Forbes reports that the combined net worth of the world’s 10 wealthiest individuals has surged by $30 billion in just one month, reaching an astonishing total of nearly $1.47 trillion as of January 1.
Mark Zuckerberg experienced a significant climb in the rankings, securing the 5th position, up from his previous spot as the 7th richest person globally on December 1. Zuckerberg has surpassed Bill Gates, who held the title of the world’s wealthiest individual for an extended period.
Elon Musk retains the top spot as the world’s richest individual, boasting a staggering net worth of $251 billion. Musk, the CEO of Tesla, also holds stakes in SpaceX, a privately held rocket firm, and the social media company X (formerly known as Twitter).
In December, Larry Ellison, the software tycoon behind Oracle, faced a substantial decline in his fortune as Oracle’s stock dropped by 10%. Ellison’s wealth decreased by $11.2 billion, making him the largest loser among the top ten. Despite this setback, Ellison maintains his position as the fourth richest person, with a net worth of $135.3 billion.
Bill Gates, recognized as a billionaire by Forbes in 1987, was the world’s richest person from 1995 to 2017, with the exception of 2008 and the years 2010 to 2013. Due to substantial contributions to the Gates Foundation, totaling $59 billion, including a generous $20 billion gift in July 2022, Gates relinquished his title as the wealthiest individual in 2018.
Warren Buffett, often referred to as the “Oracle of Omaha,” heads the investing conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, and Larry Page and Sergey Brin co-founded Google in 1998. Sergey Brin resigned from his position as president of Alphabet in December 2019 but still holds significant control. Steve Ballmer, a Harvard classmate of Bill Gates, served as the CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014 and later acquired the Los Angeles Clippers team for $2 billion, setting a new record for the highest purchase price of an NBA team. The team’s current estimated value is $4.65 billion, according to Forbes.
