The world’s super-rich club has reached a new milestone, with 15 members now boasting fortunes over $100 billion each. This elite group, which includes names like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Bernard Arnault, has seen their combined net worth soar to a staggering $2.2 trillion, up 13% from last year.
Among the new members of this exclusive club is L’Oreal SA heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, who became the first woman to amass a 12-figure fortune. Dell Technologies Inc. founder Michael Dell and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim have also recently crossed the $100 billion mark, thanks to the booming demand for AI-related equipment and a surge in the Mexican peso, respectively.
Gautam Adani, who faced a short-seller attack that temporarily knocked him out of the club, has made a comeback as global investors turn their focus to Indian businesses. Meanwhile, stalwarts like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Bernard Arnault continue to lead the pack with their massive fortunes derived from companies like Amazon, Tesla, and LVMH.
This unprecedented concentration of wealth among a handful of individuals raises questions about income inequality and the power wielded by the super-rich. As these billionaires navigate the waves of artificial intelligence, luxury goods, and geopolitical shifts, the world watches with a mix of awe and apprehension at the sheer magnitude of their wealth.