The world’s wealthiest individuals have seen a significant surge in their fortunes over the past month, with the top ten billionaires collectively gaining $107 billion, according to Forbes. Their combined net worth now stands at an astonishing $2.03 trillion, fueled by stock market gains following the U.S. presidential inauguration.
Elon Musk Remains at the Top
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk continues to dominate the list as the world’s richest person, with a staggering net worth of $421 billion. This marks the second consecutive month he has held a fortune above $400 billion—a milestone that no other billionaire has ever reached in the nearly 40 years Forbes has tracked global wealth.
Mark Zuckerberg Surges to Third Place
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg experienced the largest wealth jump in the past month, adding $35 billion to his fortune as Meta’s stock surged by 16%. Now worth $238 billion, he has overtaken Oracle’s Larry Ellison to become the third richest person in the world. Zuckerberg was also among the high-profile attendees at former President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, standing alongside Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Google cofounder Sergey Brin.
Jeff Bezos Sees Significant Gains
Amazon’s stock rally has propelled Jeff Bezos, the world’s second-richest person, to a $250 billion net worth, marking a $16.6 billion increase in just one month.
Jensen Huang Falls Out of the Top 10
One notable absence from this month’s list is Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. After ranking No. 10 in January with $117 billion, Huang has slipped to No. 16 due to Nvidia’s stock dropping nearly 16% in late January, triggered by news about Chinese AI firm DeepSeek. His current net worth stands at $105 billion.
Amancio Ortega Joins the Top 10
Replacing Huang in the top 10 is Amancio Ortega, the Spanish fashion mogul behind Inditex (Zara’s parent company), now ranked No. 9 with a $123.3 billion fortune. Meanwhile, former Microsoft CEO and LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer fell from No. 9 to No. 10, with $122.9 billion—making him the only billionaire in the top 10 whose net worth declined last month, dropping by $1.4 billion.
The Top 10 Richest People as of February 1, 2025 (Per Forbes)
1. Elon Musk – $421 billion
2. Jeff Bezos – $250 billion
3. Mark Zuckerberg – $238 billion
4. Larry Ellison – $135 billion
5. Bernard Arnault – $134 billion
6. Bill Gates – $127 billion
7. Sergey Brin – $126 billion
8. Warren Buffett – $124 billion
9. Amancio Ortega – $123.3 billion
10. Steve Ballmer – $122.9 billion
Forbes has been tracking billionaires since 1987, and in April 2024, the publication identified 2,781 billionaires worldwide. As stock prices fluctuate daily, these rankings are subject to change.
