The Richest People in the World

The world’s richest people change places often because their fortunes are tied to stock prices, private company valuations, market swings, and currency movements.

This list is based on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which updates after the close of trading in New York. The figures below are estimates as of May 16, 2026.

Elon Musk — $680 billion

Elon Musk ranks as the richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $680 billion. His wealth is listed under the technology sector, reflecting the enormous value tied to companies connected with electric vehicles, space, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms.

Larry Page — $335 billion

Larry Page ranks second, with an estimated net worth of $335 billion. His country is the United States and his industry as technology.

Page is best known as one of Google’s co-founders, and his wealth reflects the long-term rise of search, advertising, cloud computing, and AI-driven technology.

Sergey Brin — $311 billion

Sergey Brin ranks third, with an estimated net worth of $311 billion. Like Larry Page, Bloomberg places him in the technology sector.

Brin’s fortune is closely tied to the same digital economy that turned Google and Alphabet into some of the most valuable businesses in the world.

Jeff Bezos — $283 billion

Jeff Bezos ranks fourth, with an estimated net worth of $283 billion. Bloomberg lists him as a U.S. technology billionaire.

Bezos built his fortune through Amazon, which grew from an online bookstore into a global business spanning e-commerce, cloud computing, logistics, advertising, and media.

Larry Ellison — $248 billion

Larry Ellison ranks fifth, with an estimated net worth of $248 billion. Bloomberg lists his industry as technology.

Ellison is closely associated with Oracle, and his wealth reflects the continued importance of enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, and large-scale business technology.

Mark Zuckerberg — $218 billion

Mark Zuckerberg ranks sixth, with an estimated net worth of $218 billion. Bloomberg lists him as a U.S. technology billionaire.

His wealth is tied to Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads, virtual reality projects, and major AI investments.

Jensen Huang — $186 billion

Jensen Huang ranks seventh, with an estimated net worth of $186 billion. Bloomberg lists his industry as technology.

Huang’s rise reflects the huge demand for Nvidia chips used in AI systems, data centers, gaming, and advanced computing.

Michael Dell — $173 billion

Michael Dell ranks eighth, with an estimated net worth of $173 billion. Bloomberg lists him in the technology sector.

Dell’s wealth comes from decades in computers, enterprise technology, and infrastructure businesses that became even more important as AI and cloud computing expanded.

Jim Walton — $157 billion

Jim Walton ranks ninth, with an estimated net worth of $157 billion. Bloomberg lists his industry as retail.

His fortune is tied to the Walton family’s Walmart wealth, one of the largest retail fortunes in the world.

Bernard Arnault — $156 billion

Bernard Arnault ranks tenth, with an estimated net worth of $156 billion. Bloomberg lists him as a French billionaire in the consumer sector.

Arnault is best known for leading LVMH, the luxury group behind major fashion, beauty, jewelry, and champagne brands.

Rob Walton — $154 billion

Rob Walton ranks eleventh, with an estimated net worth of $154 billion. Bloomberg lists him in retail.

Like other Walton family members, his wealth is tied to Walmart, one of the biggest retail companies ever built.

Alice Walton — $154 billion

Alice Walton ranks twelfth, with an estimated net worth of $154 billion. Bloomberg lists her as a U.S. retail billionaire.

She is one of the richest women in the world, with wealth connected to the Walton family’s Walmart stake.

Steve Ballmer — $149 billion

Steve Ballmer ranks thirteenth, with an estimated net worth of $149 billion. Bloomberg lists his industry as technology.

Ballmer’s fortune is strongly tied to Microsoft, where he served as CEO, along with his ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Warren Buffett — $144 billion

Warren Buffett ranks fourteenth, with an estimated net worth of $144 billion. Bloomberg lists him under diversified wealth.

Buffett built his fortune through Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company known for insurance, energy, railroads, consumer brands, and long-term stock holdings.

Carlos Slim — $129 billion

Carlos Slim ranks fifteenth, with an estimated net worth of $129 billion. Bloomberg lists him as a Mexican billionaire with diversified wealth.

Slim’s fortune has long been tied to telecommunications, along with investments across finance, retail, infrastructure, and other sectors.

Gautam Adani — $108 billion

Gautam Adani ranks seventeenth, with an estimated net worth of $108 billion. Bloomberg lists him as an Indian billionaire in the industrial sector.

Adani’s wealth is tied to infrastructure-heavy businesses, including ports, energy, logistics, and industrial development.

Bill Gates — $103 billion

Bill Gates ranks eighteenth, with an estimated net worth of $103 billion. Bloomberg lists him in technology.

Gates built his fortune through Microsoft and later became known for large-scale philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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