- US tech moguls Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos head the list of the world's wealthiest people
- Bernard Arnault, a wealthy French luxury magnate, ranks fourth, with Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison placing fifth.
- Other notable billionaires include Bill Gates, Larry Page, Warren Buffett, and Sergey Brin.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index indicates that the first two months of 2025 have been a turbulent time for the world's wealthiest individuals.
There has been considerable fluctuations in the net worth of the world's wealthiest individuals, primarily due to the volatility in the global tech industry. For instance, the recent market decline led to a significant growth in the value of DeepSeek, a company owned by Chinese investors.
Who are the wealthiest individuals in the world?
American tech billionaires Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos top the list of the world's wealthiest individuals, according to the latest rankings. The conversions to Kenyan Shillings were based on the KSh 128.50 exchange rate per US dollar.
1. Elon Musk – $330 billion (US) (KSh 42.41 trillion)
Elon Musk ranks at the top with a net worth of approximately $330 billion (about KSh 42.41 trillion) stemming from his investments in stocks in Tesla, SpaceX, and X Corp, as well as his stakes in xAI, Neuralink, and The Boring Company.
2. Mark Zuckerberg - $221 billion (US) (KSh 28.39 trillion)
Mark Zuckerberg, with a net worth of $221 billion, trails Musk by $109 billion. His wealth originates from Meta, the social media giant responsible for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which has recently seen substantial growth fueled by artificial intelligence advancements.
3. Jeff Bezos - $220 billion (US) (KSh 28.26 trillion)
Jeff Bezos possesses $220 billion, primarily due to his ownership of Amazon, a leading e-commerce and cloud computing company, in addition to his investments in Blue Origin and The Washington Post.
4. Bernard Arnault – $148 Billion (KSh 18.998 trillion) (France)
Bernard Arnault's $148 billion fortune, decreased by $9.2 billion, is tied to LVMH, the luxury goods conglomerate behind Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Hennessy. His consumer-focused empire prospers due to the global demand for high-end products.
5. Larry Ellison - $176 billion (KSh 22.616 trillion) (US)
Oracle co-founder and CTO Larry Ellison's net worth of 176 billion dollars stems from his involvement in the company.
6. Bill Gates – $164 billion (KSh 21.074 trillion) (US)
Bill Gates has built a fortune worth $164 billion through his work at Microsoft. He now focuses on philanthropy, and his wealth is overseen by Cascade Investment, which has investments in a wide range of industries around the world.
7. Larry Page - $157 billion (KSh 20.148 trillion) (US)
Larry Page is a co-founder of Google, and his net worth of $157 billion is largely based on his stake in Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google and other investments in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and autonomous driving technology through Waymo.
8. Warren Buffett -$155 billion (KSh 19.918 trillion) (US)
Warren Buffett's $155 billion fortune is based on Berkshire Hathaway, a conglomerate with investments in insurance, energy, and consumer products, demonstrating his expertise in value investing.
9. Sergey Brin - $147 billion (approximately KSh 18.889 trillion) (US)
Sergey Brin, with a net worth of $147 billion, co-founded Google with Larry Page, and his net worth is also based on his stake in Alphabet.
10. Steve Ballmer – $136 billion (approximately KSh 17.496 trillion) (US)
Steve Ballmer's $136 billion fortune originates from his time as Microsoft CEO and a significant shareholding, as well as his ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers and other investments.
11. Jim Walton - $114 billion (KSh 14.634 trillion) (US)
Jim Walton's $114 billion fortune stems from Walmart, the massive retail company founded by his father, Sam Walton, in which he has a significant family ownership interest.
12. Rob Walton – $111B (approximately 14.264 trillion Kenyan shillings) (US)
Rob Walton, with $111 billion, also inherited the Walmart wealth.
13. Alice Walton - $111B (KSh 14.264 trillion) (US)
Alice Walton equals her brother Rob in a net worth of $111 billion, with her wealth linked to Walmart and her art philanthropy through the Crystal Bridges Museum.
14. Amancio Ortega – $108 billion (KSh 13.894 trillion) (US)
Amancio Ortega's $108 billion fortune is largely attributed to Inditex, the parent company of Zara, which has achieved substantial growth in the global fashion industry.
15. Michael Dell – $106 billion (KSh 13.664 trillion) (USD)
Michael Dell's $106 billion fortune is a result of his position as CEO of Dell Technologies and his past investments in the technology and banking sectors.
16. Jensen Huang – $99.9 billion (KSh 12.829 trillion)
NVIDIA co-founder Jensen Huang's net worth comes from the $99.9 billion valuation of the AI and graphics chip manufacturer that's capitalizing on the AI boom.
17. Mukesh Ambani – $88.1 Billion (approximately KSh 11.322 trillion) (India)
Mukesh Ambani's net worth of $88.1 billion is driven by Reliance Industries, which encompasses energy, petrochemicals, and telecommunications through Jio.
18. Carlos Slim – $82.8 billion (KSh 10.636 trillion) (Mexico)
Carlos Slim's $82.8 billion net worth is built on América Móvil, a telecommunications giant, and his other various investments.
19. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers – $81.5 billion (KSh 10.481 trillion) (France)
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, with a net worth of $81.5 billion, inherited the cosmetics company L'Oréal from her family.
20. Julia Flesher Koch and Family – $74.4 Billion (Kenyan Shilling 9.559 trillion) (United States)
Julia Flesher Koch and her family own approximately $74.4 billion in wealth from Koch Industries, a private conglomerate operating in the energy and manufacturing sectors.
Elon Musk's Net Worth Declines
This was mainly due to a significant drop in Tesla's stock price, which fell 13.4% since the beginning of the year and 27% from its peak in December 2024, as global sales of electric vehicles weakened.
Musk remains the world's richest person, with a net worth of $330 billion, primarily due to his holdings in Tesla, SpaceX, and X Corp.