The World's Wealthiest: Discover the Top 10 Wealthiest Individuals Globally
Top 10 Richest People in the World as of December 2025 - Based on the latest available data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index as of the end of 2025 (specifically, reflecting the close of December 31, 2025), here is the list.
I've included their net worth, primary company or source of wealth details, and an image for each.
1. Elon Musk
Elon Musk is a transformative entrepreneur and engineer, born in South Africa in 1971. He is best known for his ambitious ventures that aim to revolutionize major global industries. As the CEO of Tesla, he has been the most prominent driver of the world's shift to electric vehicles and sustainable energy. Through SpaceX, which he founded and leads, Musk has dramatically reduced the cost of space access, reinvigorated NASA's crewed spaceflight program, and is actively working toward the goal of making humanity a multiplanetary species by colonizing Mars.
His other ventures include Neuralink, developing brain-computer interfaces, and The Boring Company, focused on tunnel construction and urban transit solutions. In 2022, he acquired the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Musk's work is characterized by a high-risk, long-term vision that challenges conventional thinking, earning him a reputation as one of the world's most influential and controversial innovators.
Net Worth: ~$619 Billion
Source of Wealth: Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter)
Country: USA (born South Africa)
Key Work: CEO of Tesla (electric vehicles), SpaceX (aerospace), and X. A pivotal figure in EVs, private space exploration, and social media.
2. Larry Page
Larry Page is an American computer scientist and entrepreneur, best known as the co-founder of Google, the world’s most dominant search engine and technology giant. Born in 1973, Page, along with Sergey Brin, developed the revolutionary PageRank algorithm while Ph.D. students at Stanford, leading to Google’s founding in 1998.
He served as Google’s first CEO and later, as the CEO of its parent company, Alphabet Inc., which he helped create in 2015 to oversee Google and its ambitious "moonshot" ventures. Under his leadership, the company expanded far beyond search into areas like Android, YouTube, autonomous vehicles (Waymo), and life sciences (Verily).
Page stepped down from daily management in 2019 but remains a controlling shareholder and board member of Alphabet. His vision has consistently centered on organizing the world's information, developing transformative technology, and funding long-term innovation. With a net worth exceeding $100 billion, derived almost entirely from his Alphabet stock, he is one of the wealthiest people in the world. Page is known for his focus on ambitious, futuristic projects and maintains a notably private public profile.
Net Worth: ~$269 Billion
Source of Wealth:
Co-founder and board member of Alphabet Inc. (parent company of Google, focusing on search, advertising, cloud computing, and other tech ventures)
Country: USA (born in East Lansing, Michigan, United States)
Key Work:
Is defined by two revolutionary innovations: one technical, one corporate.
His seminal work was creating the PageRank algorithm with Sergey Brin. Unlike earlier methods, PageRank ranked websites by their links (acting as "votes"), not just keyword frequency.
As a leader, his key work was masterminding the 2015 corporate restructuring that created Alphabet Inc.. As Alphabet's first CEO, he reorganized Google into a holding company.
3. Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is the American founder of Amazon, the world's largest online retailer. Born in 1964 in New Mexico, he started the company from his garage in 1994. His key innovations include revolutionizing e-commerce with obsessive customer focus and pioneering the highly profitable cloud computing platform, Amazon Web Services (AWS). After stepping down as CEO in 2021, he now focuses on his space company, Blue Origin, and philanthropy through the Bezos Earth Fund. With a net worth over $190 billion, derived primarily from Amazon stock, he is consistently among the world's richest individuals.
Net Worth: ~$253 Billion
Source of Wealth:
Primarily his stake in Amazon.com, the multinational technology company he founded. Additional wealth comes from his space company Blue Origin, his ownership of The Washington Post, and other investments.
Country: USA (born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States)
Key Work:
Founder of Amazon (1994): He started the company as an online bookstore from his garage, scaling it into the world's largest online retailer and a dominant force in cloud computing (Amazon Web Services), digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.
Revolutionizing E-commerce & Cloud Computing: His vision for customer obsession, vast selection, and logistical innovation redefined global retail. Under his leadership, AWS became the foundational profit engine for the modern internet.
Post-CEO Ventures: After stepping down as CEO in 2021, he focuses on Blue Origin (commercial spaceflight), The Washington Post, and his philanthropic Bezos Earth Fund.
4. Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin is an American computer scientist and entrepreneur, best known for co-founding Google with Larry Page while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University in 1998. Born in Moscow in 1973, Brin immigrated to the United States as a child. As President of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, he was instrumental in developing core technologies like the PageRank algorithm and overseeing ambitious "moonshot" projects. Although he stepped back from day-to-day management in 2019, he remains a controlling shareholder, board member, and a key advisor, particularly on advanced technology projects like artificial intelligence.
Net Worth: ~$250 Billion
Source of Wealth:
Co-founder and board member of Alphabet Inc. His foundational and largest asset, accumulated as a co-founder.
Other Investments & Ventures: Includes returns from early-stage tech investments and his continued involvement in special "moonshot" projects, particularly in artificial intelligence and frontier technology.
Country: Russia (born in Moscow, he emigrated to the United States as a child and is a naturalized U.S. citizen)
Key Work:
Co-founder of Google: With Larry Page, created the revolutionary PageRank algorithm and built the core search engine.
Co-founder & Former President of Alphabet: Helped establish the corporate structure that houses Google and its "Other Bets."
Key Technical Advisor: Though he stepped back from daily management in 2019, he remains an active board member and is widely reported to be deeply involved in steering Alphabet's most ambitious AI research and development projects.
5. Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison is the co-founder, chairman, and chief technology officer (CTO) of Oracle Corporation, the world's leading database management and enterprise software company. Born in 1944 in New York City, he dropped out of college and founded Oracle in 1977. His key work was commercializing the relational database, a foundational technology for modern business computing. A bold and competitive leader, he grew Oracle through aggressive sales and acquisitions. With a net worth exceeding $150 billion, largely from Oracle stock, he is also known for lavish spending on real estate, yachting, and aviation.
Net Worth: ~$247 Billion
Source of Wealth:
>95% of his wealth is tied to his ownership stake in Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) and his diversified investment portfolio.
Tesla Stock: A significant secondary holding that adds substantial volatility to his net worth.
Other Investments & Assets: Includes his expansive real estate portfolio (e.g., nearly entire island of Lanai in Hawaii), yachts, aviation assets, and venture investments.
Country: USA (born in New York City, New York, United States)
Key Work:
Co-founder, Chairman & CTO of Oracle: Built the company into the global leader in database software and enterprise cloud applications.
Pioneer of the Relational Database: His key technical/business achievement was successfully commercializing the relational database model in the 1970s/80s.
Strategic Investor: Known for major strategic investments, most notably in Tesla, where he served on the board until 2022.
6. Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Born in 1984 in White Plains, New York, he launched Facebook from his Harvard dormitory in 2004. His key work involves building the world's largest social networking ecosystem and, more recently, aggressively pivoting the company's focus toward developing the metaverse—a vision for an immersive, interconnected virtual world. With a net worth derived almost entirely from his Meta holdings, Zuckerberg is consistently ranked as one of the world's youngest and wealthiest individuals.
Net Worth: ~$233 Billion
Source of Wealth:
Overwhelmingly from his holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META). His net worth is directly tied to the company's stock price. His exact wealth percentage will be determined by Meta's market capitalization and any shares he may have sold by December 2025.
Secondary sources include his personal investments (venture capital, real estate) through entities like the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Country: USA (born in White Plains, New York, United States)
Key Work:
Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Meta Platforms. His legacy is building the core social media empire (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp).
Strategic Pivot to the Metaverse & AI: His defining recent work is the high-stakes, multi-year bet on building the metaverse (via Reality Labs) and, more recently, a massive strategic shift to lead in Artificial Intelligence, developing and integrating advanced AI across Meta's products and infrastructure.
7. Bernard Arnault
Bernard Arnault is the French chairman and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's largest luxury goods conglomerate. Born in 1949 in Roubaix, France, he built his empire through strategic acquisitions of iconic brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Tiffany & Co. His key work involves masterfully managing a portfolio of over 75 prestigious houses, leveraging their heritage while driving global expansion, particularly in Asia. Through his controlling stake in LVMH and Christian Dior SE, Arnault has amassed a personal fortune that consistently places him among the very richest individuals in the world.
Net Worth: ~$208 Billion
Source of Wealth:
His controlling stakes in LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (MC.PA) and Christian Dior SE. His net worth is a direct, real-time function of the share price of these Paris-listed companies.
The valuation of LVMH's brand portfolio (including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany, etc.) and its global financial performance (especially in key markets like China, Europe, and the US) will be the sole driver of his wealth level in December 2025.
Country: France (born in Roubaix, France)
Key Work:
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LVMH. He is the architect and undisputed leader of the luxury conglomerate.
Master of the "LVMH Model": His life's work is defined by his strategy of acquiring iconic heritage brands, granting creative autonomy, and leveraging LVMH's unparalleled global retail, marketing, and supply chain power to scale them. His key work involves constant portfolio management and long-term brand building.
8. Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer is the former Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, where he led the company from 2000 to 2014. Born in Detroit, USA, in 1956, he was Microsoft's 30th employee and succeeded his college friend, Bill Gates. His key tenure saw the launch of Windows XP, the Xbox, and significant growth, though it was also marked by challenges like the late entry into mobile. Post-Microsoft, his primary work is as the passionate owner of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, and he is renowned for his energetic public persona. His immense wealth stems almost entirely from his early Microsoft stock holdings.
Net Worth: ~$168 Billion
Source of Wealth:
The vast majority of his wealth originates from his early ownership stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), accumulated as the company's 30th employee and former CEO. This remains his foundational asset.
His wealth is diversified through his ownership of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers and a large portfolio of other investments, but its core value is tied directly to Microsoft's stock price performance.
Country: USA (born in Detroit, Michigan, United States)
Key Work:
Former CEO of Microsoft (2000-2014): His corporate legacy includes overseeing the launches of Windows XP, the original Xbox, and significant enterprise growth, though his tenure is also assessed for Microsoft's struggles in mobile technology.
Owner of the Los Angeles Clippers: His primary and most visible role since 2014. His key work involves the business operations, brand building, and the financing of the Clippers' new Intuit Dome arena.
9. Jensen Huang
Jensen Huang is the co-founder, president, and CEO of NVIDIA, the world's leading designer of graphics processing units (GPUs). Born in Taiwan in 1963 and raised in the U.S., he started NVIDIA in 1993. His visionary key work was pivoting the company's GPUs from powering video games to becoming the essential global engine for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. This strategic bet, culminating in the creation of the CUDA software platform, positioned NVIDIA at the epicenter of the AI revolution, transforming it into one of the world's most valuable companies and making Huang one of its wealthiest technologists.
Net Worth: ~$154 billion
Source of Wealth:
The vast majority of Jensen Huang's wealth comes from his significant ownership stake in NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), which he co-founded in 1993. His net worth is a direct function of NVIDIA's stock price, which has soared due to the company's dominant position as the primary supplier of the advanced chips and systems that power artificial intelligence, data centers, and accelerated computing globally.
Country: China (Born in Tainan, Taiwan and moved to the United States as a child).
Key Work:
strategic and technological transformation of NVIDIA. He foresaw that the company's graphics processing units (GPUs), originally designed for video games, could be repurposed for general-purpose, parallel computing.
His pivotal achievement was driving the creation of CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture), a revolutionary software platform launched in 2006. CUDA allowed developers to harness the raw power of GPUs for complex computational tasks beyond graphics. This bet positioned NVIDIA's hardware as the indispensable engine for the modern AI revolution, high-performance computing, and scientific simulation, making it the foundational infrastructure for technologies from deep learning to autonomous vehicles.
10. Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett, known as the "Oracle of Omaha," is the legendary chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Born in Omaha, USA, in 1930, he transformed a failing textile company into a massive multinational conglomerate through value investing. His key work involves identifying and acquiring undervalued companies with durable competitive advantages, such as Geico and See's Candies, and holding them for the long term. Renowned for his discipline, frugality, and shareholder letters, Buffett is also a prominent philanthropist, pledging to give away over 99% of his wealth. His fortune stems primarily from his Berkshire Hathaway stock holdings.
Net Worth: ~$151 billion
Source of Wealth:
Warren Buffett's immense wealth is derived almost entirely from his ownership stake in Berkshire Hathaway, the multinational conglomerate he controls as Chairman and CEO. His fortune is not from a salary or bonuses, but from the long-term, compound growth in the value of Berkshire's diverse portfolio of wholly owned subsidiaries and major stock holdings in public companies. Key holdings include giants like Geico, BNSF Railway, and a massive investment portfolio featuring Apple, American Express, and Coca-Cola. His wealth is a direct reflection of Berkshire Hathaway's book value and stock price, which have grown exponentially over decades due to his investment strategy.
Country: USA (born in Omaha, Nebraska, United States)
Key Work:
Buffett's life's work is value investing on a colossal scale. His key achievement is building Berkshire Hathaway into a fortress of durable businesses by meticulously applying the principles of his mentors, Benjamin Graham and Phil Fisher. This involves identifying undervalued companies with strong "economic moats" (enduring competitive advantages), purchasing them at a discount to their intrinsic value, and holding them indefinitely. His role extends beyond investing to cultivating a decentralized management culture at acquired companies and educating the public through his widely read annual shareholder letters, where he distills wisdom on business, ethics, and market psychology.
Disclaimer:
This list of the 'Top 10 Richest Persons in the World' is sourced from Forbes. Rankings are dynamic and subject to frequent change. We do not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of this information and recommend consulting official financial sources for the most current data.
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