Elon Musk has again claimed the title of the world's richest person, topping the 2026 Forbes World's Billionaires list with an estimated net worth of $839 billion, far ahead of the next-wealthiest individuals, whose fortunes remain heavily concentrated in the technology sector.
Musk, 54, whose wealth is tied largely to his electric vehicle maker Tesla and aerospace company SpaceX, leads a list where technology entrepreneurs continue to dominate the highest ranks.
His fortune is more than three times that of the second-richest billionaire, Google co-founder Larry Page, whose net worth is estimated at $257 billion.
Page, 52, is followed closely by fellow Google co-founder Sergey Brin at $237 billion.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, 62, takes fourth place with a net worth of $224 billion, while Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, 41, rounds out the top five with $222 billion.
The strong showing by Silicon Valley leaders highlights the continued global influence of the technology industry. Six of the world's 10 richest people built their fortunes primarily in tech, according to the Forbes list.
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison ranks sixth with $190 billion, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang — whose company has surged in value amid booming demand for advanced chips — holds the eighth spot with an estimated $154 billion.
Outside of technology, luxury goods and retail fortunes remain prominent. Bernard Arnault and his family, owners of the French luxury conglomerate LVMH, rank seventh with $171 billion. Spanish retail magnate Amancio Ortega, founder of Zara parent company Inditex, comes in 10th with $148 billion.
Veteran investor Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, sits in ninth place with a fortune estimated at $149 billion, making the 95-year-old one of the oldest of the world's wealthiest.
Members of the Walton family, heirs to the Walmart retail empire, also appear prominently in the rankings. Rob Walton is listed with a net worth of $146 billion, followed by his brother Jim Walton at $143 billion and sister Alice Walton at $134 billion.
Other notable figures in the upper ranks include Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell, whose wealth is estimated at $141 billion, and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer with $126 billion.
Further down the list, President Donald Trump ranks No. 645 with an estimated net worth of $6.5 billion. Trump, 79, built his fortune through real estate holdings, golf resorts, and media ventures.
Forbes compiles its annual list using stock prices, exchange rates, and other financial data to estimate the fortunes of the world's wealthiest people.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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