Trust in CEOs and executives: 2026 statistics

• 78%

  of employees trust "my employer," the highest score of any institution in the 2026 survey

  Edelman, January 2026Copy citationEmbed

• 64%

  of the general population trust business, 14 points below trust in their own employer

  Edelman, January 2026Copy citationEmbed

• 66%

  of respondents trust "my CEO" to do what is right

  Edelman Trust Barometer CEO Insights, April 2026Copy citationEmbed

• 54%

  trust CEOs in general to do what is right, 12 points below trust in their own CEO

  Edelman Trust Barometer CEO Insights, April 2026Copy citationEmbed

• 73%

  say CEOs are obligated to bridge divides and help build trust

  Edelman Trust Barometer CEO Insights, April 2026Copy citationEmbed

• 44%

  say CEOs are doing well at bridging divides, a gap of 29 points against expectations

  Edelman Trust Barometer CEO Insights, April 2026Copy citationEmbed

• Nearly 7 in 10

  respondents fear institutional leaders are deliberately misleading the public

  Edelman, January 2026Copy citationEmbed

These figures come from Founder-Led Marketing Statistics 2026: Trust and Buyer Data, which puts them in context.