A lot of people are curious about the richest people in the world in 2025—and honestly, I was curious too! That’s why I decided to do some research and find out who they are. I’ve put together a list of the top 10 wealthiest people this year, starting from number 10 all the way to number 1. I think you’re really going to enjoy this.
So, let’s get started!
10. Steve Ballmer
At number 10, we have
Steve Ballmer. If you know Microsoft, you might know Steve. He was the CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014, taking over from Bill Gates. Steve and Bill Gates were actually classmates at Harvard. Bill convinced Steve to drop out of his MBA program at Stanford to join Microsoft back in 1980, and he became employee number 30! He’s known for his super energetic and passionate leadership style. Under his leadership, Microsoft launched things like the Xbox. After retiring from Microsoft, he bought the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for $2 billion in 2014. As of May 2025, Forbes estimates Steve Ballmer's net worth at around
$114.1 billion, while the Bloomberg Billionaires Index has a slightly different figure. Other sources like GuruFocus, which track insider holdings, note his substantial ownership of Microsoft stock.
9. Sergey Brin
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| Sergey Brin - Image |
Going up to number 9 is
Sergey Brin. He's one of the brilliant minds who co-founded Google alongside Larry Page. Sergey's family moved to the United States from Moscow when he was just six years old to escape Jewish persecution. He met Larry Page at Stanford University, where they were both studying computer science. They had this cool idea to create a search engine that ranked pages based on their popularity, and that's how Google was born in a friend's garage! Sergey was the president of Google's parent company, Alphabet, for a while and even though he stepped down in 2019, he's still involved as a co-founder, board member, and controlling shareholder. According to Forbes as of May 1, 2025, Sergey Brin's net worth is estimated at
$127.2 billion. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index also tracks his wealth, often placing him similarly in global rankings.
8. Larry Page
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| Larry Page - Image |
Next, at number 8, we find
Larry Page, Sergey Brin's partner in creating Google. Larry grew up in Michigan, and guess what? His parents were computer experts too! So, it’s no surprise he got into computer engineering. He met Sergey at Stanford, and together, working out of Page's dorm room, they developed the PageRank algorithm that made Google so effective at finding what you're looking for on the internet. Larry was Google's first CEO and later led Alphabet, Google's parent company. Like Sergey, he stepped down from his main executive role in 2019 but remains connected to Alphabet as a co-founder, board member, and controlling shareholder. Forbes estimated Larry Page's net worth at
$132.7 billion as of May 1, 2025. CEO Today also reported his net worth around
$144 billion in May 2025.
7. Bernard Arnault
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| Bernard Arnault |
Bernard Arnault is found at 7th position (often with his family), he is a powerhouse in the world of luxury. Born in Roubaix, France, Arnault's journey into luxury began after he graduated from engineering school. He eventually took control of a struggling textile group that owned Christian Dior, which was his entry into the luxury market. Today, he is the chairman and CEO of
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's largest luxury goods company, which owns an array of famous brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Tiffany & Co. Forbes reported Bernard Arnault & family's net worth at
$146.5 billion as of May 1, 2025.
6. Bill Gates
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| Bill Gates - Image |
counting down to number 6 on our list, we have a name that’s almost synonymous with software:
Bill Gates. Bill co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend Paul Allen back in 1975. He grew up in Seattle and was tinkering with computers from a young age. They had this big idea that personal computers would be on every desk and in every home. Microsoft created super popular software like the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office. Bill was the CEO for many years and became the youngest self-made billionaire at age 31. Now, he dedicates a huge amount of his time and wealth to philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index listed his net worth at approximately
$168.8 billion as of May 9, 2025.
5. Warren Buffett
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| Warren Buffett |
The 5th position on our list there is the "Oracle of Omaha" himself,
Warren Buffett. He's the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, which isn't just one company, but a collection of many different businesses – from insurance companies like Geico to well-known brands like Dairy Queen. Warren showed an interest in business and investing from a super young age; he bought his first stock when he was only 11! As of early May 2025, Warren Buffett's net worth was estimated to be around $166.4 billion to
$169 billion, according to reports from Forbes and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He still lives in the same house in Omaha he bought in 1958 and is famous for his plans to give away almost all of his fortune to charity.
4. Larry Ellison
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| Larry Ellison |
Breaking into the top 4 is
Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corporation. Larry had a bit of a tough childhood in Chicago and even dropped out of college twice, but he had a real talent for computer programming. In 1977, he and his partners started a company that would become Oracle. They built software that helps businesses manage huge amounts of information, which became a massive success. Larry was the CEO of Oracle for 37 years and is now its Chairman and Chief Technology Officer. As of May 2025, Forbes estimated his net worth at
$176.9 billion. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index also reported a similar figure around
$173.8 billion.
3. Mark Zuckerberg
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| Mark Zuckerberg |
Our runner-up for the third spot is
Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, which is now called Meta Platforms. He started Facebook from his Harvard dorm room in 2004. It was initially just for Harvard students but quickly spread. Meta also owns Instagram and WhatsApp and is now putting a lot of energy into building the metaverse. As of May 1, 2025, Forbes reported Mark Zuckerberg's net worth at
$190 billion. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index placed him with a net worth around
$209.6 billion as of May 9, 2025.
2. Jeff Bezos
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| Jeff Bezos |
At number 2, we meet
Jeff Bezos. He’s the person who started Amazon.com in 1994 out of his garage in Seattle. It started as an online bookstore, but Jeff had a much bigger vision: an "everything store." Besides online shopping, Amazon is also a big player in cloud computing with Amazon Web Services. Jeff stepped down as Amazon's CEO in 2021 but is still the executive chairman. He also owns The Washington Post and an aerospace company called Blue Origin. According to Forbes, as of May 1, 2025, Jeff Bezos's net worth was $201.6 billion. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index showed a figure around
$214.6 billion as of May 9, 2025.
1. Elon Musk!
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| Elon Musk |
And now, for the number 1 spot in May 2025, we have
Elon Musk. Born in South Africa, Elon's story is quite a journey, like click on the link associated with his name above to see more about his life. He’s the driving force behind Tesla, the company that made electric cars cool, and SpaceX, which is all about rockets and exploring space. Early in his career, he co-founded a company that eventually became PayPal. After selling PayPal, he poured his energy and money into SpaceX (founded in 2002) and Tesla (became CEO in 2008). He also acquired Twitter and rebranded it as X. As of May 1, 2025, Forbes reported his net worth at a staggering $386.5 billion. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index also consistently places him at the top, with figures around $381.2 billion to
$420 billion in May 2025.
It's pretty amazing to see what these people have built. Their paths are all different, but they share a common way of seeing a new possibility and working incredibly hard to make it a reality. Thanks for reading lets quest more contents.
