Elon Musk has once reclaimed the top spot on the prestigious Hurun Global Billionaires list for the fourth time in five years.
With a net worth now standing at an extraordinary $400 billion, Musk has become the first individual to surpass this monumental threshold, further cementing his status as the world’s wealthiest person.
The sharp rise in Musk’s fortune, which surged by a staggering $189 billion—an 82% jump—was largely driven by a significant increase in Tesla’s stock price, often attributed to what is known as the ‘Trump effect.’
However, since the cut-off date for the rankings on January 15, 2025, Musk’s fortune has experienced a slight decline of approximately $100 billion. This dip is linked to a variety of factors, including his involvement with the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, his political activism, and intensifying competition from Chinese companies.
Jeff Bezos holds steady in second place
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos continues to maintain his position as the second wealthiest person globally, with a net worth of $266 billion, a 44% increase.
Bezos’ wealth surge is largely attributed to the growth of Amazon’s stock price, fuelled by investor optimism regarding the company’s cost-cutting measures and advancements in its AI and cloud services sectors.
Mark Zuckerberg in Top 3
For the first time, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg ranks third on the Hurun Billionaires list with a net worth of $242 billion—an impressive rise of $84 billion.
Investors’ optimism surrounding Meta’s pivot to AI and its expanding tech infrastructure have contributed to this substantial wealth growth.
Larry Ellison and Warren Buffett round out the top 5
Larry Ellison, Oracle co-founder, secured fourth place with a net worth of $203 billion, a 33% increase driven by Oracle’s expansion in AI-powered cloud services.
Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old “Oracle of Omaha,” remains in the top five with a fortune of $167 billion. Buffett, known for his modest lifestyle has already donated over 460 billion to charity.
Other notable billionaires
Larry Page, co-founder of Google, climbed three spots with a 33% rise in wealth, bringing his net worth to $164 billion.
Meanwhile, Bernard Arnault, the chairman of LVMH, saw his fortune dip by $18 billion, resulting in a drop to seventh place with $157 billion.
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Google co-founder Sergey Brin secured spots at eighth and ninth with net worths of $156 billion and $148 billion, respectively.
Bill Gates, with a more modest increase of 4%, continues to maintain his place in the top 10 with $143 billion, although his primary focus has shifted away from Microsoft and towards his investment ventures.