Understanding the Influence of Billionaires
Let me tell you directly: billionaires have a massive impact on the global economy, politics, and philanthropy. According to Forbes, there are 3,028 billionaires worldwide in 2025, and the top ones, like Elon Musk as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, hold the most wealth.
These individuals are part of an elite group with even greater power. Many founded tech giants and keep much of their wealth tied up in those companies. You should know they can borrow against that wealth to avoid selling stock, which defers or even eliminates taxes on unrealized capital gains for heirs. They also use various tax deductions to offset income, sometimes paying no income tax in certain years.
Since their wealth is largely in publicly traded stocks, their net worth swings with market valuations. What follows is the list of the 10 wealthiest people based on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with figures current as of September 2, 2025.
Key Insights on the Top Billionaires
Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, tops the list with $371 billion. Right behind him is Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Others include LVMH's Bernard Arnault, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg. Notably, eight of these top 10 built their fortunes in tech, except for Arnault and Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway.
1. Elon Musk
At age 54 and residing in the United States, Elon Musk is the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, with a net worth of $371 billion. He holds a 13% stake in Tesla worth $135 billion, a 42% stake in SpaceX at $136 billion, and other assets like The Boring Company, Neuralink, and xAI.
Born in South Africa, Musk studied in Canada and then at the University of Pennsylvania for degrees in physics and economics. He skipped a Stanford grad program to start Zip2, an early online navigation service. He used proceeds to create X.com, which became PayPal after selling to eBay.
In 2004, he funded Tesla, becoming its CEO. Tesla makes electric vehicles, energy storage, accessories, and solar systems via SolarCity. He's also CEO of SpaceX for rockets. Tesla joined the S&P 500 in 2020, making Musk the richest in 2021, though it fluctuates.
In 2022, Musk bought X (formerly Twitter) for $44 billion after some back-and-forth, ending with a 79% stake. He founded xAI in 2023 for AI to advance science, merging it with X in 2025, owning about 33%.
2. Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison, 81, from the United States, is co-founder, chair, and CTO of Oracle, with $277 billion net worth. He owns 41% of Oracle at $230 billion, Tesla equity of $14.8 billion, and $32.5 billion in cash.
Born in New York to a single mother, he dropped out of the University of Chicago in 1966, moved to California, and worked as a programmer. He met partners at Ampex and later joined Precision Instruments.
In 1977, he founded Software Development Laboratories, releasing Oracle in 1979, the first commercial relational database using SQL. The company became Oracle Systems in 1982. He stepped down as CEO in 2014 and was on Tesla's board from 2018 to 2022.
Oracle is the second-largest software company, offering cloud computing, Java, Linux, and Exadata. It acquired Sun Microsystems and Cerner. Ellison donates to medical research, giving $200 million to USC in 2016, and backed Oracle Team USA for America's Cup wins in 2010 and 2013.
3. Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg, 41, from the United States, is CEO and chair of Meta Platforms, with $258 billion net worth. He owns 13% of Meta at $252 billion and has $6.40 billion in cash.
He developed Facebook (now Meta) at Harvard in 2004 with classmates. He dropped out to grow it as it spread to other universities. Meta is the largest social network, revenue from ads.
Meta owns Instagram (acquired 2012), WhatsApp and Oculus (2014), and Workplace. With wife Priscilla Chan, he founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in 2015 to fix education, justice, immigration, housing, and eradicate diseases.
4. Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos, 61, from the United States, is founder and executive chair of Amazon, with $247 billion net worth. He owns 8.6% of Amazon at $199 billion, Blue Origin at $15 billion, The Washington Post at $250 million, Koru yacht at $500 million, and $32.1 billion cash.
In 1994, he started Amazon in a Seattle garage after leaving D.E. Shaw. It began as an online bookstore but grew into a massive retailer, set to surpass Walmart by 2024. Expansions include Whole Foods and pharmacy in 2017.
He owned 16% of Amazon in 2019, transferring 4% in divorce. Amazon's stock rose 76% in 2020 due to pandemic demand. He stepped down as CEO in 2021. Amazon went public in 1997; he hit $100 billion net worth post-Gates.
Other ventures: Blue Origin aerospace, Washington Post (2013), 10,000-year clock. In 2021, he flew on Blue Origin's first crewed flight. In 2023, he bought the $500 million yacht Koru.
5. Larry Page
Larry Page, 52, from the United States, is co-founder and board member of Alphabet, with $188 billion net worth. He owns 6% of Alphabet at $164.9 billion and $23 billion cash.
At Stanford in 1995, he and Sergey Brin created Backrub search tech, leading to Google in 1998. Page was CEO until 2001 and 2011-2019. Google dominates search at over 92%, bought YouTube in 2006.
Acquired Android in 2005, released OS in 2008. Google became Alphabet subsidiary in 2015. Page invested in Planetary Resources (acquired 2018) and flying car firms Kitty Hawk (ceased 2022) and Opener.
6. Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin, 52, from the United States, is co-founder and board member of Alphabet, with $176 billion net worth. He owns 6% at $152.9 billion and $23.2 billion cash.
Born in Moscow, moved to U.S. at six. Co-founded Google with Page in 1998, became tech president under Schmidt in 2001, same at Alphabet in 2015, stepped down 2019.
Google offers Workspace tools like Gmail, Drive. Devices include Pixel, Nest, Stadia. Brin donates to Parkinson’s research with Michael J. Fox Foundation.
7. Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer, 69, from the United States, owns the Los Angeles Clippers, with $174 billion net worth. He owns 4% of Microsoft at $161 billion, Clippers at $5.68 billion, The Forum at $400 million, Intuit Dome at $2 billion, and $4.23 billion cash.
Joined Microsoft in 1980, dropping Stanford MBA at Gates' urging. Became CEO in 2000 until 2014, oversaw Skype buy in 2011. Largest Microsoft shareholder. Bought Clippers in 2014 for $2 billion. Lived in same dorm as Gates at Harvard; relationship strained over hardware pushes like Surface.
8. Bernard Arnault
Bernard Arnault, 76, from France, is CEO and chair of LVMH, with $167 billion net worth. He owns 48% at $144 billion and $23.9 billion cash.
Leads world's largest luxury goods company with brands like Louis Vuitton, Hennessy. Wealth from LVMH stake via Financiere Agache. Engineer, took over father's construction firm in 1971, converted to real estate in 1979.
Acquired Financiere Agache in 1984, kept Christian Dior and Le Bon Marché. Invested in LVMH 1987, became majority shareholder and CEO by 1989.
9. Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett, 95, from the United States, is CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, with $151 billion net worth. Owns 37.4% at $149 billion and $1.78 billion cash.
Filed first tax return at 14 from paper route. Bought Berkshire Hathaway shares in 1962, majority by 1965, expanded to insurance and investments. Value investor, acquires undervalued companies; portfolio includes insurance, energy, railroads, consumer products.
Skeptical of Bitcoin. Gave $41 billion to philanthropy 2006-2020, mostly to Gates Foundation. Launched Giving Pledge 2010. Successor likely Gregory Abel.
10. Jensen Huang
Jensen Huang, 62, from the United States, is CEO of NVIDIA, with $149 billion net worth. Owns 3.5% at $146 billion and $2.53 billion cash.
Co-founded NVIDIA in 1993 with Malachowsky and Priem, focusing on processors and AI tech. Fortune derives from NVIDIA shares.
The Top 10 Richest People in the World
- Elon Musk
- Larry Ellison
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Jeff Bezos
- Larry Page
- Sergey Brin
- Steve Ballmer
- Bernard Arnault
- Warren Buffett
- Jensen Huang
Additional Notes on Wealth Rankings
As of September 2, 2025, Elon Musk is the world's richest man at $371 billion. The richest woman is Alice Walton at $119 billion from Walmart holdings.
To join these ranks, you might need to innovate in tech or luxury, or focus on value investing. Many started with ideas, creativity, drive, and connections to build huge companies, though inheritance helps too.
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