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Introduction: The Pinnacle of Global Wealth: Who Holds This Immense Fortune?
Throughout human history, wealth has always been a subject of great interest. In particular, questions about who the world's wealthiest individuals are, the scale of their fortunes, and how they amassed such vast wealth have been constant. Like constellations shining in the night sky, the global rich list serves as a crucial indicator of the modern economic landscape. Through this ranking, we can glimpse the advancements in innovative technology, shifts in global markets, and the facets of successful business strategies.
Today, the ranking of the world's richest is like an ever-changing, dynamic scene. As technological innovation progresses at a rapid pace and global markets exhibit unpredictable volatility, the flow of wealth is also being swiftly reorganized. Entrepreneurs who generate immense wealth in new industrial sectors, unimaginable just a few years ago, are emerging, while traditional industrial giants are maintaining their strong presence by adapting and innovating in response to the changing times. Amidst these changes, observing who rises to the top of the world's richest list and how their fortunes increase or decrease is an intriguing topic for many.
In this article, we will delve into the top 10 richest people in the world based on the latest data from reliable financial news outlets such as Forbes and Bloomberg, as of early 2025 . These top 10 individuals are more than just private citizens; they are major drivers of the modern economy and icons of innovation. We will examine each billionaire's rank, net worth, primary business sectors, and nationality in detail, and briefly introduce the background and story of how they were able to accumulate their current wealth. Through this, readers will gain an understanding of the trends in the global economy and interesting insights into the wealth creation process.
Top 10. Steve Ballmer
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| Image by geekwire |
Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft and current owner of the Los Angeles Clippers
NBA team, ranked tenth among the world's richest with a net worth of approximately $117
billion to $136 billion as of early 2025 . His wealth primarily comes from his long tenure at Microsoft, the value of his NBA team, and various investment activities.
Ballmer served as the CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014, leading the company's growth.
After stepping down as CEO, he acquired an NBA team and actively participates in the
sports industry. Although his net worth has been affected by recent fluctuations in
Microsoft's stock price , his financial stability is considered high given the diversity of his
assets.
Top 9. Amancio Ortega
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| Image by .businessinsider |
Amancio Ortega, the co-founder of Inditex, the parent company of Zara, ranked ninth among the world's richest with a net worth of approximately $115 billion to $121 billion as of early 2025 . His wealth is primarily based on the stock value of Inditex, which operates the global fast-fashion brand Zara. Inditex also owns various other fashion brands such as Massimo Dutti and Pull&Bear.
Ortega has grown Zara into a global fashion brand through an innovative production and distribution system. He is also focusing on business diversification by investing the substantial profits from the clothing business in commercial real estate in Europe and North America . Although his fortune has slightly decreased recently , his wealth is expected to remain steady based on Inditex's strong brand recognition and competitiveness in the global market. He is one of the few non-American citizens in the world's rich list.
Top 8. Warren Buffett
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| Image by bankrate |
Warren Buffett, the legendary investor known as the "Oracle of Omaha," ranked eighth
among the world's richest with a net worth of approximately $146 billion to $166 billion as of early 2025 . His wealth comes from the diverse investment portfolio of Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company he leads. Berkshire Hathaway owns companies in various industries, including insurance, railways, energy, and consumer goods.
Despite being 94 years old, Buffett continues his active investment activities, and his investment philosophy and insights have a significant impact on investors worldwide. Interestingly, unlike other top billionaires, his fortune increased slightly last month . This demonstrates that his investment approach, which focuses on long-term value investing, generates stable returns even amidst market volatility.
Despite being 94 years old, Buffett continues his active investment activities, and his investment philosophy and insights have a significant impact on investors worldwide. Interestingly, unlike other top billionaires, his fortune increased slightly last month . This demonstrates that his investment approach, which focuses on long-term value investing, generates stable returns even amidst market volatility.
Top 7. Sergey Brin
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| Image by achievement |
Sergey Brin, who co-founded Google with Larry Page, ranked seventh among the world's
richest with a net worth of approximately $130 billion to $154 billion as of early 2025 . His
wealth is also primarily based on the stock value of Alphabet. Brin played a key role in
Google's early growth alongside Page and continues to participate in the company's
management as a board member and controlling shareholder of Alphabet.
Brin played a pivotal role in developing Google's search algorithm and has a deep interest
in and invests in future technology fields such as artificial intelligence and self-driving cars.
Although his net worth has been affected by recent fluctuations in Alphabet's stock price,
his wealth is expected to remain steady based on Google's strong technological prowess
and market dominance.
Top 6. Larry Page
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| Image by thinkwithniche |
Larry Page, the co-founder of Google, ranked sixth among the world's richest with a net
worth of approximately $141 billion to $161 billion as of early 2025 . His wealth is mainly based on the stock value of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company. Google operates the world's largest internet search engine and exerts massive influence in various fields such as online advertising, cloud computing, and software.
Page co-founded Google with Sergey Brin in 1998, revolutionizing the way people search the internet. He currently serves as a board member and controlling shareholder of Alphabet, playing a crucial role in the company's management. Although his net worth has decreased recently due to a decline in Alphabet's stock price , his influence remains immense considering Google's dominant position in the internet industry.
Top 5. Bernard Arnault & Family
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| Image by cmgpartners |
Bernard Arnault, the chairman and CEO of the LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) group,
and his family ranked fifth among the world's richest with a net worth of approximately
$176 billion to $186 billion as of early 2025 . His wealth stems from the dominance of the
LVMH group, which owns over 70 luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior,
and Chanel. LVMH has gained global recognition in various luxury product sectors, such as
fashion, cosmetics, wines and spirits, and watches and jewelry.
Arnault has grown LVMH into the world's largest luxury goods group through a strategy of
acquiring and integrating luxury brands. As a representative French billionaire, he stands
out in the world's rich list, where American billionaires make up the majority . Although his
fortune has slightly decreased recently , his wealth is expected to remain stable based on
LVMH's strong brand portfolio and high popularity in the global market.
Top 4. Larry Ellison
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| Image by indiatoday |
Larry Ellison, the co-founder, chairman, and chief technology officer (CTO) of Oracle,
ranked fourth among the world's richest with a net worth of approximately $169 billion to
$204 billion as of early 2025 . His wealth is primarily based on the stock value of Oracle, a
global software company. Oracle provides various enterprise software solutions, including
database management systems, and is gradually expanding its influence in the cloud
computing market.
Since co-founding Oracle in 1977, Ellison has grown the company into a global software
leader through technological innovation. Despite being 80 years old, he is still actively
involved in company management, and his insights into the technology industry continue
to be highly regarded. Recently, Oracle's stock price slightly declined, impacting his net
worth . However, based on Oracle's stable business portfolio and market competitiveness,
his wealth is expected to remain steady.
Top 3. Mark Zuckerberg
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| Image by CNN |
Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), ranked
third among the world's richest with a net worth of approximately $211 billion to $217
billion as of early 2025 . His wealth is mainly derived from the stock value of Meta
Platforms, which originated from the social media giant Facebook. Meta operates not
only Facebook but also platforms with billions of users worldwide, such as Instagram and
WhatsApp.
Since co-founding Facebook in 2004, Zuckerberg has led the innovation of social media
and accumulated immense wealth at a young age. Recently, he changed the company
name to Meta and is focusing on the metaverse business based on virtual reality (VR) and
augmented reality (AR) technologies. In 2025, Meta's stock price rose, significantly increasing
his net worth, and he even surpassed Larry Ellison to rank third at one point . Despite
intensifying competition in the social media market and uncertainties in the metaverse
business, his influence remains strong.
Top 2. Jeff Bezos
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| Image by entrepreneur |
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, ranked second among the world's richest with a net
worth of approximately $217 billion to $239 billion as of early 2025 . His wealth is
primarily based on the stock value of Amazon, the e-commerce giant he founded.
Amazon not only dominates online shopping but also exerts a massive influence on the
global IT industry through its cloud computing service, Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Since founding Amazon in 1994, Bezos has grown the company into a global powerhouse
through continuous innovation and customer-centric management. Although he stepped
down as CEO in 2021, he still holds the position of chairman and remains deeply involved
in Amazon's future strategy. Additionally, he founded the space exploration company Blue
Origin and is actively investing in the space tourism industry. Fluctuations in Amazon's
stock price directly impact his net worth, and his ranking temporarily fell in February due
to a stock price decline . However, as Amazon maintains its strong market dominance,
his influence is expected to continue.
Top 1. Elon Musk
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| Image by kaohooninternational |
Elon Musk holds the top position as the world's richest person with a net worth ranging from approximately $320 billion to $430 billion as of early 2025 . While his fortune can fluctuate with market conditions, his ability to lead innovative companies consistently receives high praise. His main business areas are very diverse, including electric vehicle company Tesla, space exploration firm SpaceX, social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and artificial intelligence startup xAI.
Musk has grown Tesla from a mere automobile company into a leader in building a sustainable energy ecosystem and is pioneering the private space exploration era through SpaceX. Furthermore, he exerts significant influence in the social media sector through his acquisition of X and aims to lead the future of artificial intelligence technology with his recently established xAI. In particular, SpaceX has been recognized with an enormous corporate value of $350 billion, significantly contributing to the increase in his wealth . His relentless pursuit of innovation across various fields continues to garner global attention, and the companies under his leadership wield immense influence in their respective industries.
Conclusion: Glimpsing the Flow of Wealth Through the World's Richest Rankings
Sources (References): List of Referenced Materials
https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/ 1
https://www.benzinga.com/topic/bloomberg-billionaires-index 3
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomberg_Billionaires_Index)
https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/kkhandekar/billionaires-index
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