As a trader who’s always had a keen eye on the movers and shakers of the financial world, I find myself constantly fascinated by the ever-shifting landscape of global wealth. The year 2024 has brought some intriguing changes to the list of the world’s wealthiest individuals, and I’m excited to dive into the details of who’s on top and why. From tech moguls to luxury goods tycoons, the top 10 richest people in the world represent a diverse array of industries and backgrounds. Their fortunes have been shaped by market trends, technological advancements, and in some cases, the growing influence of artificial intelligence on various sectors. As someone who’s spent years studying market patterns and investment strategies, I’m particularly interested in how these billionaires have managed to grow and maintain their wealth in an increasingly volatile global economy. Their success stories offer valuable insights for traders like myself, and their business decisions often have far-reaching impacts on markets worldwide. Based on data from the Real-Time Billionaires List, let’s take a closer look at the top 10 richest people in the world for 2024. We’ll explore their net worth, the sources of their wealth, and some of the key factors that have contributed to their financial success.

1. Elon Musk – $269.8 billion

Elon Musk, born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa, is currently the world’s richest person with a net worth of $269.8 billion. Musk is a serial entrepreneur and innovator, best known for founding and leading several groundbreaking companies:
  • Tesla: Electric vehicle and clean energy company
  • SpaceX: Aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company
  • Twitter (now X): Social media platform
  • Neuralink: Neurotechnology company
  • The Boring Company: Infrastructure and tunnel construction company
Musk’s wealth primarily stems from his stake in Tesla, where he serves as CEO and owns approximately 13% of the company. His net worth has seen significant fluctuations due to Tesla’s volatile stock price, but he has consistently remained at or near the top of global wealth rankings in recent years.

2. Larry Ellison – $206.2 billion

Larry Ellison, born on August 17, 1944, in New York City, is the co-founder, executive chairman, and CTO of Oracle Corporation. According to the Real-Time Billionaires List, with a net worth of $206.2 billion, Ellison recently surpassed Jeff Bezos to become the world’s second-richest person. Ellison’s journey to immense wealth began when he co-founded Software Development Laboratories in 1977, which later became Oracle Corporation. Under his leadership, Oracle grew to dominate the database software market. Ellison served as CEO until 2014 and continues to play a crucial role in the company’s strategic direction. The recent surge in Ellison’s wealth is largely attributed to Oracle’s strong performance in the artificial intelligence market and the company’s impressive stock growth. Oracle’s shares increased by 23% in September 2024, positioning the company for its most profitable month since October 2022.

3. Jeff Bezos – $205.8 billion

Jeff Bezos, born on January 12, 1964, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the founder and executive chairman of Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce company. As of 2024, Bezos’s net worth stands at $205.8 billion. Bezos founded Amazon in 1994 as an online bookstore, which he grew into a global technology giant offering a wide range of products and services, including cloud computing, streaming media, and artificial intelligence. He stepped down as CEO in 2021 but remains executive chairman. In addition to Amazon, Bezos owns The Washington Post and Blue Origin, a space exploration company. His wealth primarily comes from his approximately 9% stake in Amazon. Bezos has consistently ranked among the world’s wealthiest individuals for over a decade, occasionally holding the top spot before being surpassed by Elon Musk and, more recently, Larry Ellison.

4. Bernard Arnault & family – $199.5 billion

Bernard Arnault is a French business magnate and the chairman and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury goods company. Born on March 5, 1949, in Roubaix, France, Arnault began his career working for his father’s construction firm before entering the luxury goods market. Arnault’s net worth of $199.5 billion is primarily derived from his 48.6% stake in LVMH, which oversees around 75 luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Hennessy, and Tiffany & Co. Under his leadership, LVMH has grown into a global powerhouse with a market capitalization of over $400 billion as of early June 2024. Known for his strategic acquisitions and business acumen, Arnault has earned nicknames such as “The Terminator” and “The Wolf in the Cashmere Coat” for his aggressive business tactics. Despite his immense wealth, Arnault is known to live relatively modestly, though he does indulge in some luxuries like fine art, a superyacht, and multiple homes around the world.

5. Mark Zuckerberg – $196.3 billion

Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), the world’s largest social media company. Born on May 14, 1984, in White Plains, New York, Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his Harvard dorm room in 2004. Zuckerberg’s net worth of $196.3 billion is largely tied to his ownership stake in Meta. He owns about 13% of the company, which has seen its stock price soar in recent years due to strong growth in profitability and renewed focus on artificial intelligence. Under Zuckerberg’s leadership, Meta has expanded beyond social networking to include virtual and augmented reality technologies. The company rebranded from Facebook to Meta in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on the “metaverse”. Despite facing numerous controversies related to user privacy and content moderation, Zuckerberg has maintained his position as one of the world’s wealthiest and most influential tech leaders.

6. Warren Buffett – $143.9 billion

Warren Buffett, often called the “Oracle of Omaha,” is one of the most successful investors in history and the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Born on August 30, 1930, in Omaha, Nebraska, Buffett showed an early aptitude for business and investing. Buffett’s net worth of $143.9 billion is primarily derived from his ownership stake in Berkshire Hathaway, which represents about 99.5% of his wealth. Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate that owns a diverse portfolio of businesses and investments across various industries. Known for his value investing strategy and long-term approach, Buffett has delivered compounded annual gains of 19.8% in Berkshire’s market value since 1965. Despite his immense wealth, Buffett is famous for his frugal lifestyle, still living in the same Omaha home he purchased in 1958 for $31,500. Buffett is also a notable philanthropist, having pledged to give away the majority of his fortune during his lifetime. He has already donated billions of dollars to various charitable causes, with a significant portion going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

7. Bill Gates – $138.6 billion

Bill Gates, born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington, is the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the most influential figures in the technology industry. His net worth stands at $138.6 billion as of 2024. Gates co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975, developing software that would revolutionize personal computing. Under his leadership, Microsoft became the world’s largest PC software company. Gates served as CEO until 2000 and remained chairman until 2014, when he transitioned to a technology advisor role. Beyond his work at Microsoft, Gates is renowned for his philanthropic efforts through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which he co-founded with his ex-wife Melinda. The foundation focuses on global health, development, and education initiatives. Gates has authored several books and received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. Despite stepping back from day-to-day operations at Microsoft, he remains an influential figure in technology and philanthropy.

8. Larry Page – $136.4 billion

Larry Page, born on March 26, 1973, is an American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of Google. His net worth is estimated at $136.4 billion in 2024. Page co-founded Google with Sergey Brin in 1998 while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. He served as Google’s CEO from 2011 to 2015 and became CEO of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, from 2015 to 2019. Under Page’s leadership, Google expanded beyond its core search engine business into various technology sectors, including mobile operating systems (Android), video sharing (YouTube), and cloud computing. Page is known for his vision of using technology to solve global problems and his interest in renewable energy technologies. Page owns approximately 6% of Alphabet, slightly more than his co-founder Sergey Brin, which accounts for the majority of his wealth.

9. Amancio Ortega – $133.4 billion

Amancio Ortega, born on March 28, 1936, in Busdongo de Arbas, Spain, is a Spanish fashion businessman and founder of the Inditex fashion group. His net worth is estimated at $133.4 billion as of 2024. Ortega’s journey began in 1963 when he founded Confecciones Goa to sell quilted bathrobes. In 1975, he opened the first Zara store with his then-wife, Rosalía Mera. This led to the creation of the Inditex group in 2009, which includes popular brands like Zara, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, and Bershka. Despite his immense wealth, Ortega is known for his modest lifestyle and rarely gives interviews. He stepped down as chairman of Inditex in 2011 but remains a major shareholder. Ortega’s business model, focusing on fast fashion and rapid inventory turnover, has revolutionized the retail clothing industry.

10. Sergey Brin – $130.6 billion

Sergey Brin, born on August 21, 1973, in Moscow, Russia, is an American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who co-founded Google with Larry Page. His net worth is estimated at $130.6 billion in 2024. Brin immigrated to the United States at the age of six. He met Larry Page at Stanford University, where they developed the PageRank algorithm that became the foundation of Google’s search engine. They launched Google in 1998, which quickly became the world’s most popular search engine. Brin served as the president of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, until December 2019. He remains a controlling shareholder and board member. Beyond Google, Brin has invested in space exploration and airship technologies. Known for his innovative thinking and philanthropic efforts, Brin has made significant contributions to various fields, including technology, renewable energy, and medical research. His wealth primarily stems from his stake in Alphabet Inc.