Elon Musk Starts 2025 as World’s Richest Person, Surpassing $400 Billion
Elon Musk begins 2025 as the world’s richest individual, solidifying his status as the first billionaire to surpass a $400 billion net worth, according to a Forbes report published Wednesday.
The Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder leads a group of global tycoons whose combined wealth totals $1.9 trillion as of January 1, 2025. The collective net worth of the top 10 wealthiest individuals has grown from $1.8 trillion to $1.9 trillion in just a month.
These billionaires, primarily from the tech, retail, and luxury goods sectors, continue to shape global markets and industries on a massive scale. Notably, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has entered the list for the first time, reflecting the rapid growth of the semiconductor industry.
Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 richest people in the world as of January 1, 2025, according to Forbes:
- Elon Musk
- Net worth: $421.2 billion
- Source: Tesla, SpaceX, X, xAI
- Age: 53
- Citizenship: U.S.
Musk’s fortune surged by $91 billion in December, fueled by a new $350 billion valuation for SpaceX. His wealth also grew after being appointed co-head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by President Donald Trump.
- Jeff Bezos
- Net worth: $233.5 billion
- Source: Amazon
- Age: 60
- Citizenship: U.S.
Bezos reclaimed the second spot as Amazon’s shares rose by 5% in December, boosting his wealth by $10 billion.
- Larry Ellison
- Net worth: $209.7 billion
- Source: Oracle
- Age: 80
- Citizenship: U.S.
Despite a $17 billion dip due to Oracle’s stock decline, Ellison remains firmly in the top three.
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Net worth: $202.5 billion
- Source: Meta (Facebook)
- Age: 40
- Citizenship: U.S.
Zuckerberg saw a slight increase in his wealth after Meta’s shares rose by 1.9% in December.
- Bernard Arnault
- Net worth: $168.8 billion
- Source: LVMH
- Age: 75
- Citizenship: France
Arnault, the luxury goods mogul, gained $8.5 billion thanks to a rise in LVMH’s stock price.
- Larry Page
- Net worth: $157.9 billion
- Source: Google (Alphabet)
- Age: 51
- Citizenship: U.S.
Page remains a significant figure among the world’s wealthiest individuals, largely due to Google’s dominance.
- Sergey Brin
- Net worth: $153.4 billion
- Source: Google (Alphabet)
- Age: 50
- Citizenship: U.S.
Brin, also a Google co-founder, continues to thrive financially through Alphabet’s tech leadership.
- Warren Buffett
- Net worth: $139.6 billion
- Source: Berkshire Hathaway
- Age: 94
- Citizenship: U.S.
Buffett’s wealth dipped by $8.9 billion, slipping from No. 6 to No. 8, as Berkshire Hathaway’s A shares fell nearly 6%.
- Steve Ballmer
- Net worth: $123.5 billion
- Source: Microsoft
- Age: 68
- Citizenship: U.S.
Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft and current owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, saw his fortune decrease by $500 million.
- Jensen Huang
- Net worth: $118 billion
- Source: Nvidia
- Age: 61
- Citizenship: U.S.
Huang joins the top 10 for the first time after Nvidia’s stock skyrocketed by 171% in 2024.
Forbes notes that nine of the top ten richest individuals are Americans, and all are men.
Musk’s wealth is primarily tied to his stakes in Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures, with fluctuations driven by stock market trends and the competitive nature of the billionaire rankings.
