Seven of the world’s top 10 wealthiest individuals have seen their fortunes grow over the past month, according to a recent Forbes report.
Together, these individuals now hold a combined net worth of $1.59 trillion, marking a $28 billion increase compared to the previous month.
In March alone, Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle, was the highest gainer, whose wealth surged by nearly $16 billion following a 10% rise in the software giant’s stock price. Despite this increase, Ellison currently ranks as the fifth richest person globally, having been surpassed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg during the same period.
Without further ado, here are the top 10 richest individuals as of April 2024.
10. Sergey Brin
Net worth: $121.1 billion
Source: Google
Brin cofounded the search engine Google with fellow Stanford computer science PhD candidate Larry Page. Like Page, he currently serves as a board member of Google’s parent company Alphabet and is a controlling shareholder. Brin came out of semi-retirement to submit changes to Google’s Gemini AI chatbot last year and was listed as a “core contributor” when the model was released in December.
9. Steve Ballmer
Net worth: $124.5 billion
Source: Microsoft, Clippers, investments
Steve Ballmer, started his journey with Microsoft as its 30th employee back in 1980. Despite initially pursuing an MBA at Stanford University, Ballmer opted to drop out and join the burgeoning tech company.
His tenure at Microsoft reached its zenith when he assumed the role of CEO from 2000 to 2014, overseeing the company’s operations during a transformative period in the tech industry. Following his retirement from Microsoft, Ballmer made headlines with his acquisition of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for $2 billion, setting a record for NBA team purchases.
8. Larry Page
Net worth: $126 billion
Larry Page, co-founder of Google, served as CEO in two separate stints and currently holds a board position at Alphabet.
He gained prominence as a founding investor in Planetary Resources, later acquired by ConsenSys. Page’s wealth surged by $11 billion in March 2024 due to a 15% rise in Alphabet’s share price, propelling him into the top 10 richest individuals globally.
7. Bill Gates
Net worth: $131.3 billion
Source: Microsoft, investments
Bill Gates, known for co-founding Microsoft, dropped out of Harvard to pioneer software for personal computers with Paul Allen in 1975.
He served as Microsoft’s CEO for 25 years and remained chairman until 2014. While stepping off the board in 2020, he continued consulting with Microsoft teams. Gates has diverse investments including Republic Services and Deere & Co. Forbes first listed him as a billionaire in 1987.
6. Warren Buffett
Net worth: $138.6 billion
Source: Berkshire Hathaway
Warren Buffett, dubbed the “Oracle of Omaha,” is renowned for his investment prowess. He heads Berkshire Hathaway, owning numerous companies like Geico and Dairy Queen. Beginning his investment journey at a young age, he established the Giving Pledge in 2010 with Bill Gates, committing to donate the majority of his wealth to charitable causes.
Buffett has already given over $51.5 billion to various foundations, making him one of the most philanthropic billionaires globally. In March 2024, his fortune increased by $4 billion, primarily due to the rise in Berkshire Hathaway shares.
5. Larry Ellison
Net worth: $155.2 billion
Source: Oracle
Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle in 1977, led as CEO until 2014, now serving as chairman and Chief Technology Officer. Oracle made notable acquisitions, including Sun Microsystems in 2010 for $7.4 billion.
In 2012, Ellison bought 98% of Lanai Island for $300 million and invested in Tesla. Despite falling from the fourth richest to the fifth, overtaken by Mark Zuckerberg in February 2024.
4. Mark Zuckerberg
Net worth: $170.3 billion
Source: Meta (Facebook)
Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook, now Meta Platforms, in 2004 at Harvard University. It’s grown into the largest social network with over 3 billion monthly users, owning Instagram and WhatsApp. As Meta’s CEO, he took it public in 2012, still holding about 13% ownership.
Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla pledged 99% of their stock toward human potential initiatives, including disease research. He rejoined the top 10 richest in 2023 due to Meta’s stock rise. However, in March 2024, his fortune dipped by $2 billion due to a 3% drop in Meta stock price.
5. Elon Musk
Net worth: $195.3 billion
Source: Tesla, SpaceX, X (Twitter)
Musk serves as CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter), owning 13% of Tesla stock. He bought X for $44 billion in 2022, now owning 74% of it. Originally from South Africa, he moved to Canada and later to the US, studying economics at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2000, he cofounded X.com, which merged with PayPal.
He founded SpaceX in 2002 and joined Tesla in 2004, becoming CEO in 2008. Musk briefly held the title of the world’s richest person in 2021 and 2023. However, in March 2024, Tesla’s stock fell 13%, reducing his fortune by $14 billion.
2. Jeff Bezos
Net worth: $198.4 billion
Source: Amazon
Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, leading it as CEO until July 2021. He ventured into space aboard a Blue Origin rocket in July 2021. His wealth increased by nearly $3 billion in March 2024 due to rising Amazon stock. Before Amazon, he worked at D.E. Shaw in New York. Amazon started as an online bookstore, later expanding into cloud storage and content production for Prime Video. Bezos surpassed Bill Gates as the world’s richest person in July 2017, maintaining the position until 2021. After his divorce in 2019, he retained a 10% stake in Amazon, selling over $27 billion worth of shares since its IPO in 1997.
1. Bernard Arnault
Net worth: $226.2 billion
Source: LVMH/ luxury goods
Arnault regained the title of the world’s richest person on January 31, 2024, surpassing Elon Musk and maintaining this position in February and March.
As CEO of LVMH, he oversees a conglomerate of luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Moet & Chandon. With a background in construction, Arnault utilized his father’s wealth to acquire Christian Dior. His children, including Alexandre and Frédéric, are actively involved in the LVMH empire.
