What does it take to get into the league of the richest people in the world? – is a question some of us might ponder sometimes and promptly forget about because it is so wild. The world of the rich is so distant and different from the lives of ordinary people that we can only see and hear about it either in the news or can watch in movies. There are several movies about money that depict the luxurious lifestyles of the ultra wealthy, shaping our perceptions regarding wealth.
Regardless, it is true that billionaires steer the direction of our society. They’re the ones with the biggest responsibilities. Though most of them don’t care about anything maximizing their profits, some (Elon Musk, Bill Gates) do think far ahead into the future and are trying to help humanity to their capacity.
So, let’s take a look at the top world billionaires, and maybe it will inspire you to save up your own money, invest, improve your finances, and join their ranks!
Fun Fact: The USA has the highest number of High-Net-Worth Individuals with 735 Billionaires worth a collective $4.5 trillion. China is at second with 562 Billionaires worth $2 trillion and India at third, with 169 Billionaires worth $675 billion.
Four Countries got their first Billionaires in 2024, which are Uruguay, Estonia, Bulgaria, and Barbados.
The Unsurprising List of the World’s Wealthiest People in 2024!
Here are the top richest people in the world according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Note: The figures mentioned in this article are accurate as of October, 2024, and can fluctuate as per the market valuation of their companies.
1. Elon Musk
Elon Musk has again become the world’s richest man. He lost 48% of his net worth when he purchased Twitter, leading him to step down to second spot in the list of richest persons. However, he recovered his losted worth and now his total wealth is around $269.8 billion with annual earning of $18.3 billion!
Musk is known for doing things differently in business and tech space. He’s also known for steering humanity’s exploration of space as the CEO and Chief Engineer of SpaceX.
| Source | Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, and X (formerly Twitter) |
| Net Worth | $269.8 billion |
| Age | 52 years old |
| Country | United States of America |
2. Larry Ellison
Real Estate Property Investment – one of the most profitable industry for investors. And Ellison holds more than $17.2 billion in real estate. The Hawaiian Island of Lanai and a $173 million luxury mansion in Florida are a few of his assets.
He also owns Oracle, the second-largest software company in the world. Ellison also served on the Tesla board of directors from 2018 to 2022.
| Source | Oracle Corporation, Tesla equity, Real Estate |
| Net Worth | $215.3 billion |
| Age | 80 years old |
| Country | The United States of America |
3. Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg is the only billionaire in 40s on this list. The 40-year-old is the CEO and chair of Meta Platforms. He co-founded Facebook in 2004 when he was a student at Harvard University that eventually lead to become teenage millionaire.
Besides Facebook, Meta platforms include Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus (VR headset producer), and Workspace (enterprise-connectivity platform).
| Source | Meta Platforms |
| Net Worth | $203.8 billion |
| Age | 40 years |
| Country | United States |
4. Jeff Bezos
The most notorious billionaire has climbed to the top five of the chart of richest people in the world, recently. He is the founder of Amazon.com – the world’s first and biggest online shopping site in 1994.
After stepping down as the CEO of Amazon in 2021, he went on space exploration via a rocket developed by his private aerospace company, Blue Origin. The billionaire has also purchased a luxury superyacht, koru, for 500 million dollars in 2023.
| Source | Amazon, The Washington Post, Blue Origin |
| Net Worth | $203.3 billion |
| Age | 60 |
| Country | United States of America |
5. Bernard Arnault and Family
The French luxury goods tycoon stands second among the richest people in the world. He is the CEO and chair at LVMH, the world’s renowned luxury goods company. LVMH holds over 70 cosmetics and fashion brands under its name, including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Marc Jacobs, and Sephora.
Arnault dethroned Elon Musk to become the richest person in the world in December 2022, a title he held till February 2023. Musk then took over, but Arnault regained it in July 2023 till October 2023. As of 2024, he is now the fifth richest with a net worth of $183.2 billion.
| Source | LVMH, Moelis & Company Equity, Christian Dior Ownership Stake, Hermès equity |
| Net Worth | $183.2 billion |
| Age | 75 years old |
| Country | France |
6. Warren Buffett
At age 93, Buffet is sixth on the billionaire list. He is also the most famous living value investor, making billions by buying and holding companies.
His company, Berkshire Hathaway, has a diverse portfolio of subsidiaries, including insurance firms, restaurant chains, energy distribution, and consumer products.
| Source | Berkshire Hathaway |
| Net Worth | $143.4 billion |
| Age | 94 years old |
| Country | USA |
7. Larry Page
Larry Page, the co-founder of Google, is the seventh among the top 10 billionaires. His net worth soared from just below $52 billion in March 2020 to the current $134.1 billion. Page is a board member and major shareholder of Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
The billionaire is also interested in space exploration and flying cars. He is a founding investor for Planetary Resources, an aerospace company, Kitty Hawk, and Opener, a flying car startup.
| Source | Alphabet Inc. |
| Net Worth | $134.1 billion |
| Age | 51 years |
| Nationality | The United States and New Zealand |
8. Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, stands as the tenth-richest individual globally, boasting a formidable net worth of $128.4 billion as of March 2024. Born in Moscow, Russia, Brin co-founded Google with his Stanford colleague, Larry Page.
Brin stepped down as the President of Alphabet in 2019. He is a board member and major shareholder and remains deeply involved in the company’s operations.
| Source | Alphabet Inc. |
| Net Worth | $128.4 billion |
| Age | 51 years |
| Country | United States |
9. Steve Ballmer
Larry Page, the co-founder of Google, is the eighth among the top billionaires. His net worth soared from just below $52 billion in March 2020 to the current $122.6 billion. Page is a board member and major shareholder of Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Los Angeles Clippers owner, Steve Ballmer has a total net worth of $122.6 billion and is, right now, the nineth most richest individual on earth. The US businessman joined Microsoft in 1980 and became its CEO in 2000 till he stepped down in 2014.
Besides his shares in Microsoft and his Clippers basketball team, Ballmer also owns The Forum and Intuit Dome.
| Source | Microsoft, Los Angeles Clippers, The Forum |
| Net Worth | $122.6 billion |
| Age | 68 years |
| Country | United States |
Also Read: How to Become a Teenage Millionaire
10. Mukesh Ambani
Mukesh Ambani, the managing director and chairman of Reliance Industries, is among the top billionaires in India and the richest people in the world. His company operates in various sectors like oil, gas, retail, telecommunications, and green energy, with a turnover of $119.9 billion.
The prominent Indian business tycoon has a diverse portfolio of high-value properties, not only in India but also in Dubai, UK, and America.
| Source | Reliance Industries |
| Net Worth | $108.1B |
| Age | 67 years |
| Country | India |
The Bottom Line
The world of the rich is fascinating as it is distant. It is always interesting to know who is at the top and who bit the dust. The rise and fall of these companies is a great lesson in finance for us all.
READ MORE: How to Save Money as a Broke College Student
Images from: Wikimedia Commons
