Forbes’ annual list of billionaires is out, and in 2024, and it’s the biggest list yet — and the richest.
For 2024, Forbes listed a total of 2,781 billionaires, which is 141 more than the company listed in 2023. The number of billionaires in 2024 surpasses the previous record of 2755, which was set in 2021. This group is also wealthier this year: Forbes estimates their total wealth at $14.2 trillion.
Forbes reports that a good deal of that increased wealth comes from the U.S., which now has a record 813 billionaires (and more than any other country), and from the top 20, who added a total of $700 billion since last year. China has the second-most billionaires with 473. And 14 people are now on the list with a net worth at $100 billion or above, setting yet another record.
With more billionaires on the list, there are some newcomers, including Taylor Swift, whose Eras Tour earnings lifted her onto the list with an estimated $1.1 billion net worth, and former NBA star Magic Johnson (below), whose diversified investments in sports teams, real estate, health care and even Starbucks franchises landed him on the list with a net worth of $1.2 billion.
Oprah Winfrey, who became the first Black female billionaire in 2003, is still on the list ($2.8 billion net worth), as is Michael Jordan, who became the first billionaire athlete in 2015 ($3.2 billion).
On the list of richest women in the world, Forbes notes that a member of the Walton (of Walmart fame) or Bettencourt family (L’Oreal) has topped the list for many years. This year, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers (shown below) tops the list with a net worth of $99.5 billion.
Who landed the top spot as the richest person in the world? For the past few years, two billionaires from the U.S., Tesla founder Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, have dominated the top two spots on the list. However, a different billionaire has taken the title of the world’s richest person in 2024. Larry Page and Warren Buffett both dropped out of the top five in this year’s list but are still in the top 10.
To get its net worth calculations and make the list, Forbes used exchange rates and stock prices from March 8, 2024. Here are the top 5 billionaires on Forbes’ 2024 list:
5. Larry Ellison, net worth $141 billion. The chairman, founder and CTO of Oracle, owns just under 40% of the company, which steadily continues to make tech acquisitions, Forbes reports.
4. Mark Zuckerberg, net worth $177 billion. The founder of Facebook made a huge jump in wealth, of $116.2 billion, in the past year thanks to Meta’s stock price nearly tripling.
3. Jeff Bezos, net worth $194 billion. The Amazon founder has topped the list in the past, then held the No. 2 spot for the past two years. Forbes reports that he now only owns a less than 10% stake in the company. Bezos’ ex wife, MacKenzie Scott, is also on the 2024 list. Despite pledging to give away most of her wealth and making steady progress toward that goal every year, Scott is still the fifth wealthiest woman in the world.
2. Elon Musk, net worth $195 billion. In addition to EV powerhouse Tesla and a tunneling start-up called the Boring Company, Musk founded aerospace company SpaceX, which is worth an estimated $180 billion.
1. Bernard Arnault and family, net worth 233 billion. The French chairman and CEO of LVMH (shown above) oversees a multitude of fashion and beauty brands, including Sephora, Tiffany and Louis Vuitton. His five children are also involved in the luxury business, which Arnault started when he bought Christian Dior in 1984.
Who are the richest people in the world? originally appeared on Simplemost.com
