Global Billionaire Wealth Tops US$20 Trillion As Forbes List Hits Record 3,428

ISTANBUL, March 11 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The number of billionaires worldwide rose to a record 3,428 this year, with a combined wealth of US$20.1 trillion, according to Forbes’ 40th annual Billionaires List released on Tuesday, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

The list shows that booming artificial intelligence investments, volatile financial markets and supportive fiscal policies helped drive a surge in wealth creation, pushing about 400 new individuals onto the list compared with last year.

As the number of billionaires increased, their combined fortune also climbed sharply, rising by US$4 trillion year-on-year to a record US$20.1 trillion.

The report found that 20 people now hold fortunes of at least US$100 billion, underscoring the growing concentration of wealth among the world’s richest individuals.

US entrepreneur Elon Musk, owner of Tesla, SpaceX, X and xAI, retained the top spot for the second consecutive year with an estimated net worth of US$839 billion, making him the richest person ever recorded.

Musk’s wealth surged by roughly half a trillion dollars in the past year, fuelled largely by Tesla’s rising valuation and the anticipated public listing of SpaceX in 2026. His fortune makes him the first individual to surpass the US$800 billion threshold, putting him on track to potentially become the world’s first trillionaire.

Larry Page, co-founder of Google, ranked second with an estimated US$257 billion, followed by fellow Google co-founder Sergey Brin with US$237 billion.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is fourth with US$224 billion, while Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg ranked fifth with US$222 billion.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU