New York, NY, Wednesday, April 03, 2024 – A record number of billionaires with unprecedented wealth populate the 2024 Forbes list, which was released on Tuesday, April 2. 1
This year surpasses even the 2021 record, which saw 26 more billionaires and a collective net worth of $1.1 trillion.
The ranking identified 2,781 individuals surpassing the billion-dollar mark, a 141-person increase from 2023.
Forbes also says that the number of billionaires has increased despite various factors.
Their combined net worth reached $14.2 trillion, reflecting a $2 trillion rise year-over-year.
Notably, two-thirds of billionaires witnessed an increase in their wealth, with the top 20 experiencing the most significant gains, collectively adding $700 billion since last year.
The United States dominates the list with a record-breaking 813 billionaires, followed by China with 473 and India with a record-setting 200.
Net worth calculations were based on stock prices and exchange rates from March 8, 2024.
Bernard Arnault, chairman of French luxury goods giant LVMH (AKA Hennessy Louis Vuitton), claimed the top spot with a net worth of $233 billion. Arnault’s family is a consistent fixture within the top three of Forbes’ wealth rankings.
Elon Musk, previously the world’s richest person, was pushed this year to the number two position at $195 billion.
Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, acquired Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion, subsequently renaming it X.
Forbes estimates that Musk owns roughly 74% of the social media platform, which is currently valued at nearly 70% less than his acquisition price. This, coupled with factors like lower Tesla earnings, has caused his net worth to dip below $200 billion several times in the past two years.
Following Musk is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos at $194 billion, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at $177 billion. Other notable figures on the list include:
* Rupert Murdoch and family (Fox News): $19.5 billion (rank 100)
* Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): $13.9 billion (rank 137)
* Jay-Z: $2.5 billion (rank 1,330)
* Kim Kardashian: $1.7 billion (rank 1,851)
* Taylor Swift: $1.1 billion (rank 2,545)
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, granddaughter of L’Oreal’s founder, holds the title of the wealthiest woman on the list at number 15, with a net worth of $99.5 billion. The following comprise the top four wealthiest women after Meyers:
* Alice Walton (Walmart heiress): $72.3 billion (rank 21)
* Julia Koch and family (Koch Industries): $64.3 billion (rank 23)
* Jacqueline Mars (Mars Candy): $38.5 billion (rank 35)
* MacKenzie Scott (ex-wife of Jeff Bezos): $35.6 billion (rank 43)
- Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2024/04/02/forbes-worlds-billionaires-list-2024-the-top-200/?sh=3d891d21430a[↩]
