A record-breaking 3,028 people now hold billionaire status, according to Forbes’ latest rankings. The combined wealth of these individuals exceeds $16.1 trillion, surpassing the GDP of almost every country in the world except for the US and China.
Wealth is increasingly concentrated among the global elite, with about 60% of billionaire wealth attributed to inheritance or monopoly power. Oxfam predicts that at least five trillionaires will emerge within a decade. Notably, three individuals – Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos – have reached the $200 billion mark, significantly outpacing nations’ GDP.
However, market fluctuations have negatively impacted some billionaires. Tesla’s shares plummeted 36% in the first quarter of 2025 due to declining sales and consumer protests, resulting in a loss of over $156 billion for Elon Musk’s net worth. Similarly, Jeff Bezos lost $29 billion between late January and March, while Sergey Brin’s wealth decreased by $22 billion.
The decline of these high-net-worth individuals is largely attributed to troubled markets, including the S&P 500 dropping 7% and the Dow Jones dipping 6%. The stock market downturn has significantly impacted billionaires who attended Trump’s inauguration, with an estimated loss of $209 billion among them.
Source: https://fortune.com/2025/04/02/world-record-number-of-billionaires-wealth-higher-than-most-gdp-despite-stock-market-bloodbath