Elon Musk named the world's richest man 2025 by Forbes
02/04/2025
Elon Musk, replacing French luxury goods tycoon Bernard Arnault, as the world's richest individual by 2025, according to Forbes' latest annual list published on Tuesday. - File photo/REUTERS
MOSCOW: US tech entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk has replaced French luxury goods tycoon Bernard Arnault as the world's richest individual by 2025, according to Forbes' latest annual list published on Tuesday, Sputnik/RIA Novosti reported.
Musk's net worth is estimated to be US$342 billion. He first topped the charts in 2022 before losing that position in 2023. In 2024, Musk increased his wealth by US$147 billion - a 1.75-fold increase in a year, according to Forbes estimates.
Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg is in second place after adding US$39 billion to his fortune, bringing the total to US$216 billion, Forbes said. The founder of online retailer Amazon, Jeff Bezos, retains third place with an estimated fortune of US$215 billion after earning an additional US$21 billion in 2024, according to Forbes data.
The fourth position is held by the co-founder of software giant Oracle, Larry Ellison, with a fortune of US$192 billion.
Meanwhile, Arnault, who heads the Moet Hennessy conglomerate Louis Vuitton (LVMH), and his family rank fifth with an estimated wealth of US$178 billion.
Forbes reported that the number of global billionaires increased by 247 people to 3,028, surpassing the 3,000 mark for the first time. Their total wealth is estimated to amount to US$16.1 trillion – an increase of US$2 trillion compared to 2024.
The average wealth of the billionaires on the list also increased by US$200 million to US$5.3 billion. The United States has 902 billionaires, followed by China (including Hong Kong) with 516, and India with 205, making more than half of the individuals on the list citizens of the three countries.
