When the average person dreams of obtaining incredible wealth, they likely opt for a lottery ticket or try to find the best casino bonuses to win a substantial sum of money. But the 20 richest people in the world didn’t stumble into their fortunes. They built, inherited, or expanded empires that redefined technology, fashion, retail, and finance. Collectively, their wealth surpasses trillions, granting them influence over politics, industries, and global lifestyles.
These individuals are more than just rich—they are symbols of how power and money concentrate in the modern era.
20. Gautam Adani ($85.1 Billion Net Worth)
In 2022, Gautam Adani was Asia’s wealthiest man. A financial storm followed allegations of illegal practices, shaving billions off his empire. Even so, the Adani Group founder still commands an $85 billion fortune built on energy, infrastructure, and logistics.
19. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers ($86.6 Billion Net Worth)
The heiress to the L’Oréal dynasty, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, is the wealthiest woman in the world. In 2023, she became the first woman to hit a $100 billion fortune. Today, her wealth sits at $86 billion, entwining beauty, business, and philanthropy.
18. Rob Walton ($90.8 Billion Net Worth)
As one of Walmart’s heirs, Rob Walton inherited not only fortune but a legacy. He chaired Walmart’s board until 2015, then shifted focus to philanthropy and education. His personal wealth surpasses $90 billion.
17. Carlos Slim Helú ($91 Billion Net Worth)
The Mexican magnate Carlos Slim Helú built his fortune through América Móvil, Latin America’s telecom titan. His empire spans real estate, finance, and retail, making him Mexico’s most iconic billionaire.
16. Jim Walton ($92.4 Billion Net Worth)
The youngest Walton sibling, Jim Walton, continues the family’s Walmart legacy. As chair of Arvest Bank Group, he diversified wealth beyond retail, cementing his position among the richest.
15. Michael Dell ($96 Billion Net Worth)
Michael Dell dropped out of college to found what became Dell Technologies. His vision for personal computing catapulted him into billionaire ranks, now with a $96 billion fortune.
14. Michael Bloomberg ($104 Billion Net Worth)
Founder of Bloomberg LP, Michael Bloomberg, built a data empire. His influence stretches into politics as the former mayor of New York and a US presidential candidate.
13. Jensen Huang ($109 Billion Net Worth)
NVIDIA’s co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang changed the world by creating the GPU. From AI to gaming, his innovations fuel the future—and his $109 billion wealth.
12. Mukesh Ambani ($114 Billion Net Worth)
India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, leads Reliance Industries—a conglomerate spanning oil, telecom, and retail. His empire cements India’s place in the billionaire landscape.
11. Amancio Ortega ($115 Billion Net Worth)
Spain’s richest man, Amancio Ortega, founded Inditex—the parent of Zara. His fast-fashion empire reshaped retail and consumer culture.
10. Steve Ballmer ($123.8 Billion Net Worth)
Steve Ballmer is the rare billionaire who didn’t found a company. As Microsoft’s CEO for 14 years, his leadership and stock options made him worth $123 billion.
9. Sergey Brin ($130 Billion Net Worth)
Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder, revolutionized how humans access information. His fortune is tied to Alphabet’s dominance, making him one of tech’s titans.
8. Bill Gates ($132 Billion Net Worth)
The face of Microsoft, Bill Gates built one of history’s greatest fortunes. From teenage coding prodigy to global philanthropist, Gates remains a household name.
7. Larry Page ($135.8 Billion Net Worth)
Larry Page, Google’s other co-founder, envisioned organizing the world’s information. That vision turned him into a $135 billion titan of technology.
6. Warren Buffett ($139.9 Billion Net Worth)
Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, epitomizes patient investing. Despite vast wealth, his lifestyle is famously modest. With his wife, Astrid Menks, Buffett embodies stability. Even today, he lives in the same Omaha home he bought in the 1950s.
5. Larry Ellison ($169.8 Billion)
Larry Ellison co-founded Oracle, a powerhouse in database software and cloud infrastructure. Beyond the flagship Oracle Database, the company’s enterprise products underpin mission‑critical systems across finance, healthcare, retail, and government. Ellison remains a central architect of Oracle’s long‑term cloud and AI roadmaps, which continue to drive his soaring net worth.
4. Mark Zuckerberg ($184.8 Billion)
Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook into Meta Platforms, the parent of Instagram, WhatsApp, and Reality Labs. His fortune is tied to Meta’s ad engine, creator ecosystem, and long‑horizon bets in mixed reality and AI. With billions of daily users across apps, Zuckerberg’s footprint in social platforms keeps him near the top of the richest list.
3. Bernard Arnault ($185.3 Billion)
Bernard Arnault chairs LVMH, a luxury empire spanning Louis Vuitton, Dior, Sephora, and dozens of maisons. His wealth reflects LVMH’s pricing power, brand desirability, and scale in fashion, beauty, and spirits. Arnault’s disciplined acquisitions and brand stewardship have set the global benchmark for luxury profitability.
2. Jeff Bezos ($195.7 Billion)
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon and scaled it from online bookseller to a logistics, cloud, and retail giant. As executive chairman, he still shapes the company’s long‑term direction while pursuing aerospace ambitions via Blue Origin. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and retail efficiencies remain key pillars sustaining his fortune.
1. Elon Musk ($244.8 Billion)
Elon Musk leads Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and X. His net worth moves with Tesla’s valuation and milestone launches at SpaceX. From EV adoption to reusable rockets and frontier AI, Musk’s companies sit at the center of multiple industrial shifts, keeping him ranked as the world’s richest person.
