Top 18 billionaires add $745B to their fortunes in 2025
What's the story
The world's ultra-rich saw their fortunes soar in 2025, as global equity markets rose steadily. A massive influx of investment into artificial intelligence (AI) firms, bolstered by strong economic data, expectations of lower interest rates, and stable foreign capital inflows, fueled a rally across major markets. This article tracks those with a net worth over $100 billion.
Billionaire count
18 billionaires above $100B wealth threshold
Currently, there are 18 billionaires globally with a net worth above $100 billion. All but one of these individuals saw their wealth increase in 2025. The exception was Bill Gates, whose net worth fell by about 26% to $118 billion due to his ongoing commitment to donate much of his wealth through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Wealth growth
US-based billionaires lead wealth accumulation
The 18 billionaires collectively added over $745 billion to their fortunes in 2025. Fourteen of them are based in the United States, while one each is from France, Spain, Mexico, and India. Among the biggest gainers were Alphabet co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page whose fortunes rose by over 59% and 57% to $252 billion and $280 billion, respectively.
Musk's milestone
Elon Musk becomes first billionaire to cross $700B
Elon Musk recorded the third-largest gain among the billionaires, with his net worth jumping over 50%. He recently became the first person in history to cross the $700 billion mark. This massive increase was driven by rising valuations at Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. Notably, SpaceX has set a target for an IPO in 2026 with expectations of a valuation near $1.5 trillion. At the time of writing, Musk's wealth stood at over $744 billion, as per Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List.
Wealth surge
Other billionaires also see significant wealth increases
Carlos Slim of America Movil and Jensen Huang of NVIDIA were the fourth and fifth biggest gainers. Slim's wealth rose by 41% to $112 billion, while Huang's net worth increased by 37% to $157 billion. Both these gains were driven by a rise in their respective companies' shares. The Walton siblings—Rob, Jim, and Alice—also witnessed their wealth rise by about 22%, thanks to a nearly 23% increase in Walmart stock.