Forbes, the bible for those looking at wealth trends, has updated its list of billionaires. As well as a real-time list of billionaires - which illustrates the jaw-dropping truth that these people’s fortunes can fluctuate by billions in a day - the magazine puts together a yearly round-up.
This year, the 39th time it has compiled a list, it found 3,028 billionaires - made up of businesspeople, investors and heirs - which is 247 more people than last year. The first list, in 1987 saw 140 billionaires in total, says Forbes.
You’ll not be surprised to see Elon Musk topping the tree, with Mark Zuckerberg next in line.
Forbes adds: “Not only are there more of them, but they’re richer than ever, worth $16.1 trillion in total - up nearly $2 trillion over 2024. The US has a record 902 billionaires, followed by China (516, including Hong Kong) and India (205). We used stock prices and exchange rates from March 7, 2025.”
5. Bernard Arnault - $178bn
The first person on the list to not be a tech bro, Bernard Arnault and his family own the LVMH empire of 75 luxury fashion and cosmetics brands, including Louis Vuitton, Sephora, Moet and Hennessey. | AFP via Getty Images
6. Warren Buffett - $154bn
Warren Buffett is one of the shrewdest and therefore most successful investors of all time. Now 94, he is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and has an astonishing track record for spotting trends and growth companies | AFP via Getty Images
7. Larry Page - $144bn
Larry Page is a co-founder of Google, and stepped down as CEO of Alphabet, Google's now parent company in 2019. He is still a board member and a controlling shareholder. | Getty Images
8. Sergey Brin - $138bn
Sergey Brin co-founded Google with Larry Page, and like him also stepped down as president of Alphabet more than five years ago, but still retains huge influence as a board member and controlling shareholder | Getty Images