As of April 1, 2024, the 10 richest people on the planet are worth a combined $1.59 trillion, with Bernard Arnault, the CEO of French luxury goods group LVMH, holding the spot as the world’s richest person. Arnault’s net worth is estimated at $226.2 billion, thanks to the strong performance of LVMH shares. In the ranks just below Arnault, there has been a battle between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Amazon Chairman Jeff Bezos for the second and third spots, with Bezos currently holding the number two position with a net worth of $198 billion.
Musk, who started off 2024 as the world’s richest person, has now dropped to the third spot with a net worth of $195.3 billion. The decline in Tesla stock prices in the first quarter of 2024 has contributed to Musk losing billions from his fortune. The biggest gainer in March was Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, whose fortune rose by nearly $16 billion due to a 10% increase in the price of Oracle shares, making him the world’s fifth richest person.
Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani briefly reentered the top 10 richest people in March before dropping out in April, with Google cofounder Sergey Brin taking his place at number 10. Seven of the world’s top 10 richest people have seen an increase in their fortunes in March, with a combined net worth of $1.59 trillion as of April 1, 2024.
Forbes has been tracking the world’s billionaires since 1987, updating their fortunes on a daily basis. Many billionaires hold a significant portion of their net worth in the stock of the companies they founded or cofounded, causing fluctuations in their fortunes as stock prices change. The top 10 richest people in the world as of April 1, 2024, include Bernard Arnault, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Larry Page, Steve Ballmer, and Sergey Brin.
The top 10 richest people on Earth are all men, each worth over $100 billion. Bernard Arnault’s fortune is largely attributed to the success of LVMH, while Jeff Bezos saw his net worth increase in March due to an uptick in Amazon stock prices. Elon Musk’s fortune has faced setbacks from the decline in Tesla stock prices, while Larry Ellison and Warren Buffett’s fortunes rose during the same period.
Overall, the rankings of the world’s richest people have seen shifts in March, with some billionaires gaining wealth and others facing declines. Stock prices play a significant role in determining the fortunes of the world’s billionaires, with Forbes tracking these changes on a daily basis to provide up-to-date information on the wealthiest individuals globally.
