Explore the current list of the top 10 wealthiest individuals globally and learn about the ways they accumulated their wealth. Keep informed with the latest rankings.
The combined net worth of the top 10 richest individuals exceeds the GDP of many countries. Their wealth is mainly derived from the technology, finance, and retail sectors, raising significant concerns about the widening gap between them and the less fortunate.
This article reveals the identities of the world's wealthiest people, highlighting their impressive achievements, entrepreneurial skills, and substantial impact on the global economy. The rankings are based on data from Forbes.
Note: The currency values mentioned are accurate as of October 16, 2024, and may fluctuate.
Top 10 Richest People in the World:
Here are the top 10 wealthiest individuals, featuring influential entrepreneurs and business magnates with extraordinary net worths:
Richest Billionaire by Country:
Country: Richest Person
United States : Elon Musk
India : Mukesh Ambani
China : Zhong Shanshan
Japan: Tadashi Yanai & family
France : Bernard Arnault & family
Spain : Amancio Ortega
Mexico: Carlos Slim Helu & family
Canada: David Thomson & family
Indonesia: Prajogo Pangestu
Italy : Giovanni Ferrero
Austria: Mark Mateschitz
Germany: Klaus-Michael Kuehne
Hong Kong: Robin Zeng
Switzerland : Gianluigi Aponte
Brazil : Eduardo Saverin
Russia : Leonid Mikhelson & family
Israel : Eyal Of
Get to know the top 10 richest people in the world in detail:
1: #ElonsMusk
Age: 53
Residence: Boca Chica, Texas
Citizenship: United States
Elon Musk is known as the wealthiest individual globally and serves as the CEO of several prominent companies, including Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, and SpaceX, the aerospace company. He holds a 12.86% stake in Tesla, with about two-thirds of his wealth linked to the company's performance. In October 2022, Musk made headlines by acquiring Twitter (now known as X) for $44 billion.
Musk guided Tesla through its initial public offering in 2010, and the company's market capitalization surged significantly in 2020 and 2021, propelling him into the top 10 richest people in the world by September 2021. His net worth peaked at an impressive $320 billion in November 2021.
2: Larry Ellison
Age: 80
Residence: Manalapan, Florida
Citizenship: United States
Larry Ellison is the second richest person in the world and co-founded Oracle in 1977, serving as its CEO until 2014. He currently holds the titles of chairman and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Oracle. In 2012, Ellison gained attention by purchasing the Hawaiian island of Lanai for $300 million. He has also made investments in companies such as Salesforce.com, NetSuite, Quark Biotechnology Inc., and Astex Pharmaceuticals.
3:Jeff Bezos
Age: 60
Residence: Medina, Washington
Citizenship: United States
Jeff Bezos, the third richest person in the world, resigned as CEO of Amazon in July 2021 but continues to serve as chairman. In the same month, he made headlines by traveling into space on a rocket developed by Blue Origin, the private space exploration company he founded and has significantly invested in with billions of dollars.
4:Mark Zuckerberg
Age: 40
Residence: Palo Alto, California
Citizenship: United States
Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms, having launched Facebook in 2004 at just 19 while studying computer science and psychology at Harvard University. Originally intended to connect students by matching their names with photos, Facebook became publicly available in 2006 to anyone aged 13 and older with a valid email address.
In May 2012, Zuckerberg led the company through its public offering, and by December 2016, he was ranked 10th on Forbes' list of The World's Most Powerful People. He currently holds approximately 13.68% of Meta Platforms. Zuckerberg is married to Priscilla Chan, and together they have three daughters. They are committed to investing $3 billion to end, cure, or manage all diseases by the year 2100.
5:Bernard Arnault & Family
Age: 75
Residence: Paris
Citizenship: France
Bernard Arnault is the third richest person in the world and serves as the CEO and chairman of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the largest luxury goods company globally, which includes 75 prestigious fashion and cosmetics brands. Among its notable brands are Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Moet & Chandon, and Sephora. In January 2021, LVMH finalized the acquisition of Tiffany & Co. for an impressive $15.8 billion.
Arnault's five children play key roles across various sectors within the extensive LVMH empire. In January 2023, he appointed his daughter Delphine to lead Dior, the group's second-largest brand.
6:Warren Buffett
Age: 94
Residence: Omaha, Nebraska
Citizenship: United States
Warren Buffett, often referred to as the "Oracle of Omaha," is recognized as one of the most successful investors in history. He leads Berkshire Hathaway, an investment conglomerate with a diverse portfolio that includes companies like Geico, Duracell, Apple, Nu Holdings, and Dairy Queen.
In 2010, Buffett, along with Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, launched the Giving Pledge initiative, encouraging billionaires to contribute at least 50% of their wealth to charitable causes. Reflecting his deep commitment to philanthropy, Buffett has stated his intention to donate 99% of his fortune.
7:Larry Page
Age: 51
Residence: Palo Alto, California
Citizenship: United States
Larry Page co-founded Google in 1998 with fellow Stanford PhD student Sergey Brin. He served as CEO from the company's inception until 2001 and then again from 2011 to 2015.
Currently, Page is a board member of Alphabet, Google's parent company, and maintains significant influence as a major shareholder. He also played a crucial role as a founding investor in Planetary Resources, a company focused on mining resources from asteroids and other celestial bodies.
8:Amancio Ortega
Age: 88
Residence: La Coruna, Spain
Citizenship: Spain
Amancio Ortega is a Spanish billionaire recognized as a pioneer of fast fashion. He co-founded the Inditex fashion group, which is globally known as the parent company of brands like Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Bershka. As one of the wealthiest clothing retailers in the world, he owns 60% of Inditex, which operates around 7,500 stores worldwide. Ortega opened his first Zara store in 1975 with his wife, Rosalía Mera. He has reinvested his income from Inditex dividends into various real estate ventures around the globe. According to a 2022 Financial Times report, his property holdings, managed through his company Pontegadea, were valued at $17.2 billion.
9:Sergey Brin
Age: 51
Residence: Los Altos, California
Citizenship: United States
Sergey Brin co-founded the Google search engine in 1998 with his Stanford PhD colleague Larry Page. Originally from Russia, Brin started as Google's technology president before moving on to oversee special projects, including the creation of Google Glass, a voice-activated wearable device. He currently serves as a board member of Alphabet, Google's parent company, and maintains a significant controlling interest in the firm.
10:Steve Ballmer
Age: 68
Residence: Hunts Point, Washington
Citizenship: United States
Steve Ballmer, a former classmate of Bill Gates at Harvard University, served as CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. He began his career with the company in 1980 as its 30th employee after leaving the MBA program at Stanford University.
The same year Ballmer retired from Microsoft, he gained attention for purchasing the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for an impressive $2 billion, which at the time set a record for the highest price ever paid for an NBA team.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the total number of billionaires worldwide in 2024?
As of April 2, 2024, Forbes reports that the global billionaire count has reached 2,781, with a combined net worth of $14.2 trillion, an increase from the previous year.
2. Can billionaires' net worth change?
Yes, their net worth can vary significantly since much of their wealth is linked to publicly traded stocks, which fluctuate based on market conditions.
3. Which country has the most billionaires?
According to Forbes' World’s Billionaires List for 2024, the United States leads with 813 billionaires, followed by China with 473 and India with 200.
