Top 10 Billionaires Surpass Amazon in Wealth

The ten wealthiest individuals in the world saw their combined fortunes surge by nearly $600 billion in 2025. This historic wealth accumulation has pushed their total net worth to over $2.5 trillion, a figure that now surpasses the market capitalization of Amazon. The primary driver behind this financial boom is the rapid expansion of the artificial intelligence sector, which has sent stock prices soaring for major technology firms.

Leading the charge is Elon Musk, who added $187 billion to his net worth, solidifying his position as the world's richest person. The wealth gains were widespread among the top tier, with Alphabet cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin posting increases of $101 billion and $92 billion respectively. However, not all tech titans saw growth; Bill Gates registered a significant wealth decline following a recalculation of his assets. The report highlights the extreme concentration of wealth, with just 18 individuals now holding a combined total equivalent to the value of Microsoft.

The combined wealth of the top ten billionaires rose by $579 billion in 2025, pushing their total net worth beyond the market capitalization of Amazon. Amazon, recognized as one of the world's largest companies with over 1.5 million employees and more than $600 billion in annual net sales, has a market valuation just below the combined wealth of these ten individuals.

The surge in net worth was largely attributed to the AI boom. Investors scrambled to buy stocks in companies like Alphabet, Oracle, and Nvidia following announcements of new partnerships, massive contracts, and high growth forecasts. This investor enthusiasm drove the valuations of the companies owned by the world's wealthiest people to new heights.

Market watchers remain divided on the longevity of this trend. Some view the AI surge as a tech revolution in its early stages, while others warn that the hype is fueling dangerous speculation and resembles a bubble primed to burst.

Elon Musk cemented his status as the richest person on the planet with a staggering $187 billion increase in his net worth, bringing his total to $619 billion. This surge was driven by the rising value of his stakes in two key companies: Tesla and SpaceX. Tesla's stock rose by 11% over the year, while the valuation of private aerospace firm SpaceX leaped from $350 billion to $800 billion.

The next-biggest wealth gainers were Alphabet cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Page added $101 billion to his fortune, while Brin added $92 billion. Their wealth surge was fueled by a 65% jump in shares of Google's parent company, reflecting renewed excitement regarding the search giant's AI efforts. Consequently, Page and Brin moved from sixth and eighth places on the rich list to second and fourth, respectively, with net worths of $269 billion and $250 billion.

Larry Ellison, cofounder of Oracle, secured a $55 billion wealth gain but fell from fourth to fifth place on the list. His ranking shift followed a volatile year for Oracle stock. In September, the stock surged 40% in a single day due to a bullish growth forecast, briefly making Ellison richer than Musk. However, investors tempered their expectations in the final quarter, paring the stock's yearly performance.

Conversely, Bill Gates registered the biggest wealth decline of anyone in the world last year. He crashed from seventh to 16th place after publishing fresh details about his charitable giving, which prompted a reestimation of his net worth.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg grew $26 billion richer in 2025 but slipped from third to sixth place. This drop occurred as Page, Brin, and Ellison leapfrogged him on the ranking. Other notable movements included:

• Steve Ballmer (former Microsoft CEO) climbed from ninth to eighth with a $22 billion gain.
• Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder) slid from second to third despite a $15 billion increase.
• Jensen Huang (Nvidia CEO) rose from 12th to ninth with a $40 billion gain.
• Warren Buffett remained in 10th place with a roughly $9 billion increase.

The group of centibillionaires—individuals with a net worth of at least $100 billion—remained steady at 18 members, with no new names entering the circle over the 12-month period. As a group, these 18 individuals grew $708 billion richer in 2025. This single-year increase exceeds the market capitalization of Visa ($677 billion).

Due to these gains, the combined wealth of the centibillionaires hit nearly $3.6 trillion, a sum roughly equivalent to the value of Microsoft. The data underscores the extreme concentration of wealth within this elite group. Elon Musk alone accounted for 17% of the group's combined fortunes and 26% of their total gain for the year.