As per Forbes Billionaires rankings, these 10 individuals are the world’s wealthiest. As of January 9, 2025, nine of the top ten billionaires hail from the United States, with Bernard Arnault of France being the sole exception. However, one similarity between everyone on the list is that they are all men.
While the tech industry dominates the list, Bernard Arnault’s presence highlights the enduring value of luxury goods.
Here’s a closer look at the top ten richest individuals in the world today:
1. Elon Musk ($416.2 Billion)
Elon Musk maintains his position as the wealthiest individual globally. The tech mogul’s fortune stems primarily from Tesla and SpaceX. His net worth saw a modest increase of $327 million (0.08%), underscoring his dominance in the fields of electric vehicles and space exploration.
2. Jeff Bezos ($236.0 Billion)
The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, remains a fixture in the billionaire rankings. Despite stepping down as CEO, Bezos continues to benefit from Amazon’s growth, with his wealth increasing by $18 million (0.01%) on Janaury 9.
3. Mark Zuckerberg ($211.1 Billion)
At just 40 years old, Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth is tied to Facebook (Meta). However, his net worth recently took a slight dip of $2.4 billion (-1.15%), reflecting fluctuations in Meta’s stock performance.
4. Larry Ellison ($205.6 Billion)
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison ranks fourth with a net worth of $205.6 billion. His wealth grew by $1.2 billion (0.60%), driven by Oracle’s consistent success in cloud computing and enterprise software.
5. Bernard Arnault & Family ($168.8 Billion)
The sole non-American on the list, Bernard Arnault, is the chairman of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company. Despite a $2.2 billion (-1.27%) drop in his fortune, Arnault remains Europe’s richest individual at 75 years old.
6. Larry Page ($159.7 Billion)
Google co-founder Larry Page sits at sixth, with his wealth tied to Alphabet Inc. His net worth recently decreased slightly by $1.1 billion (-0.69%) as Google’s stock experienced minor fluctuations.
7. Sergey Brin ($152.5 Billion)
Following closely is Sergey Brin, another Google co-founder. Brin saw his fortune dip by $1 billion (-0.68%), yet his contributions to technology innovation keep him among the elite.
8. Warren Buffett ($141.1 Billion)
At 94, Warren Buffett continues to amass wealth through his investment firm Berkshire Hathaway. Despite a minor loss of $131 million (-0.09%), Buffett’s financial strategies remain legendary.
9. Steve Ballmer ($125.0 Billion)
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer retains his spot in the top ten with a net worth of $125 billion. His fortune grew by $488 million (0.39%), thanks to the enduring success of Microsoft.
10. Jensen Huang ($122.3 Billion)
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang rounds out the list. Huang’s leadership in semiconductors and AI has driven NVIDIA’s success, with his net worth recently seeing a small decline of $26 million (-0.02%).
Clonclusion
It’s safe to say this list was built based on the success of individuals int he western world and parts of Europe. Many individuals from the Middle East and Asia are un accounted for.
