Forbes has released list of the richest men in the world as of January 1. According to Forbes, the net worth of the 10 wealthiest individuals on earth increased by $30 billion in just one month, reaching a total of almost $1.47 trillion as of January 1.
Mark Zuckerberg made a
significant jump in the rankings, moving up to the No. 5 spot from his previous
position on December 1 as the 7th richest person in the world.
He has surpassed Bill Gates who
held the title of the world’s wealthiest individual for a significant period.
Elon Musk continues to hold the
title of the wealthiest individual globally, with a net worth of $251 billion.
The CEO of Tesla also holds
stakes in SpaceX, a privately held rocket firm, and social media company X,
formerly known as Twitter
In December, the software
tycoon behind Oracle, Larry Ellison, experienced a significant decline in his
fortune.
With Oracle’s stock dropping by
10%, Ellison’s wealth plummeted by $11.2 billion, making him the biggest loser
among the top ten. Ellison maintains his position as the fourth richest person,
with a net worth of $135.3 billion.
Below is the full list of the
richest individuals in the world as of January at 12:00 am. According to a
Forbes report on Thursday.
1. Elon Musk
Musk serves as the CEO of
Tesla, an electric car company, SpaceX, a rocket firm, and X, a social media
company previously known as Twitter. With a significant stake in Tesla, he has
strategically utilised his stock and options, even using some as collateral for
loans. A significant portion of his wealth is attributed to the car company. In
October 2022, he made a significant purchase of X, which was then known as
Twitter, for $44 billion.
He is currently believed to
possess approximately 74% ownership of this prominent social media company.
However, according to Forbes, it is worth noting that the current value of the
company is now less than half of what he initially paid for it.
2. Bernard Arnault
Bernard Arnault, the CEO and
chairman of LVMH, has successfully established the largest luxury goods company
globally, boasting an impressive portfolio of around 70 fashion and cosmetics
brands.
Some of the most well-known
brands include Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Moet & Chandon, and Sephora.
In January 2021, LVMH made a significant acquisition by purchasing jeweller Tiffany
& Co. for $15.8 billion.
3.
Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in
1994 and served as its CEO until July 2021, while continuing as chairman. In
July of that year, he embarked on a space journey aboard a rocket developed by
his private space exploration company, Blue Origin, which he has generously
supported with substantial investments. In December 2023, his wealth increased
by $5.8 billion due to a rise in the value of Amazon shares.
4.
Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison co-founded
software firm Oracle in 1977 and led it as CEO until 2014. Currently, he holds
the position of chairman and Chief Technology Officer at the company. In recent
years, Oracle has made a number of significant acquisitions, one of which was
the acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2010 for $7.4 billion.
5.
Mark Zuckerberg
In 2004, Zuckerberg co-founded
what is now known as Meta Platforms during his time as a student at Harvard
University. With 3.88 billion monthly users, it has become the largest social
network in the world. In addition to its platform, the company also has
ownership of Instagram and WhatsApp, which were acquired and significantly
expanded. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, led the company to go public in
2012 and currently retains approximately 13% ownership.
6.
Bill Gates
Gates was first recognised as a
billionaire by Forbes in 1987. He held the title of the world’s richest person
from 1995 to 2017, with the exception of 2008 and the years 2010 to 2013.
Due to his substantial
contributions to the Gates Foundation, which amount to $59 billion, including a
generous $20 billion gift in July 2022, he relinquished his title as the
wealthiest individual in 2018, being surpassed by Jeff Bezos.
In 1975, Gates left Harvard to
cofound Microsoft with his high school classmate Paul Allen, inventing one of
the first personal computer software programmes. He served as CEO for 25 years
and chairman until 2014. After leaving the board in 2020, he told Forbes in
early 2023 that he still consults with Microsoft teams 10% of the time. He owns
a lot of property in the U.S. and invests in dozens of firms, including Republic
Services and Deere & Co.
7.
Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett, often referred
to as the “Oracle of Omaha,” has established himself as one of the most
accomplished investors in history. He is the head of the investing conglomerate
Berkshire Hathaway, which boasts a diverse portfolio of companies such as
Geico, Duracell, and Dairy Queen. From a young age, he demonstrated a keen
interest in financial matters. Being the son of a U.S. congressman, he had the
opportunity to delve into the world of stocks at the tender age of 11. He even
took the initiative to file his taxes at the remarkably young age of 13.
8.
Larry Page
Page, along with Sergey Brin,
co-founded the search engine Google in 1998. He held the position of CEO from
2001 to 2011 and again from 2015 to present. He currently holds a position as a
board member of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, and maintains majority
ownership.
9.
Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin resigned from his
position as president of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, in December
2019. However, he still holds significant control as a major shareholder and
continues to serve as a member of the board. He and Larry Page became partners
in 1998, when they crossed paths at Stanford University during their pursuit of
advanced degrees in computer science.
10.
Steve Ballmer
Ballmer, who was a classmate of
Bill Gates at Harvard University, became the 30th employee to join Microsoft in
1980. He served as the CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014.
After leaving Microsoft,
Ballmer made headlines by acquiring the Los Angeles Clippers team for $2
billion, setting a new record for the highest purchase price of an NBA team.
According to recent reports, the team’s value has been estimated at $4.65
billion by Forbes.
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