The World's Billionaires
List of the world's billionaires, ranked in order of net worth
The net worth of the world's billionaires increased from less than US$1 trillion in 2000 to over $7 trillion in 2015.
Publication details
Publisher
  • Whale Media Investments
  • Forbes family
PublicationForbes
First publishedMarch 1987[1]
Latest publicationApril 4, 2023
Current list details (2023)[2]
WealthiestBernard Arnault
Net worth (1st)Decrease US$211 billion
Number of billionairesDecrease 2,640 (from 2668)
Total list net worth valueDecrease US$12.2 trillion (from US$12.7 trillion)
Number of womenIncrease 337
Number of menIncrease 2310
New members to the listDecrease 150
Forbes: The World's Billionaires website

The World's Billionaires is an annual ranking of people who are billionaires, i.e., they are considered to have a net worth of US$1 billion or more, by the American business magazine Forbes. The list was first published in March 1987.[1] The total net worth of each individual on the list is estimated and is cited in United States dollars, based on their documented assets and accounting for debt and other factors. Royalty and dictators whose wealth comes from their positions are excluded from these lists.[3] This ranking is an index of the wealthiest documented individuals, excluding any ranking of those with wealth that is not able to be completely ascertained.[4]

In 2018, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was ranked at the top for the first time and became the first centibillionaire included in the ranking,[5] surpassing Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who had topped the list 18 of the previous 24 years. In 2022, after topping the list for four years, Bezos was surpassed by Elon Musk.[6] In 2023, Musk was in turn surpassed by French businessman Bernard Arnault, after topping the list for just a year. Arnault became the first French person to top the list.[2]

Methodology

Each year, Forbes employs a team of over 50 reporters from a variety of countries to track the activity of the world's wealthiest individuals[7] and sometimes groups or families – who share wealth. Preliminary surveys are sent to those who may qualify for the list. According to Forbes, they received three types of responses – some people try to inflate their wealth, others cooperate but leave out details, and some refuse to answer any questions.[8] Business deals are then scrutinized and estimates of valuable assets – land, homes, vehicles, artwork, etc. – are made. Interviews are conducted to vet the figures and improve the estimate of an individual's holdings. Finally, positions in a publicly traded stock are priced to market on a date roughly a month before publication. Privately held companies are priced by the prevailing price-to-sales or price-to-earnings ratios. Known debt is subtracted from assets to get a final estimate of an individual's estimated worth in United States dollars. Since stock prices fluctuate rapidly, an individual's true wealth and ranking at the time of publication may vary from their situation when the list was compiled.[7]

When a living individual has dispersed his or her wealth to immediate family members it is included under a single listing (as a single "family fortune") provided that individual (the grantor) is still living. However, if a deceased billionaire's fortune has been dispersed, it will not appear as a single listing, and each recipient will only appear if his or her own total net worth is over a $1 billion (his or her net worth will not be combined with family members').[7] Royal families and dictators that have their wealth contingent on a position are always excluded from these lists.[9]

Annual rankings

The rankings are published annually in March, so the net worths listed are snapshots taken at that time. These lists only show the top 10 wealthiest billionaires for each year.

Legend

Icon Description
Steady Has not changed from the previous ranking.
Increase Has increased from the previous ranking.
Decrease Has decreased from the previous ranking.

2023

In the 37th annual Forbes list of the world's billionaires, the list included 2,640 billionaires with a total net wealth of $12.2 trillion, down 28 members and $500 billion from 2022. Over half of the list is less wealthy compared to the previous year, including Elon Musk, who fell from No. 1 to No. 2.[2] The list also marks for the first time a French citizen was in the top position as well as a non-American for the first time since 2013 when the Mexican Carlos Slim Helu was the world's richest person. The list, like in 2022, counted 15 under 30 billionaires with the richest of them being Red Bull heir Mark Mateschitz with a net worth of $34.7 billion. The youngest of the lot were Clemente Del Vecchio, heir to the Luxottica fortune shared with his six siblings and stepmother, and Kim Jung-yang, whose fortune lies in Japanese-South Korean gaming giant Nexon, both under-20s.[10]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Primary source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseBernard Arnault & family$211 billion Increase74 FranceLVMH
2 DecreaseElon Musk$180 billion Decrease51 United States/ South Africa Tesla, SpaceX
3 DecreaseJeff Bezos$114 billion Decrease59 United States Amazon
4 IncreaseLarry Ellison$107 billion Increase78 United StatesOracle Corporation
5 SteadyWarren Buffett$106 billion Decrease92 United States Berkshire Hathaway
6 DecreaseBill Gates$104 billion Decrease67 United States Microsoft
7 IncreaseMichael Bloomberg$94.5 billion Increase81 United States Bloomberg L.P.
8 IncreaseCarlos Slim & family$93 billion Increase83 Mexico Telmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
9 IncreaseMukesh Ambani$83.4 billion Decrease65 IndiaReliance Industries
10 DecreaseSteve Ballmer$80.7 billion Decrease67 United StatesMicrosoft

2022

In the 36th annual Forbes list of the world's billionaires, the list included 2,668 billionaires with a total net wealth of $12.7 trillion, down 97 members from 2021.[6]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Primary source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseElon Musk$219 billion Increase50 United States/ South Africa Tesla, SpaceX
2 DecreaseJeff Bezos$177 billion Decrease58 United States Amazon
3 SteadyBernard Arnault & family$158 billion Increase73 FranceLVMH
4 SteadyBill Gates$129 billion Increase66 United States Microsoft
5 IncreaseWarren Buffett$118 billion Increase91 United States Berkshire Hathaway
6 IncreaseLarry Page$111 billion Increase49 United States Google
7 IncreaseSergey Brin$107 billion Increase48 United States Google
8 DecreaseLarry Ellison$106 billion Increase77 United StatesOracle Corporation
9 IncreaseSteve Ballmer$91.4 billion Increase66 United StatesMicrosoft
10 SteadyMukesh Ambani$90.7 billion Increase64 IndiaReliance Industries

2021

In the 35th annual Forbes list of the world's billionaires, the list included 2,755 billionaires with a total net wealth of $13.1 trillion, up 660 members from 2020; 86% of these billionaires had more wealth than they possessed last year.[11][12]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyJeff Bezos$177 billion Increase57 United States Amazon
2 IncreaseElon Musk$151 billion Increase49 United States/ South Africa Tesla, SpaceX
3 SteadyBernard Arnault & family$150 billion Increase72 FranceLVMH
4 DecreaseBill Gates$124 billion Increase65 United States Microsoft
5 IncreaseMark Zuckerberg$97 billion Increase36 United States Meta Platforms
6 DecreaseWarren Buffett$96 billion Increase90 United States Berkshire Hathaway
7 DecreaseLarry Ellison$93 billion Increase76 United StatesOracle Corporation
8 IncreaseLarry Page$91.5 billion Increase48 United States Google
9 IncreaseSergey Brin$89 billion Increase47 United States Google
10 IncreaseMukesh Ambani$84.5 billion Increase63 IndiaReliance Industries

2020

In the 34th annual Forbes list of the world's billionaires, the list included 2,095 billionaires with a total net wealth of $8 trillion, down 58 members and $700 billion from 2019; 51% of these billionaires had less wealth than they possessed last year.[13] The list was finalized as of 18 March, thus was already partially influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyJeff Bezos$113 billion Decrease56 United StatesAmazon
2 SteadyBill Gates$98 billion Increase64 United StatesMicrosoft
3 IncreaseBernard Arnault & family$76 billion Steady71 FranceLVMH
4 DecreaseWarren Buffett$67.5 billion Decrease89 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
5 IncreaseLarry Ellison$59 billion Decrease75 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 SteadyAmancio Ortega$55.1 billion Decrease84 SpainInditex, Zara
7 IncreaseMark Zuckerberg$54.7 billion Decrease35 United StatesFacebook, Inc.
8 Increase Jim Walton $54.6 billion Increase 71  United States Walmart
9 Increase Alice Walton $54.4 billion Increase 70  United States Walmart
10 Increase S. Robson Walton $54.1 billion Increase 77  United States Walmart

2019

In the 33rd annual Forbes list of the world's billionaires, the list included 2,153 billionaires with a total net wealth of $8.7 trillion, down 55 members and $400 billion from 2018.[14] The U.S. continued to have the most billionaires in the world, with a record of 609, while China dropped to 324 (when not including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan).[14]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyJeff Bezos$131 billion Increase55 United StatesAmazon
2 SteadyBill Gates$96.5 billion Increase63 United StatesMicrosoft
3 SteadyWarren Buffett$82.5 billion Decrease88 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 SteadyBernard Arnault$76 billion Increase70 FranceLVMH
5 IncreaseCarlos Slim$64 billion Decrease79 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
6 SteadyAmancio Ortega$62.7 billion Decrease82 SpainInditex, Zara
7 IncreaseLarry Ellison$62.5 billion Increase74 United StatesOracle Corporation
8 DecreaseMark Zuckerberg$62.3 billion Decrease34 United StatesFacebook, Inc.
9 IncreaseMichael Bloomberg$55.5 billion Increase77 United StatesBloomberg L.P.
10 IncreaseLarry Page$50.8 billion Increase45 United StatesGoogle

2018

In the 32nd annual Forbes list of the world's billionaires, the aggregate wealth of the top 20 richest people on Earth amounted to about 13 percent of all billionaires' fortunes combined.[15] A record of 2,208 billionaires were in the ranking and the total wealth was $9.1 trillion, up 18% since 2017. For the first time, Jeff Bezos was listed as the top billionaire due to Amazon's rising stock price that resulted in one person's biggest one-year gain in wealth ($35 billion) since Forbes started tracking in 1987.[15] The U.S. had the most billionaires in the world, with 585, while China was catching up with 476 when including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan; it had 372 when excluding those three places.[15] Forbes excluded Al-Walid bin Talal and all other Saudi billionaires due to the absence of accurate wealth estimations as a result of the 2017–19 Saudi Arabian purge.[16]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseJeff Bezos$112 billion Increase54 United StatesAmazon
2 DecreaseBill Gates$90 billion Increase62 United StatesMicrosoft
3 DecreaseWarren Buffett$84 billion Increase87 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 IncreaseBernard Arnault$72 billion Increase69 FranceLVMH
5 SteadyMark Zuckerberg$71 billion Increase33 United StatesFacebook, Inc.
6 DecreaseAmancio Ortega$70 billion Decrease81 SpainInditex, Zara
7 DecreaseCarlos Slim$67.1 billion Increase78 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
8 SteadyCharles Koch$60 billion Increase82 United StatesKoch Industries
8 SteadyDavid Koch$60 billion Increase77 United StatesKoch Industries
10 DecreaseLarry Ellison$58.5 billion Increase73 United StatesOracle Corporation

2017

On the 30th anniversary of the Forbes list of the world's billionaires, for the fourth year in a row, Bill Gates was named the richest man in the world.[5] In 2017, there was a record of 2,043 people on the list, which is the first time over 2,000 people were listed. This included 195 newcomers of whom 76 were from China and 25 from the U.S.; there were 56 people under 40 and it had a record of 227 women.[17] The number of billionaires increased 13% to 2,043 from 1,810 in 2016; this was the biggest change in over 30 years of tracking billionaires globally.[5] Added together, the total net worth for 2017's billionaires was US$7.67 trillion, up from US$7.1 trillion in 2015.[5][18] This was the first time after 12 years that Carlos Slim was not within the top five. The U.S. had the most billionaires in the world, with a record of 565. China had 319 (not including Hong Kong, Taiwan or Macau), Germany had 114, and India had the fourth most with 101; India reached over 100 billionaires for its first time.

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$86.0 billion Increase61 United StatesMicrosoft
2 IncreaseWarren Buffett$75.6 billion Increase86 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 IncreaseJeff Bezos$72.8 billion Increase53 United StatesAmazon
4 DecreaseAmancio Ortega$71.3 billion Increase80 SpainInditex, Zara
5 IncreaseMark Zuckerberg$56.0 billion Increase32 United StatesFacebook, Inc.
6 DecreaseCarlos Slim$54.5 billion Increase77 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
7 SteadyLarry Ellison$52.2 billion Increase72 United StatesOracle Corporation
8 IncreaseCharles Koch$48.3 billion Increase81 United StatesKoch Industries
8 IncreaseDavid Koch$48.3 billion Increase76 United StatesKoch Industries
10 DecreaseMichael Bloomberg$47.5 billion Increase75 United StatesBloomberg L.P.

2016

For the third year in a row, Bill Gates was named the richest man in the world by Forbes' 2016 list of the world's billionaires.[19] This is the 17th time that the founder of Microsoft had claimed the top spot. Amancio Ortega rose from last year's position of number four to second.[20] Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway came in third for the second consecutive time,[21] while Mexican telecommunication mogul Carlos Slim slipped from last year's second position to fourth. Jeff Bezos of Amazon,[22] Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook[23] and Michael Bloomberg of Bloomberg L.P.,[24] appeared for the first time on the Forbes top 10 billionaires list, coming at fifth, sixth and eighth positions, respectively. Zuckerberg became the youngest top 10 billionaire this year at the age of 31. Larry Ellison, Charles Koch and David Koch also slipped from their previous year's positions, with Ellison dropping to seventh from fifth, and the Kochs falling to ninth position from sixth.

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$75.0 billion Decrease60 United StatesMicrosoft
2 IncreaseAmancio Ortega$67.0 billion Increase79 SpainInditex
3 SteadyWarren Buffett$60.8 billion Decrease85 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 DecreaseCarlos Slim$50.0 billion Decrease76 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
5 IncreaseJeff Bezos$45.2 billion Increase52 United StatesAmazon
6 IncreaseMark Zuckerberg$44.6 billion Increase31 United StatesFacebook, Inc.
7 DecreaseLarry Ellison$43.6 billion Decrease71 United StatesOracle Corporation
8 IncreaseMichael Bloomberg$40.0 billion Increase74 United StatesBloomberg L.P.
9 DecreaseCharles Koch$39.6 billion Decrease80 United StatesKoch Industries
9 DecreaseDavid Koch$39.6 billion Decrease75 United StatesKoch Industries

2015

In the 29th annual Forbes list of global billionaires, a record 1,826 billionaires were named with an aggregated net worth of $7.1 trillion compared to $6.4 trillion in the previous year. 46 of the billionaires in this list were under the age of 40. A record number of 290 people joined the list for the first time, of whom 25 percent hailed from China, which produced a world-leading 71 newcomers. The United States came in second, with 57; followed by India, with 28; and Germany, with 23.[25] The United States had the largest number of billionaires with 526. Russia went down to 88 from 111 in 2014. Russia was placed behind China, Germany and India by the number of billionaires. Self-made billionaires made up the largest number of people on the list with 1,191 positions (over 65 percent), while just 230 (under 13 percent) had wealth through inheritance. The number of billionaires who inherited a portion but were still working to increase their fortunes is 405.[26]

Bill Gates was named the richest man in the world by Forbes' annual list of the world's billionaires. This was the 16th time that the founder of Microsoft claimed the top spot. Carlos Slim came in second for the second consecutive time. Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway placed third, while Amancio Ortega of Spain, slipped down a position from the previous year to number four. Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, rounded off the top five. Christy Walton was the highest-ranking female at number eight. America's Evan Spiegel, co-founder of photo messaging app Snapchat, became the youngest billionaire this year at age 24. At age 99, David Rockefeller maintained his position as the oldest billionaire included in the list.[27] Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, rose to number 16 with $33.4 billion. Iceland had a billionaire, Thor Bjorgolfsson, in the list after a gap of five years. Guatemala had a billionaire, Mario Lopez Estrada, for the first time in its history.[28]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$79.2 billion Increase59 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyCarlos Slim$77.1 billion Increase75 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
3 IncreaseWarren Buffett$72.7 billion Increase84 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 DecreaseAmancio Ortega$64.5 billion Increase78 SpainInditex
5 SteadyLarry Ellison$54.3 billion Increase70 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 SteadyCharles Koch$42.9 billion Increase79 United StatesKoch Industries
6 SteadyDavid Koch$42.9 billion Increase74 United StatesKoch Industries
8 IncreaseChristy Walton$41.7 billion Increase66 United StatesWalmart
9 IncreaseJim Walton$40.6 billion Increase66 United StatesWalmart
10 IncreaseLiliane Bettencourt$40.1 billion Increase92 FranceL'Oreal

2014

Gates added $9 billion to his fortune since 2013 and topped the Forbes 2014 billionaire list. He had topped the list in 15 of the previous 20 years, but his previous number one ranking was in 2009.[29] Mexican telecommunication mogul Carlos Slim came in second place after being number one the previous four years. Zara founder Amancio Ortega placed third for the second consecutive year. American investor Warren Buffett was in the top five for the 20th consecutive year, placing fourth.[30] America's Christy Walton was the highest ranking woman, placing ninth overall.[1] Aliko Dangote of Nigeria became the first African to enter the top 25, with an estimated net worth of $25 billion.[3]

A total of 1,645 people made the 2014 billionaire list, representing a combined wealth of $6.4 trillion.[30] Of those, a record 268 were newcomers, surpassing 2008's 226 newcomers.[1] 100 people listed in 2013 failed to make the list.[30] The number of women on the list rose to a record 172 in 2014.[1] Approximately 66 percent of the list were self-made, 13 percent achieved their wealth through inheritance alone, and 21 percent through a mixture of the two.[3]

The United States had 492 billionaires on the list, the most of any country.[30] It also had the most newcomers with 50, and women with 54.[1] China had the second most billionaires with 152, while Russia was third with 111.[30] Algeria, Lithuania, Tanzania, and Uganda were all represented on the list for the first time. Turkey saw the most people drop off the list, 19, due to a period of high inflation in the country.[3]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseBill Gates$76.0 billion Increase58 United StatesMicrosoft
2 DecreaseCarlos Slim & family$72.0 billion Decrease74 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
3 SteadyAmancio Ortega$64.0 billion Increase77 SpainInditex
4 SteadyWarren Buffett$58.2 billion Increase83 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
5 SteadyLarry Ellison$48.0 billion Increase70 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 SteadyCharles Koch$40.0 billion Increase78 United StatesKoch Industries
6 SteadyDavid Koch$40.0 billion Increase73 United StatesKoch Industries
8 IncreaseSheldon Adelson$38.0 billion Increase80 United StatesLas Vegas Sands
9 IncreaseChristy Walton & family$36.7 billion Increase65 United StatesWalmart
10 IncreaseJim Walton$34.7 billion Increase65 United StatesWalmart

2013

Carlos Slim topped the 2013 billionaire list, marking his fourth consecutive year at the top. Gates remained in second, while Amancio Ortega moved up to third. Ortega's gain of $19.5 billion was the largest of anyone on the list.[31] Warren Buffett failed to make the top three for the first time since 2000, placing fourth. Diesel founder Renzo Rosso was among the top newcomers, debuting with an estimate net worth of $3 billion.[32]

A global rise in asset prices led Forbes editor Randall Lane to declare "It [was] a very good year to be a billionaire". However, it was not a good year to be Eike Batista, who fell from seventh to 100th, suffering the largest net loss of anyone on the list.[31] Overall, net gainers outnumbered net losers by 4:1.[32]

A record total of 1,426 people made the 2013 list, representing $5.4 trillion of assets.[33] Of those, 442 billionaires hailed from the United States.[31] The Asian-Pacific region had 386 billionaires and Europe 366. The list also featured a record number of newcomers, 210, representing 42 countries. 60 people from the 2012 list fell below a billion dollars of assets in 2013, and eight others from the 2012 list died. The Asia-Pacific region had the most drop-offs, with 29, followed by the United States with 16. The 2013 list featured 138 women, of which 50 came from the United States. A majority of the list (961 individuals, 67 percent) were entirely self-made; 184 (13 percent) inherited their wealth, and 281 (20 percent) achieved their fortune through a combination of inheritance and business acumen.[33] Vietnam's Phạm Nhật Vượng was the first person from that country to be included in this list.

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyCarlos Slim & family$73.0 billion Increase73 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 SteadyBill Gates$67.0 billion Increase57 United StatesMicrosoft
3 IncreaseAmancio Ortega$57.0 billion Increase76 SpainInditex Group
4 DecreaseWarren Buffett$53.5 billion Increase82 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
5 IncreaseLarry Ellison$43.0 billion Increase68 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 IncreaseCharles Koch$34.0 billion Increase77 United StatesKoch Industries
6 IncreaseDavid Koch$34.0 billion Increase72 United StatesKoch Industries
8 IncreaseLi Ka-shing$31.0 billion Increase84 Hong KongCheung Kong Holdings
9 IncreaseLiliane Bettencourt & family$30.0 billion Increase90 FranceL'Oréal
10 DecreaseBernard Arnault$29.0 billion Decrease63 FranceLVMH

2012

Carlos Slim topped the 2012 list, marking this third consecutive year at the top. Gates placed second but narrowed the gap from 2011 as Slim's fortune fell $5 billion while Gates' rose $5 billion. Warren Buffett remained in third place. Bernard Arnault of France was the top-ranking European on the list, placing fourth.[34] Ricardo Salinas Pliego was the greatest gainer in terms of dollars, adding $9.2 billion to his fortune and moving up to number 37 overall.[34] Making her debut on the list at age 41, Spanx founder Sara Blakely became the youngest self-made female billionaire ever.[35] Colombia's Alejandro Santo Domingo was the highest-ranked newcomer, inheriting a $9.5 billion stake in Santo Domingo Group from his father.[34] India's Lakshmi Mittal was the largest loser as his fortune dropped from $31.1 billion to $20.7 billion as the price of steelmaker ArcelorMittal fell sharply.[34] As a result, he failed to make the top 10 for the first time since 2004 and lost his title of richest Asian to Hong Kong's Li Ka-shing.[36]

A record total of 1,226 people made the 2012 list, representing 58 countries. Of those, 126 were newcomers to the list and 104 were women. The United States had the greatest number of billionaires with 425. Russia had 96 people on the list, while China had 95.[34] Georgia, Morocco, and Peru were newly represented on the list. Falling stock prices in Asia contributed to 117 former billionaires falling from the list worldwide. Twelve others listed in 2011 died. Overall, net gainers (460) barely outnumbered net losers (441).[36]

To coincide with the release of the 2012 list, Forbes announced a then-new "Billionaire Real-Time Ticker" updating the wealth of the world's top 50 billionaires in real time.[34]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyCarlos Slim & family$69.0 billion Decrease72 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 SteadyBill Gates$61.0 billion Increase56 United StatesMicrosoft
3 SteadyWarren Buffett$44.0 billion Decrease81 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 SteadyBernard Arnault$41.0 billion Increase63 FranceLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
5 IncreaseAmancio Ortega$37.5 billion Increase75 SpainInditex Group
6 DecreaseLarry Ellison$36.0 billion Increase67 United StatesOracle Corporation
7 IncreaseEike Batista$30.0 billion Increase55 BrazilEBX Group
8 IncreaseStefan Persson$26.0 billion Increase64 SwedenH&M
9 IncreaseLi Ka-shing$25.5 billion Increase83 Hong KongCheung Kong Holdings
10 IncreaseKarl Albrecht$25.4 billion Increase92 GermanyAldi

2011

In the 25th annual Forbes list of global billionaires, Slim added $20.5 billion to his fortune, the most of anyone, and retained his number one ranking with a total fortune of $74 billion. Gates remained in second place with $56 billion, while Warren Buffett was third with $50 billion. The top 10 had a combined wealth of $406 billion, up from $342 billion in 2010. According to Forbes editor Kerry Dolan, "media and technology billionaires definitely benefited from a stronger stock market and a growing enthusiasm for all things social" since the 2010 list.[37] However, Nigerian commodity mogul Aliko Dangote was the greatest gainer on a percentage basis as his fortune increased 557 percent to $13.5 billion. Mark Zuckerberg was one of seven Facebook-related billionaires on the list, as he added $9.5 billion to his net worth to move up to 52nd. Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz was the youngest person on the list. Aged 26, eight days younger than Zuckerberg, he debuted at number 420 with an estimated fortune of $2.7 billion. IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad was the largest loser as he saw his fortune plummet from $23 billion to $6 billion, dropping him from 11th to 162nd overall.

A record 1,210 billionaires made the 2011 list, representing a combined wealth of $4.5 trillion, up from $3.6 trillion the previous year.[38] One third of the world's billionaires, 413, came from the United States. China had the second most billionaires with 115, while Russia was third with 101. Asia moved up to 332 billionaires, passing Europe as a region for the first time since the 1990s. The 2011 list included 214 newcomers and the average net worth of those on it increased to $3.7 billion.[37]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyCarlos Slim$74.0 billion Increase71 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 SteadyBill Gates$56.0 billion Increase55 United StatesMicrosoft
3 SteadyWarren Buffett$50.0 billion Increase80 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 IncreaseBernard Arnault$41.0 billion Increase62 FranceLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
5 IncreaseLarry Ellison$39.5 billion Increase66 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 DecreaseLakshmi Mittal$31.1 billion Increase60 IndiaArcelor Mittal
7 IncreaseAmancio Ortega$31.0 billion Increase74 SpainInditex Group
8 SteadyEike Batista$30.0 billion Increase53 BrazilEBX Group
9 DecreaseMukesh Ambani$27.0 billion Decrease54 IndiaReliance Industries
10 IncreaseChristy Walton & family$26.5 billion Increase62 United StatesWalmart

2010

Slim narrowly eclipsed Gates to top the billionaire list for the first time. Slim saw his estimated worth surge $18.5 billion to $53.5 billion as shares of America Movil rose 35 percent. Gates' estimated wealth rose $13 billion to $53 billion, placing him second. Warren Buffett was third with $47 billion.[39] Christy Walton was the highest-ranking woman, placing 12th overall, with an inherited fortune of $22.5 billion.[40] At age 25, Mark Zuckerberg continued to be the world's youngest self-made billionaire.[8] American Isaac Perlmutter was among the newcomers with an estimated fortune of $4 billion largely acquired in his sale of Marvel Entertainment to Disney.[39]

A total of 1,011 people made the 2010 list. The United States accounted for 403 billionaires, followed by China with 89 and Russia with 62.[40] It was the first time China, while including Hong Kong, placed second.[39] A total of 55 countries were represented on the 2010 list, including Finland and Pakistan which claimed their first billionaires.[40] Eighty-nine women made the list, but only 14 of them were self-made.[40] The combined net worth of the list was $3.6 trillion, up 50 percent from 2009's $2.4 trillion, while the average net worth was $3.5 billion.[8]

The 2010 list featured 164 re-entries and 97 true newcomers.[8] Asia accounted for more than 100 of the new entrants. Overall, just 12 percent of the list lost wealth since 2009, and 30 people fell off the list. 13 others died.[39] Of the 89 women, 12 were newcomers in 2010. Steve Forbes said the growing number of billionaires was a clear sign that the world's economy was recovering from 2009's global financial crisis.[8]

In June 2010, Gates and Buffett announced the Giving Pledge, a promise to give the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. As of 2017, the pledge had 158 signatories, but some of the signatories have since died. Most of the signers of the pledge are billionaires, and their pledges total over $365 billion.[41]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseCarlos Slim & family$53.5 billion Increase70 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 DecreaseBill Gates$53.0 billion Increase54 United StatesMicrosoft
3 DecreaseWarren Buffett$47.0 billion Increase79 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 IncreaseMukesh Ambani$29.0 billion Increase53 IndiaReliance Industries
5 IncreaseLakshmi Mittal$28.7 billion Increase60 IndiaArcelor Mittal
6 DecreaseLarry Ellison$28.0 billion Increase66 United StatesOracle Corporation
7 IncreaseBernard Arnault$27.5 billion Increase61 FranceLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
8 IncreaseEike Batista$27.0 billion Increase53 BrazilEBX Group
9 IncreaseAmancio Ortega$25.0 billion Increase74 SpainInditex Group
10 DecreaseKarl Albrecht$23.5 billion Increase90 GermanyAldi Süd

2009

In the wake of the Financial crisis of 2007–2008, the world's billionaires lost $2 trillion in net worth and the list became 30% smaller than the previous year's list.[42]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseBill Gates$40.0 billion Decrease53 United StatesMicrosoft
2 DecreaseWarren Buffett$37.0 billion Decrease78 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 DecreaseCarlos Slim$35.0 billion Decrease69 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
4 IncreaseLarry Ellison$22.5 billion Decrease64 United StatesOracle Corporation
5 IncreaseIngvar Kamprad$22.0 billion Decrease83 SwedenIKEA
6 IncreaseKarl Albrecht$21.5 billion Decrease89 GermanyAldi Süd
7 DecreaseMukesh Ambani$19.5 billion Decrease52 IndiaReliance Industries
8 DecreaseLakshmi Mittal$19.3 billion Decrease58 IndiaArcelor Mittal
9 IncreaseTheo Albrecht$18.8 billion Decrease87 GermanyAldi Nord, Trader Joe's
10 IncreaseAmancio Ortega$18.3 billion Decrease73 SpainInditex Group

2008

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, four years after starting the company, joined the list at 23 to become the youngest self-made billionaire.

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseWarren Buffett$62.0 billion Increase77 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
2 IncreaseCarlos Slim$60.0 billion Increase68 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
3 DecreaseBill Gates$58.0 billion Increase52 United StatesMicrosoft
4 IncreaseLakshmi Mittal$45.0 billion Increase57 IndiaArcelor Mittal
5 IncreaseMukesh Ambani$43.0 billion Increase51 IndiaReliance Industries
6 IncreaseAnil Ambani$42.0 billion Increase48 IndiaAnil Dhirubhai Ambani Group
7 DecreaseIngvar Kamprad$31.0 billion Decrease81 SwedenIKEA
8 IncreaseKushal Pal Singh$30.0 billion Increase76 IndiaDLF Group
9 IncreaseOleg Deripaska$28.0 billion Increase40 RussiaRusal
10 Increase Karl Albrecht$27.0 billion Increase88 GermanyAldi Süd

2007

Forbes recorded a then record of 946 billionaires. There were 178 newcomers, as well as the first billionaires from Cyprus, Oman, Romania and Serbia. Over 66% of the previous year's billionaires became richer. The billionaires' net worth increased in 2007 by $900 billion to $3.5 trillion.[43]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$56.0 billion Increase51 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyWarren Buffett$52.0 billion Increase76 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 SteadyCarlos Slim$49.0 billion Increase67 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
4 SteadyIngvar Kamprad$33.0 billion Increase80 SwedenIKEA
5 SteadyLakshmi Mittal$32.0 billion Increase56 IndiaArcelor Mittal
6 IncreaseSheldon Adelson$26.5 billion Increase73 United StatesLas Vegas Sands
7 SteadyBernard Arnault$26.0 billion Increase58 FranceLVMH
8 IncreaseAmancio Ortega$24.0 billion Increase71 SpainInditex Group
9 IncreaseLi Ka-shing$23.0 billion Increase78 Hong KongCheung Kong Holdings, Hutchison Whampoa
10 IncreaseDavid Thomson$22.0 billion Increase49 CanadaThomson Corporation

2006

Free cash used by consumers from home equity extraction, known as the real estate bubble created a total of nearly $5 trillion in 2005, contributing to economic growth worldwide.[44]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$52.0 billion Increase50 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyWarren Buffett$42.0 billion Decrease75 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 IncreaseCarlos Slim$30.0 billion Increase66 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
4 IncreaseIngvar Kamprad$28.0 billion Increase79 SwedenIKEA
5 DecreaseLakshmi Mittal$23.5 billion Decrease55 IndiaMittal Steel Company
6 IncreasePaul Allen$22.0 billion Increase53 United StatesMicrosoft
7 IncreaseBernard Arnault$21.5 billion Increase57 FranceLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
8 DecreaseAl-Waleed bin Talal$20.0 billion Decrease49 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
9 IncreaseKenneth Thomson$19.6 billion Increase82 CanadaThomson Corporation
10 IncreaseLi Ka-shing$18.8 billion Increase77 Hong KongCheung Kong Group, Hutchison Whampoa

2005

The net worth of 2005's 691 billionaires was $2.2 trillion. More than half of them had self-made fortunes.[45]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$46.5 billion Decrease49 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyWarren Buffett$44.0 billion Increase74 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 IncreaseLakshmi Mittal$25.0 billion Increase54 IndiaMittal Steel Company
4 IncreaseCarlos Slim$23.8 billion Increase65 MexicoAmérica Móvil, Grupo Carso
5 DecreaseAl-Waleed bin Talal$23.7 billion Increase49 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
6 IncreaseIngvar Kamprad$23.0 billion Increase79 SwedenIKEA
7 DecreasePaul Allen$21.0 billion Steady52 United StatesMicrosoft
8 DecreaseKarl Albrecht$18.5 billion Decrease85 GermanyAldi Süd
9 IncreaseLarry Ellison$18.4 billion Decrease60 United StatesOracle Corporation
10 SteadyS. Robson Walton$18.3 billion Decrease61 United StatesWalmart

2004

The founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, became billionaires at age 30.

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$46.6 billion Increase48 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyWarren Buffett$42.9 billion Increase73 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 SteadyKarl Albrecht$23.0 billion Increase84 GermanyAldi Süd
4 IncreaseAl-Waleed bin Talal$21.5 billion Increase47 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
5 DecreasePaul Allen$21.0 billion Increase51 United StatesMicrosoft
6 IncreaseAlice Walton*$20.0 billion Increase55 United StatesWal-Mart
6 IncreaseHelen Walton*$20.0 billion Increase84 United StatesWal-Mart
6 IncreaseJim Walton*$20.0 billion Increase56 United StatesWal-Mart
6 IncreaseJohn Walton*$20.0 billion Increase58 United StatesWal-Mart
6 IncreaseS. Robson Walton*$20.0 billion Increase60 United StatesWal-Mart

* Each hold an essentially equal share in Walmart.

2003

Oprah Winfrey became the first female African-American billionaire.

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$40.7 billion Decrease47 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyWarren Buffett$30.5 billion Decrease72 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 SteadyKarl and Theo Albrecht$25.6 billion Decrease83 GermanyAldi
4 SteadyPaul Allen$20.1 billion Decrease50 United StatesMicrosoft
5 IncreaseAl-Waleed bin Talal$17.7 billion Decrease46 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
6 DecreaseLarry Ellison$16.6 billion Decrease58 United StatesOracle Corporation
7 DecreaseAlice Walton*$16.5 billion Decrease54 United StatesWal-Mart
7 DecreaseHelen Walton*$16.5 billion Decrease83 United StatesWal-Mart
7 DecreaseJim Walton*$16.5 billion Decrease55 United StatesWal-Mart
7 DecreaseJohn Walton*$16.5 billion Decrease57 United StatesWal-Mart
7 DecreaseS. Robson Walton*$16.5 billion Decrease59 United StatesWal-Mart

* Each hold an essentially equal share in Walmart.

2002

As a result of the market crash caused by the Dot-com bubble, 83 billionaires dropped off the list from the previous year.

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$52.8 billion Decrease46 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyWarren Buffett$35.0 billion Increase71 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 IncreaseKarl and Theo Albrecht$26.8 billion Increase82 GermanyAldi
4 DecreasePaul Allen$25.2 billion Decrease49 United StatesMicrosoft
5 DecreaseLarry Ellison$23.5 billion Decrease57 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 IncreaseJim Walton*$20.8 billion Increase54 United StatesWal-Mart
7 IncreaseJohn Walton*$20.7 billion Increase56 United StatesWal-Mart
8 IncreaseAlice Walton*$20.5 billion Increase53 United StatesWal-Mart
8 IncreaseS. Robson Walton*$20.5 billion Increase58 United StatesWal-Mart
8 IncreaseHelen Walton*$20.5 billion Increase82 United StatesWal-Mart

* Each hold an essentially equal share in Walmart.

2001

In 2001, BET founder Robert L. Johnson became the first ever African-American billionaire.[46]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$58.7 billion Decrease45 United StatesMicrosoft
2 IncreaseWarren Buffett$32.3 billion Increase70 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 SteadyPaul Allen$30.4 billion Increase48 United StatesMicrosoft
4 DecreaseLarry Ellison$26.0 billion Decrease56 United StatesOracle Corporation
5 SteadyKarl and Theo Albrecht$25.0 billion Increase81 GermanyAldi
6 SteadyAl-Waleed bin Talal$20.0 billion Steady44 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
7 IncreaseJim Walton*$18.8 billion Increase53 United StatesWal-Mart
8 IncreaseJohn Walton*$18.7 billion Increase55 United StatesWal-Mart
9 IncreaseS. Robson Walton*$18.6 billion Increase57 United StatesWal-Mart
10 IncreaseAlice Walton*$18.5 billion Increase52 United StatesWal-Mart
10 IncreaseHelen Walton*$18.5 billion Increase81 United StatesWal-Mart

* Each hold an essentially equal share in Wal-Mart. Had he been alive in 2001, Sam Walton would have been the world's wealthiest person.

2000

Gates became the first American to take the top spot of the world's billionaires in 1995 with a net worth of $12.5 billion, and he remained there during the dot-com bubble's height in 1999 when his fortune peaked at $90 billion. After the dot-com bubble started to collapse in 2000, his wealth dropped to $60 billion, although he remained at the top of the list.

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$60.0 billion Decrease44 United StatesMicrosoft
2 IncreaseLarry Ellison$47.0 billion  Increase55 United StatesOracle Corporation
3 SteadyPaul Allen$28.0 billion Decrease47 United StatesMicrosoft
4 DecreaseWarren Buffett$25.6 billion Decrease69 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
5 IncreaseKarl and Theo Albrecht$20.0 billion  Increase80 GermanyAldi
6 IncreaseAl-Waleed bin Talal$20.0 billion Increase43 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
7 SteadyS. Robson Walton$20.0 billion Increase57 United StatesWal-Mart
8 IncreaseMasayoshi Son$19.4 billion Increase43 JapanSoftbank Capital, SoftBank Mobile
9 DecreaseMichael Dell$19.1 billion Increase35 United StatesDell
10 IncreaseKenneth Thomson$16.1 billion Increase77 CanadaThe Thomson Corporation

1999

No.[47] Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$90.0 billion Increase43 United StatesMicrosoft
2 IncreaseWarren Buffett$36.0 billion Increase68 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 IncreasePaul Allen$30.0 billion Increase46 United StatesMicrosoft
4 IncreaseSteven Ballmer$19.5 billion Increase43 United StatesMicrosoft
5 IncreasePhilip Anschutz$16.5 billion Increase59 United StatesThe Anschutz Corporation
6 IncreaseMichael Dell$16.5 billion Increase34 United StatesDell
7 IncreaseS. Robson Walton$15.8 billion55 United StatesWal-Mart
8 SteadyAl-Waleed Bin Talal$15.0 billion Increase42 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
9 IncreaseKarl and Theo Albrecht$13.6 billion Increase79 GermanyAldi
10 IncreaseLi Ka-shing & family$12.6 billion Increase71 Hong KongCK Asset Holdings[48]

1998

No.[47] Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyBill Gates$51.0 billion Increase43 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyWalton family$48.0 billion Increase_ United StatesWal-Mart
3 SteadyWarren Buffett$33.0 billion Increase67 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 IncreasePaul Allen$21.0 billion Increase45 United StatesMicrosoft
5 IncreaseKenneth Thomson$14.4 billion Increase74 CanadaWoodbridge Co. Ltd.[49]
6 IncreaseJay and Robert Pritzker$13.5 billion Increase_ United StatesHyatt[50]
7 IncreaseForrest Mars Sr. & family$13.5 billion Increase94 United StatesMars, Inc.[51]
8 IncreaseAl-Waleed Bin Talal$13.3 billion Increase41 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
9 DecreaseLee Shau-kee$12.7 billion Decrease70 Hong KongHenderson Land Development[52]
10 DecreaseKarl and Theo Albrecht$11.7 billion Increase78 GermanyAldi

1997

No.[47] Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseBill Gates$36.4 billion Increase42 United StatesMicrosoft
2 DecreaseWalton family$27.6 billion Increase_ United StatesWal-Mart
3 SteadyWarren Buffett$23.2 billion Increase66 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 IncreaseLee Shau-kee$14.7 billion Increase69 Hong KongHenderson Land Development[52]
5 IncreasePaul Allen$14.1 billion Increase44 United StatesMicrosoft
6 IncreaseKwok brothers$12.3 billion Increase48 Hong KongSun Hung Kai Properties[53]
7 IncreaseHaas family$12.3 billion Increase_ United StatesLevi Strauss & Co[54]
8 IncreaseForrest Mars Sr. & family$12.0 billion Increase93 United StatesMars, Inc.[51]
9 IncreaseKarl and Theo Albrecht$11.5 billion Increase77 GermanyAldi
10 DecreaseTsai Wan-lin & family$11.3 billion Decrease73 TaiwanCathay Life Insurance[55]

1996

No.[47] Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyWalton family$22.9 billion Decrease_ United StatesWal-Mart
2 SteadyBill Gates$18.0 billion Increase41 United StatesMicrosoft
3 SteadyWarren Buffett$15.3 billion Increase65 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 IncreaseOeri, Hoffman & Sacher families$13.1 billion Increase_  SwitzerlandRoche[56]
5 IncreaseLee Shau-kee$12.7 billion Increase68 Hong KongHenderson Land Development[52]
6 IncreaseTsai Wan-lin & family$12.2 billion Increase72 TaiwanCathay Life Insurance[55]
7 IncreaseKwok brothers$11.2 billion Increase_ Hong KongSun Hung Kai Properties[53]
8 IncreaseLi Ka-shing & family$10.6 billion Increase68 Hong KongCK Asset Holdings[48]
9 DecreaseYoshiaki Tsutsumi$9.2 billion Increase62 JapanSeibu Railway[57]
10 IncreaseKarl and Theo Albrecht$9.0 billion Increase76 GermanyAldi[58]

1995

No.[47] Name Net worth (USD) Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyWalton family$23.5 billion Increase United States Wal-Mart
2 IncreaseBill Gates$12.9 billion Increase United States Microsoft
3 IncreaseWarren Buffett$10.7 billion Increase United States Berkshire Hathaway
4 DecreaseHans and Gad Rausing$9.0 billion Steady Sweden Tetra Pak
5 DecreaseYoshiaki Tsutsumi$9.0 billion Increase Japan Seibu Corporation
6 IncreasePaul Sacher & Hoffman family$8.6 billion Increase  Switzerland Hoffmann-La Roche
7 IncreaseTsai Wan-lin & family$8.5 billion Increase Taiwan Lin Yuan Group
8 IncreaseKenneth Thomson$6.5 billion Increase Canada Thomson Corporation
9 IncreaseLee Shau-kee$6.5 billion Hong Kong Henderson Land Development
10 IncreaseChung Ju-yung$6.2 billion South Korea Hyundai

1994

No.[47] Name Net worth (USD) Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyWalton family$22.6 billion Decrease United States Wal-Mart
2 Increasedu Pont family$9.0 billion Increase United States DuPont
3 IncreaseHans and Gad Rausing$9.0 billion Increase Sweden Tetra Pak
4 DecreaseYoshiaki Tsutsumi$8.5 billion Decrease Japan Seibu Corporation
5 IncreaseBill Gates$8.2 billion Increase United States Microsoft
6 IncreaseWarren Buffett$7.9 billion Increase United States Berkshire Hathaway
7 IncreasePaul Sacher & Hoffman family$7.8 billion Increase  Switzerland Hoffmann-La Roche
8 IncreaseTsai Wan-lin & family$7.5 billion Increase Taiwan Lin Yuan Group
9 IncreaseKarl and Theo Albrecht$7.3 billion Increase Germany Aldi
10 IncreaseCarlos Slim$6.6 billion Increase Mexico América Móvil, Grupo Carso

1993

No.[47] Name Net worth (USD) Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyWalton family$25.3 billion Increase United States Wal-Mart
2 IncreaseMars family$9.2 billion Increase United States Mars, Inc.
3 SteadyYoshiaki Tsutsumi$9.0 billion Decrease Japan Seibu Corporation
4 Increasedu Pont family$8.6 billion Increase United States DuPont
5 IncreaseMinoru and Akira Mori$7.5 billion Increase Japan Mori Building Company
6 IncreaseBill Gates$7.4 billion Increase United States Microsoft
7 IncreaseSamuel and Donald Newhouse$7.0 billion Increase United States Advance Publications
8 IncreaseSid and Lee Bass & brothers$6.8 billion Increase United States Richardson Gasoline
9 IncreaseWarren Buffett$6.6 billion Increase United States Berkshire Hathaway
10 DecreaseErivan Haub$6.2 billion Decrease Germany Tengelmann Group

1992

No.[47] Name Net worth (USD) Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyWalton family$23.8 billion Increase United States Wal-Mart
2 SteadyTaikichiro Mori$13.0 billion Decrease Japan Mori Building Company
3 SteadyYoshiaki Tsutsumi$10.0 billion Decrease Japan Seibu Corporation
4 IncreaseHans and Gad Rausing$7.0 billion Increase Sweden Tetra Pak
5 IncreaseErivan Haub$6.9 billion Increase Germany Tengelmann Group
6 IncreaseHaniel family$6.4 billion Increase Germany Franz Haniel & Cie.
7 IncreaseBill Gates$6.4 billion Increase United States Microsoft
8 IncreaseDavid Sainsbury & family$6.2 billion Increase United Kingdom Sainsbury's
9 DecreaseKenneth Thomson$6.2 billion Decrease Canada Thomson Corporation
10 SteadyShin Kyuk-ho$6.0 billion Steady South Korea Lotte Corporation

1991

No.[47] Name Net worth (USD) Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseWalton family$18.5 billion Increase United States Wal-Mart
2 SteadyTaikichiro Mori$15.0 billion Increase Japan Mori Building Company
3 DecreaseYoshiaki Tsutsumi$14.0 billion Decrease Japan Seibu Corporation
4 Steadydu Pont family$10.0 billion Steady United States DuPont
5 SteadyHans and Gad Rausing$9.0 billion Decrease Sweden Tetra Pak
6 SteadyKitaro Watanabe$7.7 billion Decrease Japan Azabu Building
7 SteadyPaul Reichmann & brothers$7.1 billion Decrease Canada Olympia & York
8 IncreaseKenneth Thomson$6.8 billion Increase Canada Thomson Corporation
9 DecreaseKenkichi Nakajima$6.1 billion Decrease Japan Heiwa Corporation
10 DecreaseShin Kyuk-ho$6.0 billion Decrease South Korea Lotte Corporation

1990

No.[47] Name Net worth (USD) Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyYoshiaki Tsutsumi$16.0 billion Increase Japan Seibu Corporation
2 SteadyTaikichiro Mori$14.6 billion Increase Japan Mori Building Company
3 SteadyWalton family$13.5 billion Increase United States Wal-Mart
4 Increasedu Pont family$10.0 billion  Increase United States DuPont
5 IncreaseHans and Gad Rausing$9.6 billion  Increase Sweden Tetra Pak
6 IncreaseKitaro Watanabe$9.2 billion Increase Japan Azabu Building
7 DecreasePaul Reichmann & brothers$9.0 billion Increase Canada Olympia & York
8 IncreaseKenkichi Nakajima$8.4 billion Increase Japan Heiwa Corporation
9 DecreaseShin Kyuk-ho$7.5 billion Decrease South Korea Lotte Corporation
10 SteadyEitaro Itoyama$5.8 billion Decrease Japan Shin Nihon Kanko

1989

No.[59] Name Net worth (USD) Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyYoshiaki Tsutsumi$15.0 billion Decrease Japan Seibu Corporation
2 SteadyTaikichiro Mori$14.2 billion Decrease Japan Mori Building Company
3 IncreaseSam Walton & family$8.7 billion Increase United States Wal-Mart
4 DecreaseReichmann brothers$8.0 billion  Decrease Canada Olympia & York
4 SteadyShin Kyuk-ho$8.0 billion  Steady South Korea Lotte Corporation
6 IncreaseHirotomo Takei & family$7.8 billion Increase Japan Chisan
7 IncreaseKitaro Watanabe$7.0 billion+ Increase Japan Azabu Building
8 DecreaseHaruhiko Yoshimoto& family$7.0 billion Decrease Japan Real estate
8 IncreaseHans and Gad Rausing$7.0 billion Increase Sweden Tetra Pak
10 DecreaseEitaro Itoyama$6.6 billion Increase Japan Shin Nihon Kanko

1988

No.[60] Name Net worth (USD) Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1Yoshiaki Tsutsumi$18.9 billion Japan Seibu Corporation
2Taikichiro Mori$18.0 billion Japan Mori Building Company
3Reichmann brothers$9.0 billion Canada Olympia & York
4Shin Kyuk-ho$8.0 billion  South Korea Lotte Corporation
4K. C. Irving$8.0 billion  Canada Irving Oil
6Haruhiko Yoshimoto$7.8 billion Japan Real estate
7Sam Walton$6.5 billion United States Wal-Mart
8Tsai Wan-lin$5.6 billion Taiwan Lin Yuan Group
9Eitaro Itoyama$5.0 billion+ Japan Shin Nihon Kanko
10Kitaro Watanabe$5.2 billion Japan Azabu Building

1987

No.[61] Name Net worth (USD) Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1Yoshiaki Tsutsumi$20 billion Japan Seibu Corporation
2Taikichiro Mori$15 billion Japan Mori Building Company
3 Shigeru Kobayashi $7.5 billion  Japan Shuwa Corporation
4 Haruhiko Yoshimoto$7.0 billion Japan Real estate
5 Salim Ahmed Bin Mahfouz $6.2 billion  Saudi Arabia National Commercial Bank
6 Hans and Gad Rausing $6.0 billion  Sweden Tetra Pak
7 Paul Reichmann$6.0 billion Canada Olympia & York
8 Yohachiro Iwasaki $5.6 billion  Japan Real estate
9 Kenneth Thomson$5.4 billion  Canada Thomson Corporation
10Keizo Saji$4.0 billion Japan Suntory

Statistics

The dot-com bubble created the most paper wealth for some billionaires. However, once the dotcom bubble burst the new rich saw their fortunes disappear.[62] Billionaires' fortunes were hit even harder by the global financial crisis; 2009 was the first time in five years that the world had a net loss in the number of billionaires.[63] The strong performance of the financial markets and global economic recovery have erased financial assets losses. Most of the richest people in the world saw their fortunes soar in the early 2010s.[64][65]

Number and combined net worth of billionaires by year[66]
Year Number of billionaires Group's combined net worth
2023[2] 2,640 $12.2 trillion
2022[6] 2,668 $12.7 trillion
2021[11] 2,755 $13.1 trillion
2020 2,095 $8.0 trillion
2019 2,153 $8.7 trillion
2018 2,208 $9.1 trillion
2017 2,043 $7.7 trillion
2016 1,810 $6.5 trillion
2015[18] 1,826 $7.1 trillion
2014[67] 1,645 $6.4 trillion
2013[68] 1,426 $5.4 trillion
2012 1,226 $4.6 trillion
2011 1,210 $4.5 trillion
2010 1,011 $3.6 trillion
2009 793 $2.4 trillion
2008 1,125 $4.4 trillion
2007 946 $3.5 trillion
2006 793 $2.6 trillion
2005 691 $2.2 trillion
2004 587 $1.9 trillion
2003 476 $1.4 trillion
2002 497 $1.5 trillion
2001 538 $1.8 trillion
2000 470 $898 billion
Sources: Forbes.[18][67][66][68]

See also

References

Specific

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