Forbes: The richest people of 2026 announced
Musk has crossed a historic milestone, while Gates is on a downward spiral.
The world’s billionaires club is entering 2026 with new records. According to the latest Forbes data, the combined wealth of the twenty richest people on the planet has reached an elusive $3.8 trillion. This amount exceeds the gross domestic product (GDP) of many countries in the world, and at the top of the list is Elon Musk, who is turning new pages in history.
Financial analysts are noting a staggering increase in wealth concentration. As recently as 2020, Jeff Bezos, the leader of the richest list, controlled “only” $145 billion. Today, this amount seems modest – the current leader, E. Musk, controls almost five times more capital.
Musk is the first person in the world to have a net worth of more than $700 billion
Technology mogul Elon Musk has become the first person in history to surpass the $700 billion mark. His fortune is currently estimated at $725 billion.
Musk’s financial power has grown exponentially since 2020, with his wealth increasing nearly 30-fold. While many associate him with Tesla, the main driver of his wealth has been his space technology company, SpaceX.
- SpaceX is currently valued at around $800 billion.
- The total value of the stake held by E. Musk is $366 billion.
- Markets predict that the company’s capitalization could jump to $1.5 trillion in 2026 following an initial public offering (IPO).
Dominance in the technology sector: The breakthrough of Google and Nvidia
Google founder Larry Page came in second place in rankings with a net worth of $257.7 billion. This growth was driven by a successful year for Alphabet, which saw its shares rise 63 percent in 2025, largely due to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.
One of the most impressive jumps belongs to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. With a fortune of $162.5 billion, he ranked eighth in the world. The chipmaker’s success story is unparalleled – Nvidia shares have risen more than 4,200 percent in seven years, making Huang one of the fastest-growing people on the planet.
The Bill Gates paradox: Wealth declines for a noble cause
While tech leaders are counting their profits, longtime list leader Bill Gates is sliding down the list. He was the second richest person in the world in 2020, but in 2026, he is only 18th in the ranking.
But this decline is not a business failure. Gates’ wealth has remained largely unchanged since 2020 as he continues his mission, donating tens of billions of dollars to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The vast sums he has spent fighting disease, climate change, and poverty have naturally reduced his personal fortune in the rankings.
A full list can be viewed here.
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