American magazine Forbes calculates the wealth of the richest billionaires on the planet by analysing fluctuations in the markets, and the rankings on January 1, 2025, make it clear that tech is still king.
Elon Musk retains the top spot - and with Donald Trump’s return to The White House will only grow in influence, too. And as we look down the list, we see the familiar names - Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Google inventors Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and Oracle creator Larry Ellison all dominant.
In the top 10, only luxury goods magnate Bernard Arnault and investor Warren Buffett are not in the tech field - and after the 2024 that chip manufacturer Nvidia had, few would bet against Jensen Huang leapfrogging those two in the next 12 months.
For those interested, the places from 11 to 20 do see a more varied roster. There are tech barons such as Michael Dell, but also - individually - the Rob, Jim and Alice Walton, scions of the Walmart dynasty. And you’ll also see a familiar face placed 16th - Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and erstwhile world’s richest man. He has donated about $60bn to the charitable Gates Foundation so far.
5. Bernard Arnault
A very wealthy man - but a symbol of how the tech barons are taking over - Bernard Arnault & family have a net worth of $168.8bn according to Forbes, but this is down from the $200.7bn he was worth at the turn of 2024, when he was the second richest man in the world. Arnault's business LVMH is a bywords for luxury, encompassing as it does Moët, Hennessy and Louis Vuitton, as well as Sephora and Tiffany. His holding company also has a sizeable stake in TikTok owner ByteDance. Arnault's five children all work for LVMH. | AFP via Getty Images
6. Larry Page
Page, with Sergey Brin, cofounded Google in 1998, revolutionising search on the embryonic days of the web by prioritising links as part of the page ranking algorithm. Since then Google - parent company now called Alphabet - has gone on to dominate search and the fortunes of companies whose success depends on it. Page is currently worth $156bn, more than last year when he was placed eight at $117.2bn. | Getty Images
7. Sergey Brin
Google cofounder Sergey Brin is no longer president of its parent company Alphabet but remains a board member and a controlling shareholder. At the dawn of 2025 he is valued at $149bn, more than the $112.4bn a year ago. Brin has reportedly put $250 million into LTA Research, his high-tech airship project, says Forbes. | Getty Images for Breakthrough Pr
8. Warren Buffett
Eighth on the list is investor Warren Buffett, who this year is valued at $141.7bn, more than the £118.6bn against his name at the start of 2024. The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, now 94, is another wealthy man who has promised to give away his wealth - Forbes says so far he has donated £60bn, largely through the Bill Gates Foundation. Berkshire Hathaway owns dozens of companies, including insurer Geico, battery maker Duracell and US restaurant chain Dairy Queen. Photo: fortunelivemedia on Flickr