US President Donald Trump has more than doubled his fortune while his friend and White House senior adviser, Elon Musk, retakes his title as the world’s richest person, the annual Forbes billionaires list has revealed.
The 47th POTUS has a current estimated fortune of $5.1 billion having made huge gains through his stake in the Trump Media & Technology Group and cryptocurrency ventures.
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The Forbes 39th annual World’s Billionaires list revealed a record-breaking surge in global wealth with an unprecedented 3,028 billionaires, the highest number since the list’s inception in 1987. Collectively, these billionaires hold $16.1 trillion in wealth.
The number of individuals with 12-figure fortunes has risen to 15, a dramatic increase from 2017 when there were none. Collectively they hold $2.4 trillion—approximately 15 per cent of all billionaire wealth.
Musk reclaimed the title of the world’s richest person, surpassing French luxury magnate Bernard Arnault, who previously held the top spot but now drops to the No. 5 spot ($178 billion). Musk’s net worth grew by 75 per cent to an estimated $342 billion, bolstered by surging valuations for xAI and SpaceX. Despite Tesla’s stock plummeting 36 per cent in the first three months of the year, Musk is the first person to surpass the $300 billion mark in wealth.
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Michael Platt, James Ratcliffe and James Dyson top the (short) British billionaire list. The billionaires’ list also waved goodbye to 107 individuals including Hermès heir Nicolas Puech and Hobby Lobby’s David Green. Puech appears to have mislaid $10 million after vowing to leave his fortune to his former gardener.
Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes senior editor, wealth said: ‘For the world’s richest people, it’s been another record-breaking year despite economic uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions.’
‘From Elon Musk to the billionaires influencing US politics, their power continues to expand.’
Top five billionaires of 2025
- Elon Musk – $342 billion
- Mark Zuckerberg – $216 billion
- Jeff Bezos – $215 billion
- Larry Ellison – $192 billion
- Bernard Arnault & Family – $178 billion
This year’s ranking features 288 new billionaires, including musician Bruce Springsteen, Chipotle founder Steve Ells, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang, the youngest self-made billionaire at just 28.
The United States leads the world with a record 902 billionaires worth a combined $6.75 trillion. China follows with 450 billionaires, while India ranks third with 205.
Forbes’ World’s Billionaires list is based on a snapshot of wealth, using stock prices and exchange rates from 7 March, 2025. The list ranks individuals rather than multi-generational families, though wealth attributed to a spouse or children may be included in certain cases, particularly for fortune founders.
For the full 2025 World’s Billionaires list, visit: www.forbes.com/billionaires.
