Luxury goods tycoon Bernard Arnault currently holds the title of the world’s richest person, a position he has maintained since February. He is the CEO of LVMH, which owns several prestigious brands such as Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior. Arnault has a net worth of $209.4 billion, putting him ahead of Elon Musk, who is now the second richest person in the world. Musk recently overtook Jeff Bezos to reclaim the number two spot, with a fortune of $199.6 billion. Tesla stock experienced a significant increase on April 29, leading to a $14.5 billion boost in Musk’s wealth.
Bill Gates, who held the title of the world’s richest person for most of three decades, has dropped to ninth place on the list of the wealthiest individuals. Despite having a net worth of nearly $128 billion, Gates is now at his lowest rank since the early 1990s. Gates’ investments, including Microsoft, have not kept pace with other stocks like Meta and Alphabet, leading to his decline in the ranking. Additionally, Gates has donated nearly $59 billion to charitable causes through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and went through a costly divorce in 2021.
Six of the top 10 richest individuals in the world have seen decreases in their fortunes in recent weeks, resulting in a combined wealth of $1.54 trillion, which is $50 billion less than a month ago. Forbes has been tracking the world’s billionaires since 1987, with updates on their fortunes happening on a daily basis. Many billionaires have a significant portion of their net worth tied to the stock of the companies they founded, which leads to fluctuations in their wealth as stock prices change.
The top 10 richest people in the world as of May 1, 2024, include individuals like Warren Buffett, Sergey Brin, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison. These individuals, all worth $100 billion or more, have seen shifts in their rankings based on changes in stock prices and personal investments. The ranking of the richest individuals can vary due to numerous factors, including market fluctuations and personal decisions impacting their wealth.
As stock prices continue to fluctuate, the net worth of the world’s richest individuals is subject to change on a daily basis. Bernard Arnault, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and other prominent figures in the business world are closely watched for any shifts in their wealth and rankings. It remains to be seen how these individuals will fare in the ever-changing landscape of global wealth and economic trends.
