The World's Billionaires

Forbes World's Billionaires

File:Forbes logo.svg Logo of Forbes magazine
Company type	Annual publication
Industry	Media, Publishing
Founded	March 1987 (1987-03)
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Billionaires ranking list
Website	forbes.com/billionaires

The World's Billionaires is an annual compilation published by the American business magazine Forbes, listing individuals whose net worth meets or exceeds US$1 billion. Since its debut in March 1987, the ranking assesses each person's net wealth by evaluating documented assets and subtracting liabilities. It deliberately omits royalties and authoritarian leaders whose fortunes are linked to their official roles, concentrating exclusively on verifiable personal fortunes.

In 2018, Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos claimed the top spot for the first time, becoming the inaugural centibillionaire featured and surpassing Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who had dominated the list for 18 out of the previous 24 years. By 2022, after holding number one for four consecutive years, Bezos was surpassed by Elon Musk. The subsequent year saw French entrepreneur Bernard Arnault rise to first place, marking the first time a French citizen led the list, overtaking Musk. In 2025, Musk regained his position at number one.

The aggregate net worth of global billionaires has surged dramatically, exceeding $16 trillion in 2025 with a total of 3,028 billionaires worldwide. This group comprises 406 women and 2,622 men, demonstrating growth across diverse industries and international markets.

Methodology

Annually, Forbes deploys a team of over 50 journalists worldwide to monitor the wealthiest individuals and families. Initial questionnaires are distributed to potential candidates, eliciting varied reactions—some exaggerate their assets, others provide partial information, while some choose not to respond. Analysts examine business transactions and estimate values of tangible assets such as real estate, vehicles, and art collections. Interviews are conducted to corroborate and adjust these valuations. Publicly traded stocks are appraised at market values approximately one month prior to publication. For private enterprises, valuations rely on current price-to-sales or price-to-earnings multiples. Known debts are deducted to determine net worth in US dollars. Due to fluctuations in stock prices, actual net worth at publication may differ from estimates.

When living individuals transfer wealth to immediate family members, these assets are combined under a single "family fortune" listing as long as the original owner remains alive. For deceased billionaires, inherited wealth is listed separately only if heirs individually possess over $1 billion; their fortunes are not aggregated. Wealth derived from royal status or dictatorial power contingent on position is excluded.

Annual rankings

Released each March, the rankings provide a snapshot of billionaire net worth at that point in time. Thousands of billionaires appear annually; below are selections featuring the top 10 wealthiest individuals each year.

Legend

Icon	Meaning
Steady	Ranking unchanged from previous year.
Increase	Increase in rank compared to prior year.
Template:Loss	Decline in rank relative to last year.

2025

The 39th edition of Forbes’ annual billionaire list identified a record-breaking total of 3,028 billionaires with combined net assets amounting to $16.1 trillion—an increase of 247 individuals and $1.9 trillion compared to 2024. Notably, Bill Gates exited the top 10 for the first time since 1992.

No.	Name	Net worth (USD)	Age	Nationality	Primary source(s) of wealth
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname	$342 billion Increase	53	Template:South Africa Template:Canada United States	Tesla and SpaceX
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname	$216 billion Increase	40	United States	Meta Platforms
Template:Nts Steady	Template:Sortname	$215 billion Increase	61	United States	Amazon
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname	$192 billion Increase	80	United States	Oracle Corporation
Template:Nts Template:Loss	Template:Sortname & family	$178 billion Template:Loss	76	Template:FRA	LVMH
Template:Nts Steady	Template:Sortname	$154 billion Increase	94	United States	Berkshire Hathaway
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname	$144 billion Increase	52	United States	Google
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname	$138 billion Increase	51	United States	Google
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname	$124 billion Increase	89	Template:ESP	Inditex, Zara
Template:Nts Template:Loss	Template:Sortname	$118 billion Template:Loss	69	United States	Microsoft

2024

The 38th edition of the Forbes global billionaires ranking revealed an unprecedented total of 2,781 billionaires, whose combined net worth reached $14.2 trillion. This represents a growth of 141 individuals and an increase of $2 trillion compared to 2023, exceeding the previous record net worth rise of $900 billion set in 2022. Approximately two-thirds of these billionaires saw their fortunes expand, with Mark Zuckerberg's wealth increasing by $112.6 billion.

No.	Name	Net worth (USD)	Age	Nationality	Primary source(s) of wealth
Template:Nts Steady	Template:Sortname & family	$233 billion Increase	75	Template:FRA	LVMH
Template:Nts Steady	Template:Sortname	$195 billion Template:Gain	52	Template:South Africa Template:Canada United States	Tesla, SpaceX
Template:Nts Steady	Template:Sortname	$194 billion Template:Gain	60	United States	Amazon
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname	$177 billion Increase	39	United States	Meta Platforms
Template:Nts Template:Loss	Template:Sortname	$141 billion Increase	79	United States	Oracle Corporation
Template:Nts Template:Loss	Template:Sortname	$133 billion Template:Gain	93	United States	Berkshire Hathaway
Template:Nts Template:Loss	Template:Sortname	$128 billion Template:Gain	68	United States	Microsoft
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname	$121 billion Template:Gain	68	United States	Microsoft
Template:Nts Steady	Template:Sortname	$116 billion Template:Gain	66	Template:IND	Reliance Industries
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname	$114 billion Increase	51	United States	Google

2023

The 37th annual edition of the Forbes list featured 2,640 billionaires with a collective net worth totaling $12.2 trillion, reflecting a decrease of 28 individuals and a $500 billion drop from 2022. More than half saw their fortunes diminish, including Elon Musk, who fell from first to second place. For the first time since 2013, when Mexican businessman Carlos Slim Helu led the rankings, a French national topped the list. The roster also included 15 billionaires under the age of 30, led by Red Bull heir Mark Mateschitz with $34.7 billion. The youngest members were Clemente Del Vecchio of the Luxottica fortune and Kim Jung-yang, associated with gaming company Nexon, both below age 20.

No.	Name	Net worth (USD)	Age	Nationality	Primary source(s) of wealth
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname & family	$211 billion Increase	74	Template:FRA	LVMH
Template:Nts Template:Loss	Template:Sortname	$180 billion Template:Loss	51	Template:South Africa Template:Canada United States	Tesla, SpaceX
Template:Nts Template:Loss	Template:Sortname	$114 billion Template:Loss	59	United States	Amazon
Template:Nts Increase	Template:Sortname	$107 billion Increase	78	United States	Oracle Corporation
Template:Nts Steady	Template:Sortname	$106 billion Template:Loss	92	United States	Berkshire Hathaway
Template:NtsTemplate:LossTemplate:SortnameTemplate:StyleTemplate:Value0[[|]]Template:Source
style=text-center:>Template:NtsIncreaseTemplate:SortnameTemplate:StyleTemplate:Value0[[|]]Template:Source
style=text-center:>Template:NtsIncreaseTemplate:SortnameTemplate:StyleTemplate:Value0[[|]]Template:Source
style=text-center:>Template:NtsTemplate:LossTemplate:SortnameTemplate:StyleTemplate:Value0[[|]]Template:Source
style=text-center:>Template:NtsTemplate:LossTemplate:SortnameTemplate:StyleTemplate:Value0[[|]]Template:Source		} 2022 The 36th edition of the Forbes global billionaires ranking included 2,668 individuals, collectively holding a net worth of $12.7 trillion. This marked a reduction of 97 billionaires compared to the previous year. No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Primary source(s) of wealth Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $219 billion Increase 50 Template:South Africa Template:Canada United States Tesla, SpaceX Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $177 billion Template:Loss 58 United States Amazon Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname & family $158 billion Increase 73 Template:FRA LVMH Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $129 billion Increase 66 United States Microsoft Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $118 billion Increase 91 United States Berkshire Hathaway Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $111 billion Increase 49 United States Google Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $107 billion Increase 48 United States Google Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $106 billion Increase 77 United States Oracle Corporation Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $91.4 billion Increase 66 United States Microsoft Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $90.7 billion Increase 64 Template:IND Reliance Industries 2021 The 35th annual Forbes ranking of global billionaires listed 2,755 individuals whose combined wealth amounted to $13.1 trillion, reflecting an increase of 660 members from 2020. Notably, 86% experienced growth in their fortunes during the year. No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth - Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $177 billion Increase 57 United States Amazon - Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $151 billion Increase 49 Template:South Africa Template:Canada United States Tesla, SpaceX - Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname & family $150 billion Increase 72 Template:FRA LVMH - Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $124 billion Increase 65 United States Microsoft - Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $97 billion Increase 36 United States Meta Platforms - Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $96 billion Increase 90 United States Berkshire Hathaway - Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $93 billion Increase 76 {{Flagu{United States}} Oracle Corporation - {{nts{8} }} {{profit} } { {sortname{Larry} {Page} } } { {style= text-align: center } } { $91.5 billion profit } { {style= text - align: center } } 48 { {Flagu{United States} } }   | -   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | 2020 The 34th edition of the annual Forbes global billionaires ranking included 2,095 individuals, whose total net worth amounted to $8 trillion. This represented a decrease of 58 billionaires and a $700 billion reduction compared to 2019. Over half (51%) of the listed billionaires experienced a decline in their wealth relative to the prior year. The compilation, completed on March 18, captured the initial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $113 billion Template:Loss 56 United States Amazon Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $98 billion Increase 64 United States Microsoft Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname & family $76 billion Steady 71 Template:FRA LVMH Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $67.5 billion Template:Loss 89 United States Berkshire Hathaway Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $59 billion Template:Loss 75 United States Oracle Corporation Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $55.1 billion Template:Loss 84 Template:ESP Inditex, Zara Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $54.7 billion Template:Loss 35 United States Facebook, Inc. Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $54.6 billion Increase 71 United States Walmart Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $54.4 billion Increase 70 United States Walmart Template:Nts Increase S. Robson Walton $54.1 billion Increase 77 United States Walmart 2019 The 33rd annual Forbes ranking of global billionaires listed 2,153 individuals with an aggregate net worth of $8.7 trillion, reflecting a decline of 55 members and $400 billion compared to 2018 figures. The United States led with an unprecedented count of 609 billionaires, followed by China with 324 (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan). 2018 According to the 32nd annual Forbes ranking of global billionaires, the wealthiest 20 individuals collectively controlled approximately 13% of the total billionaire fortune. The list featured a record-breaking 2,208 billionaires, whose combined net worth reached $9.1 trillion, reflecting an 18% increase compared to 2017. For the first time in history, Jeff Bezos claimed the top position, propelled by a significant rise in Amazon's stock value. This surge represented the largest single-year increase in personal wealth—$35 billion—since Forbes began its assessments in 1987. The United States led with 585 billionaires, followed by China (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) with 476 billionaires; excluding these regions, China had 372. Due to insufficient reliable data amid the 2017–19 Saudi purge, Saudi billionaires were omitted from this edition. No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $131 billion Increase 55 United States Amazon Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $96.5 billion Increase 63 United States Microsoft No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $112 billion Increase 54 United States Amazon Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $90 billion Increase 62 United States Microsoft Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $84 billion Increase 87 United States Berkshire Hathaway Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $72 billion Increase 69 France LVMH Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $71 billion Increase 33 United States Facebook, Inc. Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $70 billion Template:Loss 81 Template:ESP Inditex, Zara Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $67.1 billion Increase 78 Template:MEX América Móvil, Grupo Carso Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $60 billion Increase 82 United States Koch Industries Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $60 billion Increase 77 United States Koch Industries Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $58.5 billion Increase 73 United States Oracle Corporation 2017 On the 30th anniversary of the Forbes billionaires ranking, Bill Gates secured the title of the world's wealthiest individual for the fourth year running. The list expanded to an unprecedented 2,043 billionaires, surpassing the 2,000 mark for the first time. It featured 195 first-time entrants—76 from China and 25 from the United States—including 56 individuals under 40 years old and a record-breaking 227 women. The total number of billionaires increased by 13% compared to 2016's 1,810, representing the largest growth in over thirty years. Their collective net worth reached , rising from in 2015. Notably, Carlos Slim exited the top five after maintaining a spot there for 12 consecutive years. The United States led with 565 billionaires, followed by China with 319, Germany with 114, and India surpassing 100 billionaires for the first time at 101. No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $86.0 billion Increase 61 United States Microsoft Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $75.6 billion Increase 86 United States Berkshire Hathaway Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $72.8 billion Increase 53 United States Amazon Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $71.3 billion Increase 80 Template:ESP Inditex, Zara Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $56.0 billion Increase 32 United States Facebook, Inc. Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $54.5 billion Increase 77 Template:MEX América Móvil, Grupo Carso Template:Nts Steady Template:Sortname $52.2 billion Increase 72 United States Oracle Corporation Template:Nts Increase Template:Sortname $48.3 billion Increase 81 & 76 United States Koch Industries Template:Sortname Template:Nts Template:Loss Template:Sortname $47.5 billion Increase 75 United States Bloomberg L.P. See also Bloomberg Billionaires Index List of centibillionaires List of cities by number of billionaires List of countries by number of billionaires List of wealthiest families List of wealthiest religious organizations General Top 10 rankings from 2000 to 2010: Top 10 for 2011: Top 10 for 2012: Top 10 for 2013: Top 10 for 2014: Top 10 for 2015: External links Forbes: "The World's Billionaires" Forbes: Real-Time Billionaires