London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 09, 2026

Top 10 Richest People on Earth Got Wealthier by Over $400 Bln in 2021, Bloomberg Index Shows

Top 10 Richest People on Earth Got Wealthier by Over $400 Bln in 2021, Bloomberg Index Shows

Some of those creme de la creme in the world of wealth, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, for example, have been worth $100 billion for quite some time: Gates first made it in 1999, while Bezos did so in 2017. The majority of the others, on the other hand, are basically newcomers to the 12-digit club.

According to the newest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the world's top ten wealthiest people are all worth more than $100 billion by the end of 2021.

The 10 wealthiest billionaires increased their net worth by $402.17 billion in 2021. They were led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who became the world's richest man this year, seemingly beating his toe-to-toe rival Bezos for a long time, and also temporarily exceeding $300 billion in his net worth.

The data shown in the shortlist below are valid as of Thursday, December 30.

All in all, number one this year is certainly the "Technoking of Tesla," as he proclaimed himself earlier in 2021, because he sees no point in the generally accepted regalia of the corporate world. Musk closes this year with an astonishing $277 billion total net worth.

In 2021, he increased his net worth by $121 billion, a little less of the $140 billion he added in 2020, according to the Bloomberg data. Musk's fortune has risen dramatically as a result of his electric carmaker's quick expansion. Tesla's stock has risen by approximately 60% this year, and the company's market capitalization surpassed $1 trillion for the first time in October.

Musk has been selling millions of Tesla shares recently in order to pay an alleged $12 billion tax obligation related to a stock option package he received in 2012.

Number two this year is Jeff Bezos with $195 billion, the former world's richest man, who did not add nearly as much to his net worth as Musk, but is still almost $5 billion more than he was when the year began.

In July, the 57-year-old stepped down as CEO of Amazon, stating that he will devote more time to the Bezos Earth Fund, his Blue Origin spaceship company, and the Bezos Day 1 Fund.

Number three on the list, and the only non-American in the top ten, is French national Bernard Arnault, the CEO of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which includes brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Givenchy, increased his net fortune by $61 billion, up to $176 billion in total. The 72-year-old Arnault is the wealthiest man in Europe.

Fourth on the list is Microsoft founder and computer pioneer Bill Gates with $139 billion net worth. Despite giving away tens of billions of dollars to charity over the years, Gates' fortune has grown, thanks in part to the great performance of Microsoft shares, which he still owns roughly 1% of.

Gates has long since relinquished control of Microsoft and now devotes the majority of his time to his philanthropic organization. This year, after 25 years of marriage, Gates divorced his wife Melinda French Gates.

Google co-founder Larry Page closes out the top five in the list of the richest people in the world with a fortune of $130 billion. The remarkable success of Alphabet in 2021, which topped the $2 trillion market cap in November and was just named Big Tech stock of the year by CNBC, added $47 billion to the fortune. Page is no longer the CEO of Alphabet, but he is still on the board of directors.

The youngest of them all, Meta (ex-Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg is number six on the list with a total net worth of $128 billion. The 37-year-old's wealth climbed by $24 billion this year. Zuckerberg holds a 13% share in Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and is the CEO of the firm, which has seen its stock rise by more than 20% this year, although it plummeted by almost 10% in the fall due to the release of the so-called "Facebook Papers."

The net worth of Google's other co-founder, Russian-born Sergey Brin, increased by $45 billion, putting it to $120 billion for the first time, securing him the seventh place on the list of the richest. The 48-year-old is a board member of Alphabet and owns around 38 million shares of the firm, according to reports.

At the end of the year, the former Microsoft CEO and owner of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, the eccentric Steve Balmer, will be $41 billion richer than he was at the beginning of the year, accumulating a total of $122 billion, successfully standing at the number eight position on the list. Ballmer's fortune has grown reportedly because of the appeal of tech equities such as Microsoft, which has increased in value by more than 50% this year.

According to the Thursday data, the ninth richest person is the 91-year-old famous investor Warren Buffett. Berkshire Hathaway's CEO indicated earlier this year that he is "halfway" to his declared aim of giving away the great bulk of his riches, which is currently estimated to be worth $109 billion, but the stock's performance is reportedly not helping.

This year, the Oracle of Omaha, as some call him, added $21 billion to his "almost incomprehensible sum" of wealth.

And the last, but not least of the top 10 richest people on the planet is Larry Ellison, founder of the Oracle Corporation. According to CNBC, this month, Oracle recorded its second-largest gain in 20 years, and Ellison reaped the benefits. The 77-year-old joined the $100 billion club this year, thanks to his company's revenues, which increased his net worth by $29 billion.

Interestingly, Telegram founder Pavel Durov topped the Forbes ranking of the most successful Russian billionaires in 2021. According to the outlet's estimates, over the year his fortune increased by $13.8 billion. It is now more than $17 billion.

In turn, Russian entrepreneurs who were included in Bloomberg's top 50 also increased their income. The 43rd place is held by the natural gas tycoon and founder of Novatek, Leonid Mikhelson, who earned almost $8 billion this year, with a total net fortune estimated at $32 billion. He is followed in the top 50 by businessman and manager Vladimir Potanin, with a fortune of $30 billion, who earned about $817 million in 2021.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Announces New Sanctions on 17 Russia-Linked Entities During Foreign Secretary's Ukraine Visit
UK and Germany Finalize Kensington Treaty to Strengthen Defense and Technology Cooperation
Britain Maintains Diplomatic Mission in East Jerusalem Despite Israeli Closure Deadline
English Councils Push Government to Rethink Proposed Funding Cuts
Scottish Homebuilding Falls to Lowest Level in 11 Years
BBC Chief Matt Brittin Defends Restructuring as Staff Challenge Job Cuts
UK Finance Warns High Energy Costs and Bond Yields Are Complicating Fiscal Outlook
UK Adopts All 44 Recommendations on Regulating AI in Healthcare
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget as Borrowing Costs Strain Public Finances
UK Investigators See Strong Indications of Iranian Link After RAF Fairford Security Operation
Laura Trott Pledges Tighter Controls on Political Activism in UK Classrooms
Welsh Ministers Launch Long-Term Review of North Wales and Anglesey Crossings
Welsh Government Orders 18-Month Study of Road Solutions Around Newport
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin Faces Scrutiny Over £800,000 Second Home Purchase
British Households Grow More Concerned About Fuel and Energy Prices
NHS Leaders Warn of Rising Winter Pressure on Emergency Departments
Kemi Badenoch Proposes £2.3 Billion Employer National Insurance Cut for Young Workers
Middle East Conflict Could Erase UK Fiscal Headroom, Economists Warn
Manchester City Found Guilty of Multiple Premier League Financial Rule Breaches
UK Security Services Find Strong Indications of Iranian Role in RAF Fairford Incident
Costa Coffee Returns to Operating Profit on Iced Drinks and Menu Changes
Asos Warns Customers After Unauthorized Access to Retail App and Data
Kemi Badenoch Puts Growth and Deregulation at Center of Conservative Conference
Campaigners Warn of Deepening Social Care Crisis for Disabled Adults
Study Finds Rising Early-Onset Cancer Rates Among Adults Under 50 in Britain
UK Coach Operators Warn High Diesel Prices Could Force Route Cuts
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein-Linked Whistleblower Case
Argentina Vows to Block Falkland Islands Offshore Oil Development
UK Chancellor Prepares Fiscal Measures and Welfare Reforms Ahead of Autumn Budget
Sainsbury’s and Morrisons Explore Potential Multi-Billion-Pound Merger
UK Weighs Tariffs on Chinese Electric Vehicles to Align With European Union
UK Threatens Diplomatic Expulsions Over Planned Closure of East Jerusalem Consulate
UK Energy Price Cap Hits Three-Year High as Middle East Conflict Raises Costs
Seventh Arrest Made in Suspected Terror Plot at RAF Fairford
Systemic Education Collapse Sparks Mass Student Uprisings in France
Green Party Faces Backlash Over Resolution Equating Zionism With Racism
Conservatives Debate Scrapping Environmental Rules for New Homes
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Approach £2,000 This Winter
UK Coach Operators Warn of Service Cuts as Diesel Prices Exceed £2
Scottish Parliament Approves £68 Billion Budget With New Tax and Property Measures
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein Whistleblower
UK Government Drops Plan to Suspend Jury Trials in England and Wales
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Markets Watch November
Two Iranian Nationals Charged Over Alleged Plot Targeting Manchester Jewish Community
UK Fiscal Headroom Halves to £11 Billion Ahead of Budget, EY Warns
US Bomber Withdrawal From RAF Fairford Prompts UK Security Review
Sarah Wakfer Appointed Chair of Northern Ireland’s Health and Care Regulator
Scotland Housing Completions Fall to 11-Year Low Amid National Shortage
UK Water Companies Face Tougher Oversight and Unannounced Regulatory Inspections
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Fuel and Wholesale Energy Prices Higher
×