Ever wondered who is the richest person in the world? Let’s dig deeper to discover the Top 10 Richest People in the World.
The year 2020 is finally over and will be one that will be forever ingrained in our memories. A year that was clouded by Covid-19 pandemic which disrupted lives, reshaped business and wreaked havoc on the global economy. While many businesses have felt the hardest hit of the Covid-19 downturns, the world’s richest people seem to beat the game and stay atop the crisis.
Some skyrocketed their way to the top while others have been able to maintain their positions in the annual ranking. Here, we put together the Top 10 Shakers and Movers of the financial world, simply, called the richest people on the planet earth. And some interesting facts about them you don’t want to miss!
Who is the Richest Person in the World?
Grab details on their net worth, success stories and more to discover on leading billionaires across the globe. The net worth given is as on 18th Feb’21 and may vary on a later date.
1. Jeff Bezos
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos is the richest on the planet with a net worth of $193.4 billion. He has always been at the top list since 2017 until he was recently overtaken by Elon Musk for few days. His worth still remains unshaken despite transferring a quarter of his Amazon stake to his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott following their divorce settlement.
With the lockdown measures, the behemoth Amazon has experienced an increased demand in online sales and cloud computing services.
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2. Elon Musk
Elon Musk only recently tops the list of the world’s wealthiest people and has been making various headlines. He also surpassed Jeff Bezos (for a short while), who has held the post of the world’s richest for almost 3 years in a row. A smart entrepreneur revolutionizing the transportation industry with electric car maker Tesla – and reshaping space with SpaceX.
Tesla’s share price surged in value, rocking the entrepreneur all the way up with a net worth that hit $183.8 billion as of Friday, making him $4 billion wealthier than Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Who could have thought that a man that started with $27 billion, barely at the top 50 of the richest in the world will be topping the list just as 2021 rolls in? His wealth grew in leaps and bounds and picked the fastest race ever in history to the top of the list.
3. Bernard Arnault
The French investor and business tycoon, Bernard Arnault who is redefining the luxury product business have emerged as the third richest person in the world, and the richest in Europe. He boasts of a net worth estimated at $157.8 B of wealth accrued across a business empire of 70 brands including Louis Vuitton and Sephora.
This king of luxurious products and high-end fashion is not immune to coronavirus as the demand for luxury goods has declined in recent months.
4. Bill Gates
Renowned as one of the wealthiest people in the world, Bill Gates has slipped to the fourth position, behind Bezos, Elon Musk, and Bernard Arnault. Bill Gates has an estimated net worth of US$123.2 billion. He is well-known for his philanthropic endeavors, donating $300 million to curb the coronavirus crisis, detection, prevention, and vaccination. Together with his wife Melinda, they founded one of the world’s largest private charitable organization.
Although Gates co-founded the tech giant, Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen in 1975. He finally sold half of his stake in Microsoft, retaining only 1%, while investing in a mix of stocks and other assets.
5. Mark Zuckerberg
The founder of the well-known social media empire, Mark Zuckerberg is the 5th richest person in the world. Facebook has only gotten bigger since it was launched to the public in 2004. Mark Zuckerberg has also acquired several other companies including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus.
With a total net of $98.5 billion, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest centibillionaire (a word coined for those whose personal fortunes exceed a hundred billion dollars) according to the Bloomberg billionaires list.
6. Zhong Shanshan
Chinese billionaire Zhong Shanshan surpasses Warren Buffet on a global list to become the sixth richest person in the world with a fortune of $95 billion.
He recently dethroned Mukesh Ambani as the wealthiest person in Asia and he is now only a few steps away from entering the clique of centibillionaires. He chairs china’s largest beverage company.
7. Warren Buffett
Popularly called “Oracle of Omaha” Warren Buffett is considered one of the most successful investors of all time. Buffet made Berkshire Hathaway a winner which he acquired and now boasts a multitude of businesses including GEICO and Fruit of the Loom and Dairy Queen. His net worth is currently $92.4 billion.
He has, however, fallen on the world’s richest list as the pandemic has taken a toll on Berkshire’s wide range of investments.
8. Larry Page
The co-founder of Alphabet, the holding company of Google, holds the 9th position on the list. He has a networth of $91.6 billion. Larry Page stepped down as the CEO of Alphabet, handed over the reins to the current CEO but still remains a member of the Board and controlling shareholders.
This Google founder is now exploring space being the founding investor of Planetary Resources and also backing a “flying car” empire Kitty Hawk, Opener, and BlackFly through funding.
9. Sergey Brin
The other co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin is number 10 among the world’s richest people with a net worth of $88.8 billion. In December 2029, he also stepped down as the president of Alphabet but still holds his position as a board member and controller shareholder.
Brin is reportedly building the world’s largest hi-tech airship where he has spent more than $100 million in order to support humanitarian services.
10. Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison is said to be the seventh richest in the world with a net worth of $86.6B as of the time of this writing. American investor and co-founder of Oracle Corporation, the rise in his wealth can be attributed to the increase in the shares of the cloud company.
Ellison also acquires 3 million shares of Tesla, Inc, and becomes the director of the board.
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So, here are the Top 10 wealthiest people on earth. Some inspiring entrepreneurs and business tycoons to learn about! The list varies yearly as it all depends on their financial performance and changing net worth. So, what do you feel after going through this exclusive list of biggest billionaires in the world and their success stories? Any feedback or comments are much appreciated.