The World’s Wealthiest: Elon Musk, Zuckerberg, and 8 others top Forbes’ 2025 list
Elon Musk starts 2025 as the world’s richest person, becoming the first billionaire with a net worth exceeding $400 billion, according to Forbes.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO leads a group of global tycoons whose combined net worth has reached $1.9 trillion as of January 1, 2025, up from $1.8 trillion the previous month.
Notable in this list is Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who joins the top 10 for the first time, highlighting the semiconductor industry’s rapid growth.
Jeff Bezos
Here’s the Forbes ranking of the world’s top 10 richest individuals as of January 1, 2025:
1. Elon Musk
Net Worth: $421.2 billion
Source: Tesla, SpaceX, X, xAI
Age: 53
Citizenship: U.S.
Musk’s wealth surged by $91 billion in December due to SpaceX’s new $350 billion valuation. He also gained attention after being appointed co-head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by President Donald Trump.
2. Jeff Bezos
Net Worth: $233.5 billion
Source: Amazon
Age: 60
Citizenship: U.S.
Bezos reclaimed second place as Amazon shares rose 5% in December, adding $10 billion to his fortune.
3. Larry Ellison
Net Worth: $209.7 billion
Source: Oracle
Age: 80
Citizenship: U.S.
Ellison’s wealth dropped $17 billion after Oracle’s stock declined but remains in the top three.
4. Mark Zuckerberg
Net Worth: $202.5 billion
Source: Meta (Facebook)
Age: 40
Citizenship: U.S.
Meta’s 1.9% stock rise slightly boosted Zuckerberg’s fortune.
5. Bernard Arnault
Net Worth: $168.8 billion
Source: LVMH
Age: 75
Citizenship: France
Arnault gained $8.5 billion due to LVMH’s stock growth.
6. Larry Page
Net Worth: $157.9 billion
Source: Google (Alphabet)
Age: 51
Citizenship: U.S.
Page’s wealth remains tied to Google’s ongoing dominance.
7. Sergey Brin
Net Worth: $153.4 billion
Source: Google (Alphabet)
Age: 50
Citizenship: U.S.
Brin continues to profit from Alphabet’s success.
8. Warren Buffett
Net Worth: $139.6 billion
Source: Berkshire Hathaway
Age: 94
Citizenship: U.S.
Buffett’s fortune dropped $8.9 billion due to a 6% decline in Berkshire Hathaway’s stock.
9. Steve Ballmer
Net Worth: $123.5 billion
Source: Microsoft
Age: 68
Citizenship: U.S.
Ballmer’s fortune dipped by $500 million but still exceeds $100 billion.
10. Jensen Huang
Net Worth: $118 billion
Source: Nvidia
Age: 61
Citizenship: U.S.
Huang enters the top 10 following Nvidia’s 171% stock rise in 2024.
Forbes highlights that nine of the top ten are Americans, all of whom are men. Musk’s wealth, tied to Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures, underscores the volatility of billionaire rankings, driven by stock market fluctuations.
