The global billionaire class has reached unprecedented levels of power and influence, particularly in the United States, where Donald Trump was sworn in again as president in January. His second term has given billionaires more sway over the government than ever before. His closest advisor is the world’s richest person, his administration includes at least ten billionaires and billionaire spouses, and prominent executives—such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and French luxury magnate Bernard Arnault—are backing him.
The billionaire boom is not limited to the U.S. A record 3,028 individuals have made Forbes’ annual World’s Billionaires list this year, 247 more than in 2024. This marks the first time the global billionaire count has exceeded 3,000. Collectively, they hold a record $16.1 trillion, an increase of $2 trillion from last year—surpassing the GDP of every nation except the U.S. and China. The average billionaire’s fortune has climbed to $5.3 billion, up $200 million from 2024.
For the first time, three individuals have amassed fortunes exceeding $200 billion, joining a record 15-member $100 Billion Club. This elite group, whose wealth spans 12 digits, now holds a combined net worth of $2.4 trillion—more than the bottom 1,500 billionaires combined.
At the top of the list is Elon Musk, with an estimated net worth of $342 billion. Despite his growing role in DOGE, Trump’s cost-cutting operation, Musk’s fortune surged by $147 billion over the past year, driven by SpaceX’s success and the rise of his AI firm xAI, which recently merged with his social media platform X. Even Tesla, despite protests and a market downturn, is trading higher than a year ago. This wealth boost has allowed Musk to reclaim the title of the world’s richest person, surpassing Arnault.
Following Musk is Mark Zuckerberg, now the world’s second-richest individual with an estimated net worth of $216 billion. Jeff Bezos ($215 billion) ranks third, followed by Oracle’s Larry Ellison ($192 billion). Arnault has dropped to fifth place, with his fortune declining to $178 billion due to a slump in LVMH’s stock, marking his lowest position since 2017. Forbes calculated this year’s rankings using stock prices and exchange rates from March 7, 2025.
The U.S. remains home to the most billionaires, with a record 902. China, including Hong Kong, follows with 516, while India holds third place with 205. More than half of all billionaires hail from these three nations. However, a total of 76 countries and two semi-autonomous territories now have at least one billionaire, including Albania, which made its first appearance on the list. Saudi Arabia has also rejoined, with 15 billionaires returning after being excluded in 2018 due to a government crackdown.
This year, 288 new names have been added to the Billionaires ranking, including celebrities such as musician Bruce Springsteen ($1.2 billion), actor Arnold Schwarzenegger ($1.1 billion), and comedian Jerry Seinfeld ($1.1 billion). Other notable newcomers include crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun ($8.5 billion), AI industry leaders from firms like Anthropic, CoreWeave, and DeepSeek, as well as executives behind fast-food chains like Cava, Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, and Zaxby’s.
The wealthiest new entrant is Marilyn Simons ($31 billion), the widow of hedge fund titan Jim Simons, who passed away in May 2024. He was among 32 billionaires who died over the past year. Another, Israeli industrialist Stef Wertheimer, passed away in late March but was included in the rankings due to the cutoff date.
Women remain underrepresented on the list, with just 406 female billionaires—only 13.4% of the total, a slight increase from 13.3% last year. Nearly three-quarters of them inherited their fortunes, including Walmart heiress Alice Walton ($101 billion), now the world’s richest woman, surpassing L’Oréal heir Françoise Bettencourt Meyers ($81.6 billion). Among the 113 self-made women on the list, the wealthiest is Swiss shipping magnate Rafaela Aponte-Diamant ($37.7 billion), whose company partnered with BlackRock to acquire 43 ports, including two in Panama.
Overall, self-made billionaires make up 67% of the list, up from 66% in 2024. The youngest self-made billionaire is Scale AI co-founder and CEO Alexandr Wang ($2 billion), aged 28. Among the 21 billionaires aged 30 or younger, the youngest is 19-year-old Johannes von Baumbach ($5.4 billion), an heir to a German pharmaceutical fortune. Meanwhile, the oldest billionaire is 103-year-old U.S. insurance mogul George Joseph ($1.9 billion), one of four centenarians on the list. The average billionaire is 66 years old.
Few billionaires have had a more lucrative year than Donald Trump. His fortune has more than doubled—from $2.3 billion to $5.1 billion—not just due to his return to the presidency but also because of a profitable venture into cryptocurrency. Additionally, his media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, went public shortly after Forbes finalized last year’s rankings, further boosting his wealth.
Not every billionaire saw gains. A total of 107 individuals from the 2024 ranking failed to make the cut this year. Among them are Lisa Su, CEO of semiconductor giant Advanced Micro Devices (AMD); Sara Liu, co-founder of struggling server manufacturer Supermicro; and Nicholas Puech, an heir to the Hermès luxury empire who claims to have lost his fortune.
Forbes’ World’s Billionaires list ranks individuals with a net worth of $1 billion or more as of March 7, 2025. Some billionaires’ fortunes have fluctuated since then; in fact, three additional billionaires were discovered shortly after finalizing the list, and more are likely to emerge. Given the volatility of global markets, particularly in light of anticipated tariffs, Forbes provides real-time updates on its website.
To compile the rankings, Forbes conducted extensive research, including interviews with billionaires, their associates, financial advisors, competitors, and industry experts. The methodology included analyzing regulatory filings, court records, real estate holdings, private and public company valuations, and asset portfolios—including art, yachts, aircraft, and car collections. Known liabilities and charitable contributions were factored in as well. While family wealth is excluded, the rankings do consider the fortunes of immediate family members when linked to a founder or heir, marked as “& family” in the listing.