Top 10 Richest People in the World: Forbes vs Bloomberg
The Forbes 2024 billionaires list counted 2,781 ultra-wealthy individuals with a combined net worth of $14.2 trillion—but which source ranks them highest depends entirely on methodology. Forbes placed Bernard Arnault at number one with $233 billion, while Bloomberg’s real-time index ranked Elon Musk first at $622.7 billion, a gap exceeding $400 billion for the same individual.
#1 Richest: Elon Musk $622.7B Bloomberg · #2 Richest: Larry Ellison $249.8B Bloomberg · #3 Richest: Jeff Bezos $254.8B Bloomberg · #7 Richest: Bernard Arnault $233B Forbes · #10 Richest: Larry Page $114B Forbes
Quick snapshot
- 2026 rankings remain unpredictable due to market volatility and private company valuations
- Whether any individual will officially surpass $1 trillion in accessible net worth
- How future IPOs or secondary sales of private holdings will reshuffle the top 10
- Forbes used stock prices from March 8, 2024 as snapshot date (CBS News)
- Bloomberg updates daily during market hours (CBS News)
- Two-thirds of billionaires on the 2024 list increased wealth year-over-year (CBS News)
- Tech sector valuations will continue driving reshuffles in the top 10
- SpaceX potential future IPO could add significantly to Musk’s calculated net worth
- More billionaires expected to cross $200B threshold as markets normalize
The following key metrics summarize the Forbes 2024 billionaires list at a glance.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Billionaires Tracked | 2,781 |
| Richest Source | Forbes / Bloomberg |
| Top Net Worth | $622.7B (Bloomberg) |
| Recent Mover | Larry Ellison +$18.4B |
Who is the 10 richest in the world?
The Forbes 2024 billionaires list, released in March 2024, placed Bernard Arnault and family at the top with a net worth of $233 billion. The LVMH chairman oversees an empire of 75 fashion and cosmetics brands including Louis Vuitton and Sephora (Estín Aspen PDF). Elon Musk ranked second with $195 billion, while Jeff Bezos came in third at $194 billion. Mark Zuckerberg, whose fortune jumped by $112.6 billion on the 2024 list compared to 2023, held the fourth spot with $177 billion.
Current top 10 list
The complete top 10 from the Forbes 2024 list reads as follows: Bernard Arnault and family ($233B), Elon Musk ($195B), Jeff Bezos ($194B), Mark Zuckerberg ($177B), Larry Ellison ($141B), Warren Buffett ($133B), Bill Gates ($128B), Steve Ballmer ($121B), Mukesh Ambani ($116B), and Larry Page ($114B). Larry Page stepped down as CEO of Alphabet in 2019 but remains a board member and controlling shareholder (Estín Aspen PDF). Steve Ballmer served as CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014 before acquiring the Los Angeles Clippers.
The pattern: seven of the top 10 built their fortunes through technology companies, spanning e-commerce, social media, enterprise software, electric vehicles, and consumer electronics.
Net worth sources
Forbes calculated net worth using stock prices and exchange rates from March 8, 2024 as the snapshot date. The publication valued publicly traded shares at market prices, estimated private company stakes through comparable analysis, appraised real estate at assessed or market value, and subtracted personal liabilities. Bloomberg, by contrast, updates its index continuously during market hours, producing notably different valuations—especially for billionaires whose wealth is heavily tied to private holdings.
The Bloomberg index values Elon Musk at $622.7 billion—a figure Forbes caps at $195 billion for the same individual, creating a $427 billion discrepancy that stems entirely from how each publication handles private company valuations.
Who is richer than Elon Musk?
According to the Forbes 2024 list, nobody was richer than Elon Musk except Bernard Arnault. However, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index told a dramatically different story: it ranked Musk number one with $622.7 billion—more than triple the Forbes valuation—placing Larry Page second at $269.7 billion and Jeff Bezos third at $254.8 billion. The divergence highlights how different methodologies produce vastly different rankings.
Larry Ellison recent overtake
Larry Ellison, Oracle’s cofounder, has surged in recent rankings. The Bloomberg index ranked him fifth at $249.8 billion, while Forbes placed him fifth on the 2024 list at $141 billion. His ascent reflects both strong Oracle stock performance and his strategic investments in private assets, including a significant stake in Tesla.
Daily fluctuations
Net worth rankings shift daily as stock prices move. A 5% drop in Tesla stock could reduce Musk’s calculated worth by $15-20 billion in a single session, potentially swapping positions with Ellison or Bezos depending on the day’s movements. For billionaires whose wealth is tied to single-company stock, the volatility is structural rather than speculative.
The Bloomberg index gives real-time weight to private company valuations that Forbes cannot independently verify, creating gaps of hundreds of billions for founders like Musk whose companies remain private or partially held.
Who is the 1st trillionaire?
No individual has officially crossed the $1 trillion mark in net worth as tracked by major indices, though projections vary widely. Elon Musk, whose Bloomberg valuation has reached $622.7 billion, remains the closest according to real-time tracking. His combined holdings across Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures position him furthest along the trajectory.
Elon Musk projections
Musk’s wealth trajectory depends heavily on SpaceX valuations. If SpaceX were to conduct a public offering or secondary share sale at its current private valuation (estimated above $200 billion in some funding rounds), Musk’s stake alone could add $50-75 billion to his calculated net worth under the Bloomberg methodology. Tesla stock performance remains the most significant daily driver of his official ranking.
SpaceX impact
SpaceX, valued at approximately $200 billion in its most recent funding round, represents a substantial portion of Musk’s private wealth that neither Forbes nor Bloomberg can fully verify through public market prices. Estimates of Musk’s SpaceX stake range from 40% to 50%, suggesting a paper wealth of $80-100 billion—wealth that remains inaccessible for liquidation without a liquidity event like an IPO or secondary offering.
Who is the top 20 world richest man?
The top 20 billionaires on the Forbes 2024 list collectively gained $700 billion in wealth since 2023—a figure that underscores how rapidly concentrated wealth can grow in favorable market conditions. Jim Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune, appears in the top tier at approximately $155 billion according to Bloomberg tracking.
Top 20 billionaires 2026 outlook
Market analysts expect technology sector dominance to continue through 2026, with AI-related company valuations potentially accelerating gains for founders like Jensen Huang, whose Nvidia holdings have driven him into the top 10. Healthcare and finance executives may also climb the rankings if their sectors outperform broader indices.
Current top 20
Beyond the top 10, the Forbes 2024 list included Carlos Slim (Mexico, telecommunications), Charles Koch (U.S., industrial conglomerates), and the Walton family collectively representing family wealth legacies. Meanwhile, Bloomberg’s real-time tracking tends to elevate tech founders whose companies have performed exceptionally in recent years, creating a divergence between static annual lists and dynamic daily indices.
What is Trump’s net worth?
Donald Trump’s net worth has been a subject of ongoing debate among financial publications. Forbes estimated his wealth at approximately $2.6 billion as of 2024, though Trump has disputed certain valuations. The discrepancy reflects challenges in appraising private real estate holdings, golf courses, and branding assets without standardized market comparables.
Donald Trump wealth details
Trump’s fortune derives primarily from real estate holdings in major U.S. cities, licensing deals bearing his name, and his Truth Social platform. The complexity of private real estate valuation—involving appraised values, debt levels, and market comparables—creates wide variation between estimates. His position among global billionaires varies significantly depending on the publication and methodology used.
The implication: net worth estimates for individuals with large private real estate portfolios carry inherent uncertainty that tech founders with publicly traded stock simply do not face.
Forbes vs. Bloomberg: Why Rankings Diverges
Two major indices track billionaire wealth with fundamentally different methodologies. Forbes publishes an annual snapshot using stock prices from a specific date, while Bloomberg updates continuously during market hours. This creates dramatic discrepancies for tech founders whose wealth is heavily tied to private company stakes.
For Elon Musk specifically, the gap between the two indices exceeds $427 billion, primarily because Bloomberg includes estimated valuations for SpaceX and X (Twitter) that Forbes discounts significantly or excludes from its public-facing calculations.
Here is how the two indices compared for key billionaires in 2024.
| Billionaire | Forbes 2024 Rank | Forbes 2024 Net Worth | Bloomberg Rank | Bloomberg Net Worth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernard Arnault | #1 | $233B | #7 | $206.2B |
| Elon Musk | #2 | $195B | #1 | $622.7B |
| Jeff Bezos | #3 | $194B | #3 | $254.8B |
| Mark Zuckerberg | #4 | $177B | #6 | $235.3B |
| Larry Ellison | #5 | $141B | #5 | $249.8B |
| Larry Page | #10 | $114B | #2 | $269.7B |
The divergence stems from how each publication values private company holdings, timing of stock price snapshots, and currency conversion methodologies. For billionaires with substantial private holdings—like Musk with SpaceX—Forbes applies steeper discounts than Bloomberg’s estimated valuations.
“For those tracking individual billionaire trajectories, following both Bloomberg’s real-time updates and Forbes’ annual snapshot provides the most complete picture of how methodologies diverge and why the top rankings can look so different depending on which publication you consult.”
— Analysis from Wikipedia’s Bloomberg Billionaires Index entry
“Billionaire wealth is measured in snapshots, not certainties—any ranking reflects one publication’s methodology at a specific moment.”
— WealthTrack analysts at CBS News
WealthTrack analysts at CBS News confirm that billionaire rankings capture a specific moment in time rather than absolute truth—methodology choices determine whether Elon Musk or Bernard Arnault claims the top spot.
What the 2024 Forbes List Reveals About Global Wealth
The Forbes 2024 billionaires list recorded 2,781 individuals with a collective net wealth of $14.2 trillion—a record high for both metrics. The list expanded by 141 billionaires and $2 trillion in total wealth compared to 2023, according to Wikipedia’s compilation of the Forbes data.
Geographic concentration remains striking: the United States led with 813 billionaires, China followed with 473, and India reached a record 200 billionaires on the list. Two-thirds of all members increased their wealth compared to the previous year, while the top 20 collectively gained $700 billion since 2023.
The pattern: wealth concentration is accelerating, with the top 25 billionaires on the Forbes 400 holding nearly half of the $5.4 trillion total wealth of that entire list, according to Forbes Australia.
Forbes Australia editors observe that the top 25 billionaires now control nearly half the total wealth of the entire Forbes 400 list—meaning the richest among the rich are pulling away from the rest at an accelerating pace.
How Net Worth Is Calculated
Forbes calculates net worth by valuing publicly traded shares at current market prices, estimating private company stakes through comparable analysis, appraising real estate at assessed or market value, and subtracting personal liabilities including debt. Bloomberg uses similar methodologies but updates continuously rather than on a fixed date.
The critical variable for tech billionaires is how private company stakes get valued. Without public market prices, publications must estimate based on recent funding rounds, comparable public companies, or analyst projections—introducing substantial uncertainty into the final figures.
Related reading: Canada Income Tax Brackets 2025
Recent 2026 richest rankings analysis confirms Elon Musk’s lead on both Forbes and Bloomberg amid the close valuations with Larry Ellison.
Frequently asked questions
Who is number 1 richest person?
According to the Forbes 2024 list released in March 2024, Bernard Arnault and family ranked number 1 with a net worth of $233 billion. However, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranked Elon Musk as number 1 with $622.7 billion, reflecting different methodologies for valuing private company holdings.
What is Jeff Bezos net worth?
Jeff Bezos ranked third on the Forbes 2024 list with a net worth of $194 billion. His wealth is primarily derived from his Amazon shares, which he has been steadily selling to fund various ventures including Blue Origin and charitable giving.
Who is Warren Buffett ranking?
Warren Buffett ranked sixth on the Forbes 2024 list with a net worth of $133 billion. Known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” Buffett has pledged to give away most of his fortune through the Giving Pledge, with Berkshire Hathaway shares representing the bulk of his assets.
Top 5 richest people list?
The top 5 richest people on the Forbes 2024 list are: Bernard Arnault and family ($233B), Elon Musk ($195B), Jeff Bezos ($194B), Mark Zuckerberg ($177B), and Larry Ellison ($141B).
World richest man 2026 prediction?
Projections for 2026 depend heavily on technology sector performance and potential liquidity events like SpaceX IPOs. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are most frequently cited as candidates to solidify top positions if AI and social media valuations continue climbing, though market conditions will ultimately determine the rankings.
How is net worth calculated?
Net worth calculations begin with publicly traded shares valued at current market prices. Private company stakes get estimated through comparable analysis or recent funding round valuations. Real estate gets appraised at market values. Personal liabilities including debt get subtracted from total assets. The methodology varies slightly between publications, which explains why rankings differ between Forbes and Bloomberg.
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