As the global wealth landscape continues to evolve, Forbes’ latest billionaire rankings have revealed the individuals to have amassed the most significant fortunes in 2023. Here’s a closer look at the top 10 wealthiest billionaires of the year, including insights into their industries, sources of wealth, and net worth.
- Bernard Arnault & family
Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, leads 75 luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Sephora. With a net worth of $227.1B, he’s currently the world’s wealthiest person. In 2021, LVMH acquired Tiffany & Co for $15.8B, the biggest luxury brand acquisition ever.
2. Elon Musk
Elon Musk, the self-made billionaire and Tesla’s CEO has co-founded six companies, including SpaceX and Boring Company. He’s ranked #2 on Forbes’ 2023 Billionaires list with a net worth of $187.6B. In 2022, he acquired the social media giant Twitter for a whopping $44B.
3. Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, began the e-commerce giant in his Seattle garage in 1994. Today, his net worth is $123.5B, making him the third wealthiest person worldwide. Bezos owns just under 10% of Amazon and donated $400M worth of stock to nonprofits in 2022. He also owns The Washington Post and Blue Origin.
4. Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison, the founder and CTO of Oracle, is among the world’s richest persons having a $107B net worth. He stepped down as CEO in 2014 after 37 years and owns about 35% of the software company. Ellison is also recognized for his philanthropy and was on Tesla’s board until August 2022.
5. Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is a legendary investor and philanthropist with a net worth of $106B. Known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” he has promised to donate over 99% of his wealth and has already given more than $49 billion to charitable causes.
6. Bill Gates
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, diversified his Microsoft wealth into investments such as zero-carbon energy and farmland. He has donated over $59B to the foundation. Gates owns about 1.3% of Microsoft’s shares and is invested in many firms, including Republic Services and Deere & Co.
7. Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg, CEO of Bloomberg LP, has a $94.5B net worth. He co-founded the firm in 1981 and owns 88% of it. Bloomberg is also a leading philanthropist and has donated over $12.7B to causes such as gun control and climate change.
8. Carlos Slim Helu & family
Mexico’s wealthiest man, Carlos Slim Helu, is the Honorary Chairman of América Móvil, the largest mobile telecom firm in Latin America. He owns stakes in various Mexican firms and ranks eighth on the list of the world’s richest.
9. Mukesh Ambani
Mukesh Ambani, founder and chairman of Reliance Industries, has a net worth of $83.9B. After his father’s death in 2002, he took over the company, expanding its interests in petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecom, and retail. He launched his telecom company Jio in 2016, which has over 430 million subscribers today. Ambani has invested $80B in green energy.
10. Steve Ballmer
The final billionaire on the list is the owner of the LA Clippers, Steve Ballmer. He is a former CEO of Microsoft who led the tech giant from 2000 to 2014, navigating the dot-com crash and competing with Google and Apple. Post-retirement, Ballmer donated over $2B to a fund supporting economic mobility.