The Global Rich List details the net worth of the wealthiest billionaires and richest people in the World. These include famous business leaders, entrepreneurs and celebrities.
Understanding the journeys of the richest individuals in the world can offer invaluable insights into business success, innovation, and leadership. In this article, we explore the lives and achievements of the wealthiest people globally, detailing their net worth, key accomplishments, and the paths they took to amass their fortunes.
1) Bernard Arnault & Family
The richest person in the world is Bernard Arnault, with a net worth estimated at approximately $226.2 billion. Arnault is the chairman and CEO of LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton), the world’s largest luxury goods conglomerate, which includes brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Sephora.
Arnault has risen to this position largely due to the performance of LVMH, which has seen significant growth in recent years. His net worth surpasses that of other prominent billionaires, including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
Arnault’s success can be attributed to his strategic leadership and expansion of LVMH, especially through key acquisitions like the $15.8 billion purchase of Tiffany & Co. in 2021. His family is also deeply involved in the business, with his children holding various positions within the company
2) Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s net worth is approximately $199.6 billion. His wealth comes primarily from his roles as the CEO and product architect of Tesla, as well as his involvement in SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter). Musk’s net worth fluctuates significantly due to the volatility of Tesla’s stock, which saw a recent surge of 15% in late April 2024, boosting his wealth by $14.5 billion.
3) Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos’ net worth is approximately $192.4 billion. This positions him among the wealthiest individuals globally, continuing his influential role in various industries through his ventures like Amazon, Blue Origin, and The Washington Post. Jeff Bezos Net Worth
4) Bill Gates
As of May 2024, Bill Gates’ net worth is estimated to be around $113 billion. Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, has amassed his wealth through his significant shareholding in Microsoft and various other investments managed through Cascade Investment. Despite his immense wealth, Gates has pledged to give away at least half of his fortune to philanthropic efforts through the Giving Pledge, co-founded with Warren Buffett. His primary focus now is on global health, education, and poverty alleviation initiatives through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
5) Gautam Adani – Net Worth:$135 billion
Adani, the founder of Adani Group, in March 2022, Gautam overtook Mukesh Ambani as the richest person in Asia. Adani owns major stakes in six key Indian companies, including Adani Enterprises, Adani Power, Adani Transmissions, Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone, Adani Green Energy and Adani Total Gas.
6) Warren Buffett – Net Worth $118 Billion
No discernable change in wealth over the past year for the American investor, business tycoon, and philanthropist.
Buffett is head of investment firm Berkshire Hathaway and is arguably one of the world’s most successful investors.
7) Larry Page – Net Worth $111 Billion
The co-founder of Google with fellow student Sergey Brin in 1998. He stepped down as CEO of Google’s parent company Alphabet in 2019 but still remains a member of the board.
8) Sergey Brin – Net Worth $107 Billion
Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin together with Larry Page (see above), co-founded Google. The software engineer and internet entrepreneur was the president of Google’s parent company Alphabet until stepping down from the position in December 2019. There is no change in his wealth during the past year.
9) Larry Ellison – Net Worth $105 Billion
The co-founder of software giant Oracle. He relinquished his role as CEO in 2014 but still remains chairman of the board and chief technology officer. His wealth has not altered in the past year.
10) Steve Ballmer – Net Worth $91 Billion
The former Microsoft CEO headed the company from January 2000 to February 2014. He is the current owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers which he bought for $2 billion upon his retirement from Microsoft.
11) Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani – Net Worth $90 Billion
The Indian businessman is the chairman and managing director of the oil and gas conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd and has shot up the ranking over the last 2 years.
Ambani has increased his wealth by several means, including selling a third of telecom unit Jio to investors such as Facebook and Google and offloading 10% of Reliance Retail to private equity firms
Reliance Industries has revenues of over $88 billion and is India’s most valuable company by market value and a Fortune Global 500 company.
12) Gautam Adani & family – $122 Billion
Infrastructure and commodities tycoon. Adani controls India’s largest port, Mundra Port. He also owns Abbot Point, a coal mining project in Australia, reputed to be one of the world’s largest.
13) Michael Bloomberg – Net Worth $81.5 Billion
Co-founder of media giant Bloomberg and mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013. He still owns 88% of the company which generates over $10 billion of revenue.
14) Carlos Slim Helu – Net Worth $81.3 Billion
Carlos was once ranked as the richest man in the world by Forbes, he is still considered to be the richest man in Mexico though.
He has jumped up one place in this year’s Rich List, with an increase in wealth of $19 billion.
Carlos and his family control America Movil, Latin America’s biggest mobile telecom firm.
15) Francoise Bettencourt Meyers – Net Worth $74 Billion
The richest woman in the world and the granddaughter of L’Oreal’s founder Eugène Paul Louis Schueller, the French pharmacist and entrepreneur who died in 1958.
The pandemic has been a tale of two halves for make-up and skincare queen.
Demand fell for beauty products during the first part of the pandemic and the stay-at-home rules and profits sank by over 6%. However, shares in the company have since surged 38% with the increase in the sale of skincare products.
Francoise and her family own 33% of L’Oreal stock, the world’s largest cosmetics company.
16) Mark Zuckerberg – Net Worth $67.2 Billion
The Facebook CEO and philanthropist has seen a fall in his wealth once again, Zuckerberg’s wealth has fallen a staggering $29 billion over the last 12 months, this is on top of the $10.3 billion he lost during the previous year.
He has previously given a large proportion of his wealth to charity and his Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is helping to increase COVID-19 testing.
17) Jim Walton – Net Worth $66 Billion
The son of Walmart co-founder Sam Walton. Jim and his siblings, Rob and Alice Walton all enjoy the same net worth, give or take the odd billion. Rob Walton is the current chairman of Walmart, having taken up the position upon the death of his father in 1992.
18) Zhong Shanshan – Net Worth $65.5 Billion
The Chairman of the bottled water company, Nongfu Spring, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKG).
19) Alice Walton – Net Worth $65.3 Billion
Alice is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. She does not work in the Walmart business.
20) Rob Walton – Net Worth $65 Billion
The son of Walmart co-founder Sam Walton. Rob Walton took over as chairman of Walmart upon the death of his father in 1992. He retired from this role in June 2015 and was replaced by his son-in-law, Greg Penner.
21) Changpeng Zhao – $65 Billion
CZ (as he likes to be referred to) is the founder and CEO of Binance, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world.
22) Charles Koch – Net Worth $60 Billion
The chairman and CEO of Koch Industries since 1967. The company has a turnover of $110 billion and is the second-largest private company by revenue in America. His wealth has grown by nearly $14 billion over the past year.
23) Julia Koch – Net Worth $60 Billion
The wife of the late billionaire industrialist David Koch who died in August 2019. Julia Koch and her three children inherited a 42% share in Koch Industries, their wealth has increased by $15 billion recently.
24) Amancio Ortega – Net Worth $73 Billion
As a co-founder of Inditex, one of the world’s largest fashion retailers including the Zara brand, he is considered to be one of the wealthiest men in Europe. Although he stepped down as chairman in 2011, he still retains 60% of the company’s shares.
25) Michael Dell – Net Worth $55 Billion
Michael is the chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, which was formed in 2016 when Dell merged with computer storage giant EMC.
26) Zhang Yiming – $50 Billion
Zhang Yiming is the founder and 22% stakeholder of ByteDance.
ByteDance is best known for its social video app TikTok.
We take into account all assets and cash held by that individual when we calculate their total net worth and compile the Global Rich List. We aim to be as accurate as possible with our rankings, subject to the public information and data that is available.
We update the Global Rich List on a regular basis as new data becomes available.
