The number of billionaires worldwide has surged to a record 3,428, up from 3,028 last year. The total combined wealth of those on the list is estimated at $20.1 trillion, an increase of $4 trillion compared to the previous year.
Elon Musk Tops the List
At the top is Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, with an estimated net worth of $839 billion. Following him are Google co-founders Larry Page with $257 billion and Sergey Brin with $237 billion.
Trump Among the Wealthiest Thanks to Cryptocurrency
Former U.S. President Donald Trump also saw a significant increase in his wealth. His net worth rose by 27% to $6.5 billion, largely due to cryptocurrency deals and the overturning of a New York financial fraud ruling. This places him 645th on the global billionaires list.
Famous Faces Join the Billionaires’ Ranks
On this year’s 40th anniversary edition of the list, several well-known figures from entertainment and sports appear for the first time.
New entrants include rapper Dr. Dre and singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, each with an estimated wealth of $1 billion, and tennis legend Roger Federer, whose fortune is estimated at $1.1 billion.
The list also added 390 new members this year, including Greg Abel, heir to Warren Buffett; Kimbal Musk; and attorney and former spouse of Sergey Brin, Nicole Shanahan.
Americans Dominate the Top
The top six spots on the list are held by American billionaires. Among them are Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with $224 billion, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg with $222 billion, and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison with $190 billion.
At seventh place is French luxury magnate Bernard Arnault and his family, with an estimated $171 billion.
Other top ten billionaires include Nvidia founder Jensen Huang with $154 billion, investor Warren Buffett with $149 billion, and Spanish fashion mogul Amancio Ortega with $148 billion.
Crypto Billionaire Surpasses Bill Gates
Forbes also estimates that Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, is now wealthier than Microsoft founder Bill Gates, with an estimated net worth of $110 billion.
The largest wealth increase was recorded by Elon Musk, whose fortune rose by a staggering $497 billion. In contrast, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun experienced the biggest drop, losing $15.6 billion in net worth.
