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Disclaimer: Currency values mentioned in this article are accurate as of 01.10.2024 and are subject to fluctuation.

Top 10 richest people in the world

Explore the top 10 richest people in the world, featuring influential entrepreneurs and business magnates with staggering net worths.

Name & Rank	Net Worth (in $ Billions)	Companies/ Source of Wealth	Country
#1 Elon Musk	$270.5	Tesla, SpaceX, X	United States
#2 Larry Ellison	$208.0	Oracle Corporation	United States
#3 Jeff Bezos	$204.3	Amazon, Blue Origin, The Washington Post, IMDB, Audible	United States
#4 Mark Zuckerberg	$198.0	Meta Platforms, Inc. (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp)	United States
#5 Bernard Arnault & family	$194.5	LVMH	France
#6 Warren Buffett	$144.9	Berkshire Hathaway	United States
#7 Larry Page	$137.9	Alphabet Inc.	United States
#8 Amancio Ortega	$132.5	Zara	Spain
#9 Sergey Brin	$132.0	Alphabet Inc.	United States
#10 Steve Ballmer	$125.5	Google	United States

Get to know the top 10 richest people in the world in detail

1. Elon Musk

• Age: 53
• Residence:  Boca Chica, Texas
• Citizenship: US

Elon Musk, recognized as both the richest man in the world and the richest person in the world, is the CEO of several high-profile companies, including Tesla, the electric car manufacturer, and SpaceX, the space exploration company. He currently possesses a 12.86 percent stake in Tesla. A significant portion of his wealth, around two-thirds, is tied to the success of Tesla. Musk made headlines in October 2022 when he purchased Twitter (now X) for $44 billion.

Musk led Tesla to its initial public offering in 2010. The company saw significant growth in market capitalization during 2020 and 2021, which helped Musk join the ranks of the world’s top 10 richest people by September 2021. At its peak in November 2021, Musk's fortune reached an astounding $320 billion.

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2. Larry Ellison

• Age: 80
  
• Residence: Manalapan, Florida
  
• Citizenship: US

Larry Ellison, the second richest person in the world, co-founded Oracle in 1977 and served as its CEO until 2014. He now holds the positions of chairman and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the company. In 2012, Ellison made headlines by purchasing the Hawaiian island of Lanai for $300 million. Additionally, he has invested in companies like Salesforce.com, NetSuite, Quark Biotechnology Inc., and Astex Pharmaceuticals.

Also Read: Top 10 biggest companies in the world by market cap in 2024

3. Jeff Bezos

• Age: 60
  
• Residence: Medina, Washington
• Citizenship: US

Jeff Bezos, the third richest person in the world, stepped down as CEO of Amazon in July 2021 but retained his role as chairman. That same month, he embarked on a space voyage aboard a rocket developed by Blue Origin, the private space exploration company he founded and has heavily funded with billions of dollars.

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4. Mark Zuckerberg

• Age: 40
• Residence: Palo Alto, California
• Citizenship: US

Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms, launched Facebook in 2004 at the age of 19 while studying computer science and psychology at Harvard University. Initially designed to connect students by matching their names with photos, Facebook opened to the public in 2006 for anyone aged 13 and older with a valid email address.

In May 2012, Zuckerberg took the company public, and by December 2016, he was ranked 10th on the Forbes list of The World's Most Powerful People. Currently, Zuckerberg owns about 13.68 percent of stake in Meta Platforms.

At 39 years old, Zuckerberg is married to Priscilla Chan and they have three daughters. Together, they are investing $3 billion to end, cure, or manage all diseases by 2100.

5. Bernard Arnault & Family

• Age: 75
• Residence: Paris
• Citizenship: France

Bernard Arnault, the third richest person in the world, is the CEO and chairman at Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the world's largest luxury goods company encompassing 75 renowned fashion and cosmetics brands. Notable names within its portfolio include Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Moet & Chandon, and Sephora. In January 2021, LVMH completed the acquisition of jeweller Tiffany & Co. for a staggering $15.8 billion.

Arnault's five children contribute to various sectors within the expansive LVMH empire. In January 2023, he appointed his daughter Delphine to lead Dior, the group's second-largest brand.

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6. Warren Buffett

• Age: 93
• Residence: Omaha, Nebraska
• Citizenship: US

Warren Buffett, widely recognised as the "Oracle of Omaha," is one of history's most accomplished investors. He is the head of Berkshire Hathaway, an investment conglomerate with a diverse portfolio encompassing numerous companies,insurance provider Geico, battery manufacturer Duracell, Apple, Nu Holdings and restaurant chain Dairy Queen.

In 2010, Buffett and Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates established the Giving Pledge initiative, which urges billionaires to donate at least 50 percent of their wealth to charitable organisations. Demonstrating his unwavering philanthropic commitment, Buffett has expressed his intention to donate 99 percent of his fortune.

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7. Larry Page

• Age: 51
• Residence: Palo Alto, California
• Citizenship: US

Larry Page and his fellow Stanford PhD student Sergey Brin co-founded Google in 1998. Initially, Page held the position of CEO until 2001 and later resumed the role from 2011 to 2015.

He remains a member of the board of Alphabet, Google's parent company, and retains significant control over the company as a major shareholder. Additionally, Page played a vital role as a founding investor in Planetary Resources, a company that is planning to mine resources from asteroids and other planetary bodies.

8. Amancio Ortega

• Age: 88
• Residence: La Coruna, Spain
• Citizenship: Spain

This Spanish billionaire is considered one of the pioneers of fast fashion. He is the co-founder of Inditex fashion group, known worldwide for being the parent company of brands Zara, Massimo Dutti and Bershka, among others. One of the wealthiest clothing retailers in the world owns 60 percent of Inditex, which has about 7500 stores worldwide. In 1975, he opened his first Zara store with his wife, Rosalía Mera. He has invested his income from Inditex dividends into various real estate properties across the world. According to a Financial Times report from 2022, he invested through his company, Pontegadea, and his property holdings were worth $17.2 billion.

9. Sergey Brin

• Age: 51
• Residence: Los Altos, California
• Citizenship: US

Alongside his Stanford PhD colleague, Larry Page, Sergey Brin played a pivotal role in establishing the Google search engine in 1998. Originally from Russia, Brin initially held the position of technology president at Google and later transitioned to overseeing special projects, including the development of Google Glass, a wearable device featuring voice-activated "smart glasses." Currently, Brin serves as a board member of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, while retaining a significant controlling stake in the company.

10. Steve Ballmer

• Age: 68
• Residence: Hunts Point, Washington
• Citizenship: US

Steve Ballmer, a Harvard University classmate of Bill Gates, assumed the CEO role at Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. His journey with Microsoft began in 1980 when he joined as the company's 30th employee, having dropped out of the MBA at Stanford University.

In the same year that Ballmer retired from Microsoft, he made headlines by acquiring the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for a staggering $2 billion, setting a new benchmark for the highest price paid for an NBA team at that time.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is the global count of billionaires in 2024?

Forbes reports that as of April 2, 2024, the number of billionaires has reached 2,781,141 more than last year, and they are worth $14.2 trillion in aggregate.

2. Is it possible for billionaires' net worth to fluctuate

Absolutely, given that a significant portion of their wealth is tied to publicly traded stocks, the net worth of the wealthiest individuals can fluctuate per market valuation.

3. Which nation boasts the highest number of billionaires?

According to Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2024, the US has a record 813 billionaires, followed by China with 473 billionaires and India in the third spot with 200 billionaires.