Billionaires play a key role in helping influence the world, from political decisions to social and economic reforms. Forbes puts the list of billionaires in the world at 2,755. However, only a handful of few currently have a net worth of more than $100 billion or more individually. Many of these billionaires are founders of technology companies, with much of their wealth wrapped up in the companies they started. So therefore after a careful study and research I present to you the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 and their net worth.
10. Warren Buffett
Making the number 10 on our list of the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 is Warren Buffett. He is the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, a company he started in 1993. He has an estimated net worth of $128 billion. The stock expert and investment legend, better known as the Oracle of Omaha has been on the top 5 in over three decades. He was born on 30th August 1930 in Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America and currently 91 years old. He first bought shares in a textile company called Berkshire Hathaway in 1962, becoming the majority shareholder by 1965. He expanded the company to insurance and other investments in 1967. Now, Berkshire Hathaway is a half-trillion-dollar company, with a single share of stock (Class A shares) trading at more than $477,000 per share as of Jan. 18, 2022. Warren Buffett is the 10th richest man in the world in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $128 billion.
9. Steve Ballmer
Making the number 9 on our list of the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 is Steve Ballmer. He is the co-founder of Microsoft and the chairman of Los Angeles Clippers. He has an estimated net worth of $133 billion. Steve Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 after Bill Gates convinced him to drop out of Stanford University MBA program. He was Microsoft’s 30th employee. Steve Ballmer went on to become the CEO of Microsoft in 2000, taking over the position from Bill Gates. He held the position until he stepped down in 2014. As part of his tenure, he oversaw the 2011 purchase of Skype for $8.5 billion. Steve Ballmer owns an estimated 4% of Microsoft shares, making him the largest individual shareholder of the tech company. In 2014, shortly after stepping down as Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer purchased the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for $2 billion. Steve Ballmer is the 9th richest man in the world in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $133 billion.
8. Bill Gates
Making the number 8 on our list of the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 is former world’s richest man Bill Gates. The Microsoft co-founder has an estimated net worth of $134 billion. He was born on 28th October 1955 in Seattle, Washington, United States of America and currently 66 years old. While attending Harvard University in 1975, Bill Gates went to work alongside his childhood friend Paul Allen to develop new software for the original microcomputers. Following this project’s success, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University during his junior year and went on to found Microsoft with Allen. Bill Gates is the 8th richest man in the world in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $134 billion.
7. Sergey Brin
Making the number 7 on our list of the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 is Sergey Brin. He is the co-founder of Google. Sergey Brin net worth increased massively in 2024 because of the success Google has recorded. The tech guru now has an estimated net worth of $146 billion. Thanks to a seemingly endless run of success for the world’s most popular search engine. What makes Google unique, compared to the other companies featured on this list, is that its co-founders are relatively close in terms of total wealth. Sergey Brin’s involvement in Google follows a similar path to Larry Page. After the duo founded the company in 1998, Sergey Brin served as co-president alongside Larry Page. Similarly, after founding Alphabet in 2015, Sergey Brin acted as the holding company’s president before stepping down in 2019 when Sundar Pichai took over as CEO. Sergey Brin is the 7th richest man in the world in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $146 billion.
6. Larry Page
Making the number 6 on our list of the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 is Google co-founder Larry Page. He was able to take his wealth to a new level in 2021. The American entrepreneur and tech guru now has an estimated net worth of $153 billion. He was born on 21st August 1973 in Moscow, Russia and currently 48 years old. His current residence is in California in the United States of America. He attended Stanford University. Like several tech billionaires on this list, Larry Page rise to fame got its start in a college dorm room. While attending Stanford University in 1995, Larry Page and his friend Sergey Brin came up with the idea of improving data extraction capabilities while accessing the Internet. The duo devised a new type of search engine technology they dubbed “Backrub,” named after its ability to analyze “backing links.” From there, Larry Page and Sergey Brin went on to found Google in 1998. Larry Page is the 6th richest man in the world in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $153 billion.
5. Larry Ellison
Making the number 5 on our list of the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 is American business magnate Larry Ellison. The Oracle co-founder and chairman has major shares in Tesla, which surged enormously in 2021, giving him one of the biggest paydays in recent memory. Larry Ellison now has an estimated net worth of $177 billion. He was born on 17th August 1944 in New York, United States of America and currently 77 years old. He attended the University of Chicago. After dropping out of the University of Chicago in 1966, Larry Ellison moved to California and worked as a computer programmer for several companies over the years. By 1977, Ellison founded Software Development Laboratories (SDL) alongside Oates and Miner, which, two years later, released Oracle, the first commercial relational database program to utilize Structured Query Language. The database program proved so popular that SDL would change its name to Oracle Systems Corporation in 1982. Additionally, Ellison joined Tesla’s board in Dec. 2018. Larry Ellison is the 5th richest man in the world in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $177 billion.
4. Mark Zuckerberg
Making the number 4 on our list of the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 is Mark Zuckerberg. He is the founder and chairman of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. He has an estimated net worth of $178 billion. He was born on 14th May 1984 in White Plains, New York, United States of America and currently 37 years. Mark Zuckerberg first developed Facebook (now Meta) alongside fellow students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes while attending Harvard University in 2004. As Facebook began to be used at other universities, Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to focus entirely on his growing business. Today, Mark Zuckerberg is the CEO and chairman of Meta, which had more than 2.9 billion monthly active users. Facebook is the world’s largest social networking service, enabling its users to create a personal profile, connect with friends and family, join or create groups, and much more. As the website is free to use, most of the company’s revenue is generated through advertising. Mark Zuckerberg is the 4th richest man in the world in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $178 billion.
3. Bernard Arnault
Making the number 3 on our list of the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 is French billionaire Bernard Arnault. The luxury goods tycoon has an estimated net worth of $193 billion. His luxury business, which is responsible for Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Hennessy, Sephora and many more reported a whopping 30 per cent surge in stock price this year. He was born on 5th March 1949 in Roubaix, France and currently 72 years old. He is the chairman of the world’s largest luxury goods. His company owns some of the biggest brands on Earth, including Louis Vuitton, Hennessey, Marc Jacobs, and Sephora. Bernard Arnault is the 3rd richest man in the world in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $193 billion.
2. Jeff Bezos
Making the number 2 on our list of the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 is Jeff Bezos. The chairman of Amazon has an estimated net worth of $217 billion. He has become a familiar face at the top list of Forbes wealthiest people in the world. He was recently dethroned. He was born on 12th January 1964 in New Mexico, United States of America and currently 58 years old. He attended Princeton University in the United States. In 1994, Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com in a garage in Seattle, shortly after he resigned from the hedge fund giant D.E. Shaw. Though Amazon.com originally started out selling books, it has since morphed into a one-stop-shop for everything under the sun and is arguably the world’s largest retailer. At any rate, it is hard to dispute its self-description as the Earth’s most customer-centric company. Jeff Bezos is the 2nd richest man in the world in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $217 billion.
1. Elon Musk
Making the number 1 on our list of the top 10 most richest men in the world in 2024 is Elon Musk. The chairman of Tesla and SpaceX has an estimated net worth of $239 billion. He was born on 28th June 1971 in Pretoria, South Africa and currently 50 years old. Elon Musk is the first African man to attain the height of the richest man in the world. He has dual citizenship of both South Africa, Canada and the United States of America. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. On 25th October 2021, shares of Tesla spiked 12.7% and surpassed a $1 trillion market cap after car rental company Hertz announced its plan to order 100,000 of the automaker’s electric vehicles. Elon Musk is currently the richest person in the world in 2024 with an estimated net worth of $239 billion.