The richest people in the world earned their billions by creating groundbreaking tech companies, investing wisely, and leading international businesses. They had game-changing ideas, took risks, and capitalized on emerging trends. All of this led to personal net worths in the tens of billions of dollars.
The world’s richest people have amassed enormous fortunes through the creation of cutting-edge and revolutionary technology businesses, wise long-term investment plans, and global corporate empires spanning numerous industries. Some people became billionaires by starting and running revolutionary tech companies that revolutionized the computer, software, internet, automotive, and aerospace industries. Others amassed enormous fortune by using value investing theories and wise corporate leadership to build their businesses into corporate giants over several decades. The wealthiest persons achieved personal net worth’s in the tens of billions of dollars by utilizing innovative ideas, prudent risk-taking, perseverance
| Name | Origin of Wealth | Net Worth | Country |
| 1. Elon Musk | Tesla, SpaceX | $210.5 Billion | United States |
| 2. Jeff Bezos | Amazon | $199.1 Billion | United States |
| 3. Mark Zuckerberg | $176.1 Billion | United States | |
| 4. Larry Ellison | Oracle | $142.2 Billion | United States |
| 5. Warren Buffett | Berkshire Hathaway | $134.1 Billion | United States |
| 6. Bill Gates | Microsoft | $128.4 Billion | United States |
| 7. Steve Ballmer | Microsoft | $123.3 Billion | United States |
| 8. Mukesh Ambani | Reliance Industries | $117.5 Billion | India |
| 9. Larry Page | $115.1 Billion | United States | |
| 10. Carlos Slim Helu | Telecom | $101.99 Billion | Mexico |
Learn about the world’s ten wealthiest individuals
Elon Musk
- Age: 52
- Residence: Austin, Texas
- Citizenship: US
Elon Musk, as of now, stands as the second-wealthiest person globally. He spearheads several renowned companies, including Tesla (electric vehicles) and SpaceX (space exploration), and owns 23% of Tesla’s shares. Approximately two-thirds of his wealth is tied to Tesla’s performance. In October 2022, Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter was announced.
Tesla’s initial public offering occurred in 2010 under Musk’s leadership. Between 2020 and 2021, the company’s significant market capitalization growth propelled Musk to become one of the world’s wealthiest individuals. November 2021 marked the peak of Musk’s fortune, reaching a staggering $320 billion.
Jeff Bezos
- Age: 60
- Residence: Medina, Washington
- Citizenship: US
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 and during his tenure as CEO, his ownership of the company increased significantly. As of his retirement in 2021, he held almost sixteen percent of the company’s equity. With Amazon’s expansion into a wide range of consumer goods and services, Bezos’ net worth is projected to be $124 billion as of March 2023.
Mark Zuckerberg
- Age: 39
- Residence: Palo Alto, California
- Citizenship: US
Mark Zuckerberg, a 19-year-old psychology and computer science student at Harvard, co-founded and currently serves as the CEO of Meta Platforms. Meta’s main social media network, Facebook, was introduced in 2004. At first, it linked Harvard students by matching their names and images. Facebook opened up access to everyone with an email account who was above 13 in 2006.
In 2012, Zuckerberg’s business became public, and in 2016, Forbes named him the tenth most powerful person in the world. Roughly 13% of Meta Platforms are owned by him. The 39-year-old internet entrepreneur has three children with Priscilla Chan, his wife. He keeps making investments in different projects.
Larry Ellison
- Age: 79
- Residence: Lanai, Hawaii
- Citizenship: US
Larry Ellison founded a software company called Oracle in 1977 and was the CEO until 2014. He currently holds the positions of chairman and chief technology officer. Ellison made headlines in 2012 when he purchased the Hawaiian island of Lanai for $300 million. He has also invested significantly in Tesla and served on its board from 2018 to 2022.
Warren Buffett
- Age: 93
- Residence: Omaha, Nebraska
- Citizenship: US
Oracle was founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison, who led as CEO until 2014. Ellison currently holds the positions of chief technology officer and chairman. In 2012, Ellison gained attention for purchasing the Hawaiian island of Lanai for $300 million. Furthermore, he invested significantly in Tesla and served on its board from 2018 to 2022.
Bill Gates
- Age: 68
- Residence: Medina, Washington
- Citizenship: US
Bill Gates became a richest man in 1987, as recognized by Forbes magazine. He held the title of world’s richest person from 1995 to 2017, with exceptions in 2008 and 2010-2013. In 2021, Gates divorced Melinda French Gates, who received an estimated $6 billion in stock. As of June 1, 2023, Gates’ wealth has increased slightly by $500 million, enabling him to rise one spot in the Forbes rankings to number five.
Steve Ballmer
- Age: 67
- Residence: Hunts Point, Washington
- Citizenship: US
Steve Ballmer’s tenure at Microsoft, especially as CEO from 2000 to 2014, is partly responsible for his enormous $86 billion fortune. He was given millions of firm shares as payment. The foundation of his wealth was Microsoft shares when he retired in 2014, owning 4% of the company.
In addition, Ballmer’s $2 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers NBA club in 2014 was a noteworthy financial move. Ballmer is an very successful investor despite leaving Microsoft since his acquired shares have increased significantly in value over time.
Mukesh Ambani
- Age: 66
- Residence: Mumbai, India
- Citizenship: India
Mukesh Ambani chairs and inherited Reliance Industries Limited, an Indian conglomerate. His 49% stake in the company, along with investments in subsidiaries, makes him Asia’s wealthiest person and one of the 10 richest individuals globally. Ambani’s corporate empire has earned him a vast fortune.
Larry Page
- Age: 50
- Residence: Palo Alto, California
- Citizenship: US
Larry Page co-founded Google in 1998 with Sergey Brin, which grew into a tech giant through innovations in search and online advertising. Page’s $88 billion net worth comes predominantly from his controlling shareholding in Alphabet, Google’s parent company, where he served as CEO until 2019. Even though he is no longer CEO, Page remains a board member whose Alphabet holdings is the primary source of his immense personal fortune.
Carlos Slim Helu
- Age: 83
- Residence: Slim resides primarily in Mexico City, Mexico.
- Citizenship: Mexican
The majority of the $93 billion fortune of Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Helu comes from his telecoms company. He took over Telmex in the 1990s and made it almost into a monopoly for landlines in Mexico. Subsequently, Slim founded América Móvil, which is the biggest cellular provider in Latin America. His commercial endeavors span a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, retail, finance, healthcare, and energy.
Slim’s Lebanese-Mexican ancestry contributed significantly to his income, despite his Mexico City roots. Over the last several decades, he has become one of the greatest self-made billionaires in the world thanks to his leadership and diversified company interests in numerous areas.
