In 2025, the list of the top 10 billionaires has some familiar faces. Thanks to booming tech industries, smart investments, and global business empires, these individuals have reached unbelievable levels of wealth.
Forbes, the most trusted source for billionaire rankings, has released its latest list, and Elon Musk is still on top—but others like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are closing the gap. Some billionaires made their money from tech giants like Google and Facebook, while others built fortunes in fashion, investments, or even space exploration.
Here, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about the world’s richest people in 2025. Who they are, how they made their billions, and what they’re doing with all that money.
1. Elon Musk – $342 Billion
Elon Musk is still the richest person in the world, thanks to his electric car company Tesla and his space venture, SpaceX. Even after buying Twitter (now called X) in 2022, his wealth keeps growing as Tesla’s stock remains strong and SpaceX lands more government contracts.
Elon Musk wasn’t born into wealth; he grew up in Pretoria, South Africa, with a love for computers. At 17, he moved to Canada, then to the U.S. to study physics and business. His first big success was Zip2 (an online city guide), which he sold for $307 million in 1999.
Then came PayPal, which made him $180 million when eBay bought it. Instead of retiring, he risked everything on Tesla (electric cars) and SpaceX (rockets). Both nearly went bankrupt multiple times, but today, Tesla dominates the EV market, SpaceX is worth more than most aerospace companies, and he also owns X (Twitter), Neuralink (brain chips), and The Boring Company (tunnels).
Why is he number 1? Relentless risk-taking and big bets on the future.
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2. Mark Zuckerberg – $216 Billion
At 19, Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his Harvard dorm in 2004. Originally a college networking site, it exploded into the world’s biggest social media empire (now Meta).
After the metaverse boom, Zuckerberg’s fortune skyrocketed. Despite early struggles with virtual reality, Meta’s AI and social media dominance keep him at the top. He also invests heavily in futuristic tech, making him one of the most powerful tech leaders.
3. Jeff Bezos – $215 Billion
The founder of Amazon is still one of the richest, even after stepping down as CEO. His space company, Blue Origin, is competing with SpaceX, and Amazon continues to dominate online shopping and cloud computing.
In 1994, Bezos quit his Wall Street job to sell books online from his garage. That became Amazon, now the world’s largest retailer.
How he stayed rich:
Amazon Web Services (AWS)—the backbone of the internet—makes more profit than Amazon’s store.
Blue Origin, his space company, competes with SpaceX.
Smart investments (Washington Post, Airbnb, Uber).
Fun fact: He was the first person ever to hit $200 billion in net worth.
4. Larry Ellison – $192 Billion
The tech tycoon behind Oracle (a giant in business software) keeps getting richer. He also invests in luxury real estate and owns nearly all of Hawaii’s Lanai Island!
Ellison had a rough start—born to a single mom, dropped out of college twice, and worked odd jobs. In 1977, he co-founded Oracle, which became the #1 business software company.
5. Bernard Arnault & Family – $178 Billion
Arnault is the king of luxury fashion. His company owns brands like Louis Vuitton, Sephora, Moët & Chandon, Dior, and Tiffany & Co. As the rich keep spending on high-end products, his wealth stays strong.
Arnault wasn’t born into fashion—he studied engineering. In 1984, he bought a struggling textile company, Dior, and turned it into LVMH—the world’s biggest luxury group.
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6. Warren Buffett – $154 Billion
The “Oracle of Omaha” is the greatest investor alive. Buffett bought his first stock at 11. By 30, he was a millionaire. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns Coca-Cola, Apple, American Express, and Geico.
Even at 94, Buffett’s smart stock picks keep him on the list.
7. Larry Page – $144 Billion
One of Google’s co-founders, Page still owns a huge chunk of Alphabet (Google’s parent company). Even though he’s not involved in daily operations, Google’s ads and AI businesses make him richer every year.
8. Sergey Brin – $138 Billion
The other Google co-founder, Brin, also benefits from Alphabet’s success. He focuses more on futuristic projects like self-driving cars (Waymo) and flying taxis.
9. Amancio Ortega – $124 Billion
Ortega grew up poor in Spain. At 14, he worked as a shop hand, delivering clothes. In 1975, he and his ex-wife revolutionised fashion.
The Spanish billionaire founded Zara, the world’s biggest fashion retailer. Even in his late 80s, his fast-fashion empire keeps expanding, making him one of Europe’s richest.
10. Steve Ballmer – $119 Billion
Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 as employee number 30. He wasn’t a tech genius—he was a relentless salesman who helped turn Windows into a monopoly. Ballmer got rich from early Microsoft stock.
After retiring, he bought the LA Clippers (NBA) for 2 billion (now worth 4.5B). Now, he just sits back and watch his investments grow.
The takeaway
Most of the world’s richest people made their money from tech, fashion, or smart investing. Elon Musk is still number 1, but Zuckerberg and Bezos are catching up. Meanwhile, legends like Warren Buffett and Amancio Ortega prove that old-school business strategies still work.
What’s crazy is that these 10 people combined hold over $1.8 trillion, more than many countries’ entire economies!
One thing’s clear: Money and power are concentrated in very few hands.
SOURCE: Forbes
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