Wealth Rankings: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg Dominate January 2025’s Richest Billionaires List

Forbes has unveiled its latest list of the world's wealthiest individuals, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk claiming the top spot in January 2025. Musk's net worth has soared to an impressive $415.7 billion, reflecting a significant increase of over $91 billion since December. This surge is largely attributed to the success of SpaceX's space missions and the continued growth of the company's $350 billion valuation.

Trailing Musk is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who holds the second position with a net worth of $233.5 billion. Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), has moved up to the third spot with a fortune of $211.4 billion, surpassing Larry Ellison in the process.

One notable development this year is the rise of Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, who has made his debut in the top 10 list of the world’s richest individuals for the first time.

Here’s the ranking of the world’s richest individuals according to Forbes' real-time billionaire rankings:

1. Elon Musk: $415.7 billion
   Musk's impressive wealth is driven by his leadership of multiple groundbreaking companies. Aside from being the CEO of Tesla, the electric car manufacturer, Musk heads SpaceX, a leader in space technology. He is also the chairman and chief technology officer of social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and the founder of the artificial intelligence company xAI. His substantial stake in Tesla, owning around 13% of the company, further bolsters his fortune.

2. Jeff Bezos: $233.5 billion
   Bezos has seen his wealth grow through his stake in Amazon, which continues to dominate in e-commerce and cloud computing. Though he stepped down as Amazon's CEO in 2021, he remains chairman and sees his wealth rise with Amazon's expansion into new sectors, including movie production for Amazon Prime Video.

3. Mark Zuckerberg: $211.4 billion
   Zuckerberg, 40, has built his fortune through Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Since co-founding Facebook at Harvard University in 2004, Zuckerberg has grown the company into the world's largest social media platform, earning him a fortune of $211.4 billion. He still owns about 13% of Meta, following its public listing in 2012.

4. Larry Ellison: $204.6 billion
   Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has seen some fluctuation in his wealth. Despite a dip in Oracle’s stock price last December, Ellison remains one of the wealthiest individuals globally. He now serves as the chairman and CTO of Oracle, the software company he helped establish in 1977.

5. Bernard Arnault: $167.8 billion
   The chairman and CEO of luxury goods giant LVMH, Arnault’s wealth stems from his ownership of numerous prestigious brands, including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Sephora, cementing his place among the wealthiest individuals worldwide.

6. Larry Page: $160.4 billion
   Larry Page, co-founder of Google, continues to see his fortune grow with Alphabet, the parent company of Google. Page’s net worth has risen to $160.4 billion, thanks to Alphabet’s continued success in the tech industry. Page remains a major shareholder in Alphabet and has expanded his investments into ventures like asteroid mining.

7. Sergey Brin: $153.1 billion
   Brin, like his Google co-founder Page, has benefitted from Alphabet's success. His wealth now stands at $153.1 billion. Brin remains a controlling shareholder of Alphabet, overseeing various tech ventures.

8. Warren Buffet: $140.6 billion
   Widely regarded as one of the greatest investors of all time, Buffet maintains a fortune of $140.6 billion through his company Berkshire Hathaway, which holds stakes in numerous companies across various industries.

9. Steve Ballmer: $125.2 billion
   Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, holds a substantial fortune of $125.2 billion. Ballmer’s wealth has been bolstered by his stake in Microsoft, as well as his ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team.

10. Jensen Huang: $122.8 billion
    Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, makes his debut in the top 10 richest individuals' list. Nvidia has seen tremendous growth, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence and gaming, propelling Huang into the ranks of the world’s wealthiest.

This list highlights the growing influence of tech moguls, with companies in space exploration, artificial intelligence, social media, and luxury goods leading the way. The future of these industries will likely see further increases in the fortunes of these powerful figures.