With a net worth of over $420 billion, Elon Musk kicked off 2025 as the world’s wealthiest individual, followed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who had $233.5 billion, according to Forbes’ latest billionaire rankings. President- Donald Trump’s first buddy witnessed a jump of $91 billion in net worth since 1 December 2024, mainly due to SpaceX’s new valuation of $350 billion.

Noteworthy rise

Forbes’ ranking shows a noteworthy rise in the net worth of the top 10 wealthiest individuals, with their combined wealth reaching $1.9 trillion, up from $1.8 trillion in December. Here’s a look at the top 10 wealthiest people in the world according to Forbes:

1. Elon Musk

Net worth: $421.2 billion

With a net worth of $421.2 billion, Elon Musk topped the Forbes list. Musk, who founded SpaceX in 2002 and serves as its CEO, also heads Tesla and holds stakes in social media platform X, AI company xAI, and tunnelling firm Boring Co. He owns 13% of Tesla. Before launching SpaceX in 2002 and joining Tesla in 2004, Musk co-founded PayPal, which was later sold to eBay.

2. Jeff Bezos

Net worth: $233.5 billion

With a net worth of $233.5 billion, Amazon founder and Executive Chair Jeff Bezos ranked second on the list. Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 as an online bookstore and later expanded into cloud computing, entertainment, and more. He also owns Blue Origin, a private space company he founded and has invested billions in. Amazon’s stock rose by 5% in December 2024, adding around $10 billion to his wealth.

3. Larry Ellison

Net worth: $209.7 billion

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who boasts a net worth of $209.7 billion ranked third on the list. He co-founded the company in 1977 and led as CEO until 2014. He now serves as chairman and CTO. Oracle’s stock dropped over 9% in December 2024, wiping out around $17 billion from his wealth – pushing him down to third spot from the second-richest.

4. Mark Zuckerberg

Net worth: $202.5 billion

Mark Zuckerberg, founder, chairman, and CEO of Meta – the company that owns Facebook, the world’s largest social media platform has a net worth of $202.5 billion according to Forbes. He owns about 13% of the company. His net worth rose by 3.8 billion USD in December 2024, driven by a 1.9% increase in Meta shares.

5. Bernard Arnault

Net worth: $168.8 billion

Bernard Arnault who’s the CEO and chairman of luxury goods giant LVMH has a net worth of $168.8 billion. LVMH’s portfolio includes- Christian Dior Couture, Givenchy, Fendi, Celine, Kenzo, Tiffany, Bulgari, Loewe, TAG Heuer, Marc Jacobs, Sephora among others. Over the past month, his net worth rose by 8.5 billion USD, driven by a 7% increase in LVMH shares. Arnault was the world’s richest person for most of 2023 and part of 2024.

6. Larry Page

Net worth: $156 billion

Fueled by an 11% rally in Google parent Alphabet’s stock price, Larry Page’s net worth increased by $14 billion to $156 billion. Page cofounded Google with Sergey Brin in 1998 and served as CEO until 2001, and again from 2011 to 2015. He is now a board member of Google’s parent, Alphabet, and retains a controlling stake.

7. Sergey Brin

Net worth: $149 billion

Like his Google cofounder Larry Page, Sergey Brin’s net worth also jumped $14.7 billion in the past month due to an increase in Alphabet’s stock price. This surge pushed him from 8th rank to 7th on the Forbes list of the world’s richest people.

8. Warren Buffett

Net worth: $141.7 billion

The Oracle of Omaha dropped from Rank 6 to Rank 8 after Berkshire Hathaway’s stock price slipped about 6% in December wiping off $8.9 billion from his net worth. Warren Buffett, storied for his value investment strategy owns major businesses such as insurer Geico, battery maker Duracell, and fast-food chain Dairy Queen.

9. Steve Ballmer

Net worth: 124.3 billion

Steve Ballmer, a former classmate of Bill Gates at Harvard, was Microsoft’s CEO from 2000 to 2014. After retiring from Microsoft, Ballmer purchased the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion. Presently, Forbes values the team at $5.5 billion. In December, Ballmer’s fortune decreased by approximately $500 million.

10. Jensen Huang

Net worth: $117.2 billion

Jensen Huang, the cofounder and CEO of Nvidia, has seen his fortune soar as the company’s chips gained popularity within the AI sector.

Thanks to the AI boom, Jensen Huang, the cofounder and CEO of Nvidia, saw a noticeable rise in his fortune. Despite a slight dip in Nvidia shares in December, Huang secured his spot in the top 10 richest.