The 39th edition of Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List reveals a record-shattering year for global wealth, with 3,028 individuals qualifying for the coveted list—247 more than last year. Their combined fortune now stands at an astonishing $16.1 trillion, exceeding the GDP of every country except the United States and China.
The average billionaire is worth $5.3 billion, up $200 million from 2024, marking the largest increase in a single year.
Elon Musk returns to the top as the world’s richest person, with a net worth of $342 billion, buoyed by a strong year for SpaceX and his AI firm xAI. He is followed by Mark Zuckerberg ($216B), Jeff Bezos ($215B), and Larry Ellison ($192B), while Bernard Arnault ($178B) drops to fifth amid falling LVMH shares. For the first time, three individuals are worth over $200 billion, and the elite $100 Billion Club has grown to 15 members, compared to none in 2017.
The United States leads the global billionaire count with 902 citizens, followed by China (516) and India (205). Newcomers include celebrities like Bruce Springsteen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jerry Seinfeld, alongside AI and crypto tycoons. The richest newcomer is Marilyn Simons, widow of hedge fund legend Jim Simons, with a fortune of $31 billion.
Only 13.4% of billionaires are women, with Alice Walton overtaking L’Oreal heir Francoise Bettencourt Meyers as the world’s richest woman. Among the 406 women on the list, nearly three-quarters inherited their wealth. The richest self-made woman is Swiss shipping magnate Rafaela Aponte-Diamant.
Remarkably, 67% of listees are self-made. The youngest is 28-year-old Alexandr Wang, co-founder of Scale AI ($2B), while the oldest is George Joseph (103), founder of Mercury Insurance.
One of the biggest wealth surges came from Donald Trump, whose fortune more than doubled to $5.1 billion due to strategic investments in crypto and the IPO of Trump Media & Technology Group, ahead of his return to the U.S. Presidency.
Despite the boom, 107 individuals from the 2024 list dropped off due to declining fortunes. Notables include AMD’s Lisa Su and Supermicro’s Sara Liu. The global distribution also widened, with billionaires now emerging from 76 countries and two territories, including Albania for the first time.
Compiled using data as of March 7, 2025, the Forbes list is the result of extensive research, interviews, and analysis of public and private assets, debts, and holdings. It reflects not just enormous financial power, but the growing political, technological, and cultural influence of the world’s wealthiest individuals.
(This article is based on a report by Chase Peterson-Withorn, published in Forbes magazine.)
