The World’s Wealthiest: Elon Musk, Zuckerberg, and 8 others top Forbes’ 2025 list

Elon Musk starts 2025 as the world’s richest person, becoming the first billionaire with a net worth exceeding $400 billion, according to Forbes.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO leads a group of global tycoons whose combined net worth has reached $1.9 trillion as of January 1, 2025, up from $1.8 trillion the previous month.

Notable in this list is Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who joins the top 10 for the first time, highlighting the semiconductor industry’s rapid growth.

Here’s the Forbes ranking of the world’s top 10 richest individuals as of January 1, 2025:

1. Elon Musk

• Net Worth: $421.2 billion
• Source: Tesla, SpaceX, X, xAI
• Age: 53
• Citizenship: U.S.
  Musk’s wealth surged by $91 billion in December due to SpaceX’s new $350 billion valuation. He also gained attention after being appointed co-head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by President Donald Trump.

2. Jeff Bezos

• Net Worth: $233.5 billion
• Source: Amazon
• Age: 60
• Citizenship: U.S.
  Bezos reclaimed second place as Amazon shares rose 5% in December, adding $10 billion to his fortune.

3. Larry Ellison

• Net Worth: $209.7 billion
• Source: Oracle
• Age: 80
• Citizenship: U.S.
  Ellison’s wealth dropped $17 billion after Oracle’s stock declined but remains in the top three.

4. Mark Zuckerberg

• Net Worth: $202.5 billion
• Source: Meta (Facebook)
• Age: 40
• Citizenship: U.S.
  Meta’s 1.9% stock rise slightly boosted Zuckerberg’s fortune.

5. Bernard Arnault

• Net Worth: $168.8 billion
• Source: LVMH
• Age: 75
• Citizenship: France
  Arnault gained $8.5 billion due to LVMH’s stock growth.

6. Larry Page

• Net Worth: $157.9 billion
• Source: Google (Alphabet)
• Age: 51
• Citizenship: U.S.
  Page’s wealth remains tied to Google’s ongoing dominance.

7. Sergey Brin

• Net Worth: $153.4 billion
• Source: Google (Alphabet)
• Age: 50
• Citizenship: U.S.
  Brin continues to profit from Alphabet’s success.

8. Warren Buffett

• Net Worth: $139.6 billion
• Source: Berkshire Hathaway
• Age: 94
• Citizenship: U.S.
  Buffett’s fortune dropped $8.9 billion due to a 6% decline in Berkshire Hathaway’s stock.

9. Steve Ballmer

• Net Worth: $123.5 billion
• Source: Microsoft
• Age: 68
• Citizenship: U.S.
  Ballmer’s fortune dipped by $500 million but still exceeds $100 billion.

10. Jensen Huang

• Net Worth: $118 billion
• Source: Nvidia
• Age: 61
• Citizenship: U.S.
  Huang enters the top 10 following Nvidia’s 171% stock rise in 2024.

Forbes highlights that nine of the top ten are Americans, all of whom are men. Musk’s wealth, tied to Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures, underscores the volatility of billionaire rankings, driven by stock market fluctuations.