Bill Gates Missing From Forbes List of 10 Richest People as Elon Musk’s Net Worth Hits All-Time High
- The wealth of the 10 wealthiest individuals has surged to $1.9 trillion as of January 2025
- Elon Musk leads the pack with a staggering net worth of $421.2 billion after adding $91 billion in December 2024
- His Space exploration company, SpaceX, notched a $350 billion deal, making it one of the most valuable firms globally
Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.
According to Forbes, Elon Musk has regained his title as the world’s richest person, beginning 2025 with a staggering net worth of 421.2 billion.
The development marks a significant rise of $91 billion since December 1, 2024.
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Elon Musk’s wealth balloons
Elon Musk’s SpaceX notched a deal valued at $350 billion, overtaking BytDance, Stripe, and OpenAI as the world’s most valuable company.
Musk also has a significant stake in Tesla, the electric car manufacturer X, and his newest venture, xAI, and Boring Co.
Next to Must is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, with a net worth of $233.5 billion. Bezos's wealth has increased by $10 billion following a five-percent rise in the e-commerce giant’s stock, but he remains $188 billion behind Musk.
Jensen Huang enters the global 10
A new entrant into the top 10 is Jensen Huang, CEO and co-founder of Nvidia. Following the rise in the chipmaker’s stock price, Huang is estimated to be worth about $118 billion, making it the most valuable company in the world.
However, in a surprising move, Microsoft founder Bill Gates is not among the top 10 wealthiest individuals globally.
According to the reports, the combined wealth of the top 1o billionaires is now a whopping $1.9 trillion, an increase of $100 billion from December.
Reports say Oracle's Larry Ellison suffered the most significant loss in the group. His wealth plummeted by $17.2 billion, putting him in third place with almost $210 billion.
Seven of the 10 billionaires saw their net worth grow in the past month, marking a positive move in the global billionaire ranking as of January 2025.
The top 10 wealthiest men globally
Elon Musk
Musk started 2025 as the world’s wealthiest, with a net worth of $421.2 billion. His wealth has been boosted by an increase in SpaceX’s valuation, which rose by $91 billion in December.
Jeff Bezos
The Amazon owner holds the second place with a fortune of $233.5 billion. His e-commerce company, Amazon, has changed the retail industry’s landscape. He stepped down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021 but remains its chairman.
Larry Ellison
Third on the list is the Oracle co-founder, Larry Ellison, who has a net worth of $209.7 billion. Ellison founded the software giant in 1977 and was CEO until 2014.
Ellison owns a 98% stake in the Hawaiian island of Lanai, which he purchased for $300 million in 2012.
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg, Meta co-founder, is ranked fourth on the list with a whopping net worth of 205.5 billion.
Meta, the world’s largest social media company, is now one of the most valuable firms globally.
Zuckerberg also owns Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.
Bernard Arnault
The LVMH boss is ranked fifth on the list, with a net worth of $168.8 billion. His company is the world’s largest luxury goods conglomerate, owning brands such as Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.
Arnault’s wealth has risen significantly in December as LVMH stocks rose during the festive season.
Larry Page
Google’s co-founder ranks sixth on the list, with a net worth of $156 billion. He co-founded the search engine giant Google with Sergey Brin in 1998, transforming how people search the Internet.
After stepping down as Google CEO, he remains an essential figure in Google’s parent company, Alphabet.
Sergey Brin
The Google co-founder has a net worth of $149 billion. His wealth has risen due to Alphabet’s success. He was involved in developing Google’s AI, Gemini.
Warren Buffett
The investment juggernaut and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway has a net worth of $141.7 billion. Buffet is one of the most successful investors in history. His wealth added $8.9 billion in December due to a decline in Berkershire’s shares.
Steve Ballmer
The ex-Microsoft CEO and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers has a net worth of $123.3 billion.
He joined Microsoft's software development company early on, leading it until 2014.
Jensen Huang
The new entrant, Jensen Huang, co-founded the chip-making company Nvidia. His net worth stood at $117.2 billion as of January 2025.
Nvidia’s stocks have risen, especially in the burgeoning AI industry.
3 Nigerians make the List of the top 10 richest black people globally
Legit.ng earlier reported that Forbes ranked three Nigerian billionaires among the top 10 richest black people globally.
The list comprises Oprah, Jay Z, and other notable black figures of African descent.
The list means that African billionaires now command business empires that employ millions of people.
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Source: Legit.ng
