jordin T. Kare | [45] | 993 | 640 | 64.5% | 1992—2023 | 30.5 | 33 | 9.1 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Ahmadreza Rofougaran | [46] | 989 | 476 | 48.1% | 2002—2025 | 23.2 | 43 | 6.4 | ![]() | Broadcom |
Hao Xu | [47] | 981 | 713 | 72.7% | 2005—2025 | 20.4 | 48 | 4.7 | ![]() | Qualcomm |
Jay S. Walker | [48] | 980 | 422 | 43.1% | 1998—2024 | 26.3 | 37 | 5.2 | ![]() | Walker Digital |
John F. O'Connor | [49] | 949 | NA | NA | 1901—1935 | 33.9 | 28 | NA | ![]() | William H. Miner |
Hajime Kimura | [50] | 931 | 296 | 31.8% | 2002—2025 | 22.8 | 41 | 2.6 | ![]() | Semiconductor Energy Laboratory |
William H. Eby | [51] | 930 | 926 | 99.6% | 1994—2025 | 31.3 | 30 | 1.2 | ![]() | Monsanto |
Melvin De Groote | [52] | 925 | NA | NA | 1924—1966 | 41.8 | 22 | NA | ![]() | Petrolite |
David R. Hall | [53] | 922 | 763 | 82.8% | 1985—2025 | 40 | 23 | 3.8 | ![]() | Hall Labs |
Nathan Myhrvold | [54] | 908 | 613 | 67.5% | 1994—2025 | 31 | 29 | 11.1 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Hongyuan Zhang | [55] | 901 | 486 | 53.9% | 2009—2025 | 16.2 | 56 | 3.9 | ![]() | Marvell |
Francis H. Richards | [56] | 894 | NA | NA | 1899—1930 | 30.8 | 29 | NA | ![]() | Francis H. Richards |
Kyungmin Park | [57] | 892 | 422 | 47.3% | 2014—2025 | 11.3 | 79 | 5.2 | ![]() | Ofinno |
Mark Malamud | [58] | 886 | 690 | 77.9% | 1997—2022 | 25.1 | 35 | 7.5 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Justin T. Mason | [59] | 884 | 880 | 99.5% | 2008—2025 | 16.8 | 53 | 1.0 | ![]() | MS Technologies |
Satoshi Nagata | [60] | 870 | 833 | 95.7% | 2011—2025 | 13.9 | 63 | 4.0 | ![]() | NTT |
Robert W. Lord | [61] | 869 | 683 | 78.6% | 2003—2025 | 21.6 | 40 | 7.6 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Chih-Chao Yang | [62] | 866 | 549 | 63.4% | 2003—2025 | 21.7 | 40 | 3.4 | ![]() | IBM |
Stuart C. Salter | [63] | 860 | 807 | 93.8% | 2009—2025 | 15.7 | 55 | 4.8 | ![]() | Ford |
Royce A. Levien | [64] | 855 | 666 | 77.9% | 1997—2020 | 23.4 | 37 | 6.8 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Lee D. Whetsel | [65] | 846 | 128 | 15.1% | 1991—2017 | 26.4 | 32 | 1.1 | ![]() | Texas Instruments |
Hsien-Wei Chen | [66] | 843 | 391 | 46.4% | 2005—2025 | 20.5 | 41 | 3.5 | ![]() | TSMC |
Muriel Y. Ishikawa | [67] | 840 | 560 | 66.7% | 2002—2023 | 21.2 | 40 | 11.1 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Hua Zhou | [68] | 840 | 434 | 51.7% | 2012—2025 | 13.5 | 62 | 5.5 | ![]() | Ofinno |
Michael K. Gschwind | [69] | 836 | 442 | 52.9% | 2001—2021 | 20.6 | 41 | 2.6 | ![]() | IBM |
Clifford A. Pickover | [70] | 836 | 548 | 65.6% | 1992—2024 | 32.2 | 26 | 3.9 | ![]() | IBM |
Youngdae Lee | [71] | 829 | 652 | 78.6% | 2014—2025 | 11.4 | 73 | 3.1 | ![]() | LG |
Devendra K. Sadana | [72] | 826 | 469 | 56.8% | 1983—2025 | 42.5 | 19 | 4.3 | ![]() | IBM |
SungDuck Chun | [73] | 818 | 506 | 61.9% | 2007—2025 | 17.7 | 46 | 3.8 | ![]() | LG |
Salman Akram | [74] | 787 | 292 | 37.1% | 1995—2025 | 30.2 | 26 | 2.9 | ![]() | Micron |
Xue Dong | [75] | 784 | 758 | 96.7% | 2010—2025 | 14.5 | 54 | 7.4 | ![]() | BOE |
Warren M. Farnworth | [76] | 774 | 289 | 37.3% | 1990—2014 | 24.4 | 32 | 2.8 | ![]() | Micron |
James A. Jorasch | [77] | 773 | 309 | 40.0% | 1994—2023 | 29 | 27 | 3.9 | ![]() | Walker Digital |
Frederick A. Ware | [78] | 769 | 230 | 29.9% | 1981—2025 | 43.6 | 18 | 2.8 | ![]() | Rambus |
Bruce B. Doris | [79] | 767 | 435 | 56.7% | 1995—2025 | 30.3 | 25 | 4.2 | ![]() | IBM |
Jeyhan Karaoguz | [80] | 757 | 371 | 49.0% | 1996—2020 | 23.8 | 32 | 4.6 | ![]() | Broadcom |
Ali Khakifirooz | [81] | 757 | 413 | 54.6% | 2011—2025 | 13.9 | 54 | 4.2 | ![]() | IBM |
Shougo Sato | [82] | 757 | 290 | 38.3% | 1992—2025 | 32.8 | 23 | 1.8 | ![]() | Brother |
Carleton Ellis | [83] | 753 | NA | NA | 1902—1946 | 43.1 | 17 | NA | ![]() | Ellis Foster Co |
Jean-Philippe M. Vasseur | [84] | 745 | 603 | 80.9% | 2006—2025 | 19.3 | 39 | 2.6 | ![]() | Cisco Systems |
John M. Santosuosso | [85] | 738 | 466 | 63.1% | 2001—2022 | 20.7 | 36 | 3.9 | ![]() | IBM |
Chung-Shi Liu | [86] | 738 | 392 | 53.1% | 2000—2025 | 25.6 | 29 | 6.1 | ![]() | TSMC |
Hideo Ando | [87] | 733 | 123 | 16.8% | 1983—2020 | 36.7 | 20 | 3.1 | ![]() | Toshiba |
Toshiyasu Sugio | [88] | 730 | 264 | 36.2% | 2009—2025 | 15.9 | 46 | 4.9 | ![]() | Panasonic |
George Spector | [89] | 723 | 723 | 100% | 1974—1998 | 24.6 | 29 | 2.1 | ![]() | George Spector |
Jonghyun Park | [90] | 721 | 516 | 71.6% | 2013—2025 | 12.6 | 57 | 3.8 | ![]() | LG |
Lisa Seacat DeLuca | [91] | 720 | 524 | 72.8% | 2009—2025 | 16.4 | 44 | 2.7 | ![]() | IBM |
Austin L. Gurney | [92] | 718 | 182 | 25.3% | 1999—2021 | 21.6 | 33 | 2.9 | ![]() | Genentech |
Gregory J. Boss | [93] | 716 | 493 | 68.9% | 2008—2025 | 17.3 | 41 | 4.2 | ![]() | IBM |
Woosuk Ko | [94] | 705 | 302 | 42.8% | 2015—2025 | 10.3 | 68 | 3.4 | ![]() | LG |
Tetsujiro Kondo | [95] | 700 | 528 | 75.4% | 1987—2021 | 34 | 21 | 3.8 | ![]() | Sony |
Elihu Thomson | [96] | 696 | NA | NA | 1899—1935 | 35.9 | 19 | NA | ![]() | GE |
Xiaochuan Chen | [97] | 687 | 665 | 96.8% | 2014—2025 | 11.1 | 62 | 7.0 | ![]() | BOE |
Eric C. Leuthardt | [98] | 685 | 462 | 67.4% | 2006—2025 | 18.8 | 36 | 9.1 | ![]() | Intellectual Ventures |
Irwin Gerszberg | [99] | 682 | 312 | 45.7% | 1994—2023 | 29.2 | 23 | 6.8 | ![]() | AT&T |
Hyoungsuk Jeon | [100] | 680 | 310 | 45.6% | 2009—2025 | 15.7 | 43 | 5.6 | ![]() | Ofinno |
This table is usually updated every Tuesday, and is current as of September 2,2025 [update] .
The columns are defined as follows:
This table is a sortable list of the most prolific inventors as measured by utility patents granted. It does not include other types of invention, such as inventions that were never applied for nor granted, for which there is no known source. Nor does the table attempt to measure the significance of an inventor and their inventions. The significance of inventions is often not apparent until many decades after the invention has been made. For recent inventors, it is not yet possible to determine their place in history.
Rankings of prolific inventors have been published at various times. However, until the patent records were digitized, these lists were very tedious to prepare, as many thousands of patent records had to be checked manually. Even after digitization, it is still not a simple process. While the USPTO keeps statistics for annual rankings of inventions assigned to companies, it no longer publishes rankings of individual inventors. The last such list was published by the USPTO in 1998. [Info 1] Also, patents predating 1976 have not yet been digitized in the USPTO records. This means that patents before 1976 will not be included in a USPTO search by inventor name, and the number of patents granted before 1976 must be added to current searches.
A more extensive list of prolific inventors with additional information and ability to filter on country, gender, time period, patent type, and Nobel laureate title can be found at idiyas