ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Forbes has unveiled its most recent ranking of the world’s wealthiest individuals as of 1 June 2025, with Elon Musk once again claiming the No. 1 position.
Musk founder and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, and X leads the global billionaire list with a staggering net worth of $423 billion.
He is followed by Mark Zuckerberg of Meta at $224 billion, and Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, who now holds $220 billion.
Larry Ellison of Oracle ranks fourth with $206 billion, while investing legend Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway) comes in fifth with $158 billion. Bernard Arnault, the French luxury goods titan behind LVMH, follows closely with $144 billion.
Also among the top ten are Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, worth $142 billion and $136 billion, respectively.
Steve Ballmer former Microsoft CEO and current LA Clippers owner is in ninth place with $133 billion, overtaking Amancio Ortega of Inditex/Zara, whose fortune stands at $124 billion.
Musk’s latest wealth surge a $36 billion increase in May alone was attributed by Forbes to a 23% rise in Tesla shares, following the announcement of its upcoming robotaxi launch and his departure from a high-profile government advisory role.
According to Forbes, this development “further cemented Musk’s status as the world’s wealthiest person by far.”
Zuckerberg’s leap to second place was driven by an 18% jump in Meta’s stock, allowing him to surpass Bezos, who saw a $19 billion increase thanks to an 11% rise in Amazon’s share price.
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The latest billionaire rankings highlight a strong month for tech moguls, with markets rebounding from April’s turbulence.
In May, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 gained 10% and 6% respectively, buoyed by solid corporate earnings, improving trade conditions, and a slight uptick in U.S. consumer confidence.
Despite maintaining his fourth-place position, Ellison saw little movement in his net worth. Buffett, however, experienced the month’s sharpest decline, shedding $9 billion after announcing plans to step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway news that triggered a 5% drop in the company’s shares, Forbes reported.
Meanwhile, Arnault’s fortune dipped $3 billion as shares in LVMH fell by 2%.
In contrast, Ballmer added $15 billion to his wealth amid a 16% rise in Microsoft shares, helping him overtake Ortega, who posted a more modest $600 million gain, with Inditex’s stock remaining largely stagnant.
Collectively, the top ten richest individuals now command a combined $1.9 trillion in net worth a $140 billion increase compared to the start of May.