Elon Musk Is World’s Richest Person Ever Recorded

Forbes releases its 40th-annual World’s Billionaires list, the definitive ranking of the planet’s richest people. Wealth surged to unprecedented levels over the past year, with fortunes climbing at a record pace. This year’s list features 3,428 billionaires, the most since the list’s inception in 1987. The world’s wealthiest people are worth a record $20.1 trillion combined, up from $16.1 trillion in 2025.

Elon Musk tops the Billionaires list for the second year in a row and is the richest person ever recorded, worth an estimated $839 billion. His net worth skyrocketed by half of a trillion dollars from last year, thanks to a rise in the value of Tesla, and SpaceX which is aiming to go public in 2026. Musk is the first person ever recorded to reach the $800 billion mark, as he moves toward becoming the world’s first trillionaire.

“It’s the year of the billionaire,” said Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes Senior Editor, Wealth. “The planet added more than one billionaire per day over the past twelve months as the AI-powered stock market boom boosted fortunes to previously unimaginable heights.”

Larry Page, cofounder of Google, follows far behind Musk, in the No. 2 spot with an estimated net worth of $257 billion, followed by his cofounder Sergey Brin at No. 3 ($237 billion). Jeff Bezos holds the No. 4 spot ($224 billion) and Mark Zuckerberg ($222 billion) rounds out the top 5.

President Donald Trump’s fortune increased by 27%, to an estimated $6.5 billion, thanks largely to crypto dealings and his New York fraud penalty being thrown out. He ranks No. 645 worldwide.

The 2026 ranking features 390 newcomers, including Dr. Dre; Beyonce Knowles-Carter; and tennis legend Roger Federer.

The United States has more billionaires than any other country, now boasting a record 989.

For the full list, visit: www.forbes.com/billionaires.

About Forbes
Forbes is an iconic global media brand that has symbolized success for over a century. Fueled by journalism that informs and inspires, Forbes spotlights the doers and doings shaping industries, achieving success and making an impact on the world. The Forbes brand reaches more than 140 million people monthly worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature ForbesLive events and 49 licensed local editions in 81 countries.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310629058/en/

Media Contact:
Feryal Nawaz, fnawaz@forbes.com

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