Billionaires are not only insanely rich; with their money and influence in politics, the global economy, their roles in their industries, and philanthropy, they also shape the world. Forbes’ list of top billionaires may vary year after year, depending on the financial performance and latest net worth. If you are wondering whose names are on the list of this highly exclusive club, then here’s a quick rundown of the top ten richest people in the world.
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1. Bernard Arnault and family
The Chairman and CEO of the world’s largest luxury goods brand LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), is the world’s richest man in 2023 with an estimated net worth of $236 billion. He controls around 60 subsidiaries that manage 75 luxurious brands. His wealth mostly came from his huge stake in Christian Dior SE, the holding company that has 41.4% of LVMH, along with his 6.2% in LVMH.
2. Elon Musk
Elon Reeve Musk is a business magnate and investor best known as the chief architect of electric vehicle company Tesla and chief engineer of space launch rocket company SpaceX. He also founded the Boring Company and co-founded Neuralink and OpenAI. In October of 2022, he bought Twitter for $44 billion and became the company’s owner and CEO. Elon Musk's net worth is $174.5 billion.
3. Jeff Bezos
Founder and CEO of e-commerce giant, cloud computing, digital streaming, online advertising, and artificial intelligence company Amazon Jeff Bezos ranked third in Forbes’ top list of top billionaires in the world. He started his journey in a meek garage in Seattle where he founded Amazon, an online bookstore website. Since then, the company morphed into a multinational technology company giant. Bezos' net worth as of 2023 is $128.5 billion.
4. Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison is an American business magnate, chief technology officer, and executive chairman of technology giant Oracle Corporation, the world’s second-biggest software company. His company provides a wide variety of cloud computing solutions, Java and Linux code, as well as the Oracle Exadata computing platform. He now invests heavily in real estate and now owns almost the entire Lanai island in Hawaii. His net worth is $118.3 billion.
5. Warren Buffet
Dubbed the Oracle of Omaha, Nebraska, Warren Buffet is known as the most successful investor of all time. He is the CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, a multinational conglomerate holding company that focuses on insurance and reinsurance, utility and energy generation, freight rail transportation, and distribution business. His subsidiaries include over 60 companies, such as the insurance company Geico, Dairy Queen Restaurant, and Duracell. Buffet's net worth, as of 2023, is $115.3 billion.
6. Bill Gates
Cofounder and CEO of the world’s largest software company Microsoft, Bill Gates has much of his wealth in Cascade Investment, a private-held investment company that owns stocks in Deere, Republic Services, Canadian National Railway, as well as private investments in energy and real estate. His company Microsoft produces a long line of products, including personal computers, email services through exchange servers, video games and associated gaming devices. Bill Gates' net worth is $113.1 billion.
7. Carlos Slim Helu and family
The former richest man on the planet Carlos Slim (he was the richest man in 2015), still finds himself in the top 10 of Forbes’ billionaire list. Slim bought a stake in Telmex, which was Mexico’s lone phone company in 1990. Today, Telmex is part of America Movile, the biggest mobile telecommunication firm in Latin America. Slim derived his wealth from extensive holdings in multiple Mexican companies throughout his conglomerate. His estimated net worth is $96.7 billion.
8. Stave Ballmer
Former Microsoft CEO and now NBA team owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Steve Ballmer, made a chunk of his wealth from being the biggest individual shareholder of Microsoft (estimated 4%). He lived in the same dorm and floor as Bill Gates during their time at Harvard University. His net worth is $95.6 billion.
9. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers & family
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the granddaughter of Eugene Schueller, the founder of French cosmetics and personal care company L'Oréal, became one of the world’s richest when she inherited her father’s stake in the company in 2017. She is also the chairwoman of Tethys, a family-owned holding company that manages more than 33% worth of state in L'Oréal. The estimated net worth is $95 billion.
10. Michael Bloomberg
Co-founder of financial information and media company Bloomberg, Michael Rubens Bloomberg has sneaked into the list of the world’s richest people in 2023. He owns around 88% stake in the business. Bloomberg was also a politician who served as mayor of New York City for 12 years. He is now the incumbent chair of the Defense Innovation Board, an independent advisory and technological innovation board governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which provides independent recommendations to the Secretary of Defense. Bloomberg's net worth is $94.5 billion.
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