A distinguished group of individuals has achieved unimaginable fortunes in a society and era fueled by ambition for entrepreneurship. These individuals, who possess vision and innovation, have risen to the highest levels of success, elevating themselves to the world's richest individuals. These people's net worth is more than the overall GDP of many nations. Their wealth is mainly concentrated in the tech, finance, and retail industries. Let us look at the standings in 2024.
1. Elon Musk
Elon Musk is the richest person in the world. As the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk's impact is far-reaching. His 23 percent share in Tesla, which accounts for two-thirds of his wealth, is evidence of his business acumen. His purchase of Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022 further solidified his position as a key player in the tech industry.
Leading Tesla to its initial public offering in 2010, he steered it to significant growth during 2020 and 2021. This pushed him to the world's 10 richest people in September 2021. At the pinnacle in November 2021, Musk's wealth reached $320 billion.
2. Jeff Bezos
In July 2021, Jeff Bezos, the previous CEO of Amazon and current chairman, established his entrepreneurial spirit by embarking on a space voyage. The voyage aboard a rocket advanced by Blue Origin, which he established and funded with billions of dollars, was an important milestone in his contributions to the space exploration industry.
3. Bernard Arnault & Family
Bernard Arnault is the CEO and chairman at Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's largest luxury goods company. This empire includes about 70 renowned fashion and cosmetics brands, such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Moet & Chandon, and Sephora. In 2021, LVMH attained jeweler Tiffany & Co. for $15.8 billion, further expanding Arnault's influence.
The tycoon's children run various sectors within the LVMH empire. In January 2023, his daughter Delphine led Dior, the group's second-largest brand.
4. Mark Zukerberg
Mark Zuckerberg, now acting as the CEO of Meta Platforms, started Facebook in 2004 when he was just 19. Facebook was formed to match students' names on campus with their photos. In 2006, Facebook became a public platform. Currently, Zuckerberg owns around 13 percent of the stock. He is spending $3 billion with his wife to manage all diseases by 2100.
5. Larry Elison
Larry Ellison was the co-founder of Oracle in 1977 and also was its CEO till 2014. Currently, he is the executive chairman and chief technology officer. In 2012, Ellison was in the news he had acquired the Hawaiian island of Lanai for $300 million. Ellison also offered investments at NetSuite, Quark Biotechnology Inc. and Astex Pharmaceuticals.
6. Larry Page
Larry Page and Sergey Brin co-founded Google in 1998. Page held the position of CEO until 2001 and later resumed it from 2011 to 2015. He is a member of the board of Alphabet, Google's parent company, and retains substantial control over the company as a key shareholder. Moreover, Page was a founding investor in Planetary Resources, a company planning to mine resources from asteroids and other planetary bodies.
7. Warren Buffet
Warren Buffett is one of history's most accomplished investors. He heads Berkshire Hathaway, an investment corporation with a varied portfolio encompassing many companies, such as Geico, battery manufacturer Duracell, Nu Holdings, Apple, and restaurant chain Dairy Queen. Buffett has expressed his will to donate 99 percent of his fortune, demonstrating his philanthropic commitment
8. Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin was pivotal in establishing the Google search engine in 1998. Initially from Russia, Brin held the position of technology president at Google and later transitioned to overseeing special projects, such as the development of Google Glass, a wearable device including voice-activated "smart glasses." Brin currently serves as a board member of Alphabet while retaining a significant controlling stake.
9. Bill Gates
Bill Gates maintained the title of the world's richest person, except in 2008 and from 2010 to 2013. In 2021, Gates and Melinda Gates confirmed their divorce, with Melinda getting $6 billion in stocks as a settlement amount. After being the leader of Microsoft for two and a half decades, Gates turned his attention to philanthropic ventures. In 2003, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation started working in India, and with its Avahan initiative for the prevention of HIV, it has till now prevented 6,00,000 novel infections.
10. Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer was the Microsoft’s CEO from 2000 to 2014. His journey with Microsoft started in 1980 when he joined the company after dropping out of Stanford University. In 1980, He retired from Microsoft. He was featured in the news for acquiring the basketball team, Los Angeles Clippers, for $2 billion.
There is no Indian in the list of the world's top 10 richest people, but if you want to know who is ruling the roost in India, you can also check it out.
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