Richest People in the World 2026: Net Worth, Rankings and How They Made Their Billions

Elon Musk’s $664 billion fortune is now larger than the GDP of Sweden. Here’s who tops the Bloomberg Billionaires Index in February 2026 and the business empires behind the numbers.

Updated: February 2026

QUICK ANSWER

The five richest people in the world in February 2026, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, are: Elon Musk ($664 billion), Larry Page ($268 billion), Sergey Brin ($249 billion), Jeff Bezos ($232 billion) and Mark Zuckerberg ($226 billion). All five are American technology founders. Their combined wealth of $1.64 trillion exceeds the GDP of Australia. Musk’s fortune alone has grown by $44.5 billion year-to-date in 2026, driven by Tesla, SpaceX (valued at up to $800 billion) and his AI venture xAI. The most notable shift from 2025 is the rise of Google co-founders Page and Brin to second and third, overtaking Jeff Bezos for the first time.

Who is the richest person in the world in 2026?

Elon Musk is the richest person in the world in 2026, with a net worth of approximately $664 billion as of 24 February, according to Bloomberg. He is the first person in history to surpass $600 billion in personal wealth.

Musk’s fortune is built across four principal ventures. Tesla, the electric vehicle and energy company, remains his largest publicly traded holding — he owns roughly 12 per cent of the company. SpaceX, the aerospace manufacturer and satellite internet provider, is valued at approximately $800 billion in private markets, with Musk holding around 42 per cent. His AI company xAI, which developed the Grok chatbot, represents his newest major asset, with Musk holding approximately 53 per cent. He also owns the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

The scale of Musk’s wealth is historically unprecedented. His fortune has grown by a factor of nearly 30 since 2020, when his net worth was approximately $25 billion. As we reported in our analysis of the Meta-AMD multibillion-dollar chip deal, the AI infrastructure race is directly fuelling the valuations of companies like xAI and the broader tech ecosystem that underpins Musk’s wealth.

Who are the top 5 richest people in the world?

1. Elon Musk — $664 billion

Companies: Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, X, Neuralink, The Boring Company Industry: Technology, Aerospace, AI, Automotive Wealth change YTD 2026: +$44.5 billion

Musk’s wealth is uniquely concentrated in private companies. SpaceX alone accounts for a significant portion of his fortune and could become the world’s most valuable company if a rumoured mega-IPO materialises — with some analysts projecting a $1.5 trillion valuation. His year-to-date gain of $44.5 billion in 2026 came despite Tesla shares experiencing volatility.

2. Larry Page — $268 billion

Company: Alphabet (Google) Industry: Technology Wealth change YTD 2026: -$861 million

Google co-founder Larry Page has risen to second place in 2026 — the first time he has held this position on the Bloomberg index. His wealth was propelled by Alphabet shares surging 63 per cent in 2025, driven by investor confidence in Google’s AI strategy including the Gemini model family. Page stepped back from day-to-day operations at Alphabet in 2019 but remains a controlling shareholder.

3. Sergey Brin — $249 billion

Company: Alphabet (Google) Industry: Technology Wealth change YTD 2026: -$751 million

Brin, who co-founded Google with Page in 1998, mirrors his partner’s trajectory. Both have benefited from Alphabet’s AI pivot and the market’s repricing of companies positioned to compete with OpenAI and Anthropic. As we examined in our coverage of why 95 per cent of AI pilots fail, the companies that successfully scale AI — rather than just announce it — are the ones seeing sustained valuation growth.

4. Jeff Bezos — $232 billion

Company: Amazon Industry: Technology, E-commerce, Cloud Computing, Aerospace Wealth change YTD 2026: -$21.8 billion

Bezos has slipped from second to fourth in 2026, losing $21.8 billion year-to-date. Despite Amazon’s continued dominance in e-commerce and cloud computing through AWS, his relative decline reflects the market’s rotation toward AI-first companies. Bezos also owns Blue Origin, the aerospace company, and The Washington Post. He has sold tens of billions in Amazon stock over recent years, diversifying into real estate and other investments.

5. Mark Zuckerberg — $226 billion

Company: Meta Platforms Industry: Technology, Social Media, AI Wealth change YTD 2026: -$7.65 billion

Zuckerberg’s fortune is anchored in Meta Platforms, which operates Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and the Reality Labs division focused on virtual and augmented reality. Meta’s multibillion-dollar chip deal with AMD — worth up to $100 billion over five years — signals the scale of its AI infrastructure ambitions. Meta’s 2026 capital expenditure is projected at $115–$135 billion, nearly double 2025 levels.

What are the key trends in billionaire wealth in 2026?

Technology dominance is absolute. All five of the world’s richest people are American tech founders. The top 10 is similarly tech-heavy, with Oracle’s Larry Ellison ($194 billion) and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang ($162.5 billion) also featuring. According to Forbes, there are now over 3,000 billionaires worldwide with combined wealth exceeding $16 trillion.

AI is the primary wealth driver. The rise of Page and Brin reflects Alphabet’s AI positioning. Musk’s xAI venture and Zuckerberg’s Meta AI investments are directly tied to their wealth trajectories. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang has seen the fastest wealth growth of any top-20 billionaire, with Nvidia shares rising over 4,200 per cent in seven years. As we reported in our 2026 outlook for AI, cyber and financial infrastructure, AI is not merely a product category — it is the defining investment thesis of the decade.

Geographic concentration persists. Nine of the top 10 richest people are American. The United States contributes over $5 trillion in cumulative billionaire wealth. As we explored in our analysis of why investors are pouring record sums into European stocks, Europe’s capital markets are attracting inflows — but the wealth creation gap between US tech founders and European counterparts continues to widen. Bernard Arnault of LVMH, previously the world’s richest person in late 2022, has dropped significantly from the top positions.

Private company valuations are reshaping rankings. Musk’s SpaceX ($800 billion estimated) and xAI are private, meaning their valuations are based on funding rounds rather than public market pricing. Bloomberg applies a standard 5 per cent discount to privately held assets to account for illiquidity. This means Musk’s actual wealth could be higher — or lower — than reported, depending on what these companies would fetch in a public offering.

How has the richest person list changed since 2020?

The velocity of wealth creation at the top has accelerated dramatically. In 2020, Jeff Bezos topped the list at $145 billion. Today, Musk’s fortune is nearly five times that figure. Bill Gates, who was second in 2020, dropped out of the Bloomberg top 10 entirely in July 2025 — the first time in 33 years — largely due to tens of billions transferred to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As we reported in our coverage of Europe’s $1.7 trillion private credit boom, the mechanisms of wealth creation are shifting from public markets toward private capital — a trend the billionaire rankings now clearly reflect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the richest person in the world in 2026?

Elon Musk is the richest person in the world in February 2026, with a net worth of approximately $664 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His wealth is built primarily through Tesla, SpaceX (valued at ~$800 billion), xAI and the social media platform X. He is the first person in history to surpass $600 billion.

How much are the top 5 richest people worth combined?

The five richest people in the world — Elon Musk ($664B), Larry Page ($268B), Sergey Brin ($249B), Jeff Bezos ($232B) and Mark Zuckerberg ($226B) — have a combined net worth of approximately $1.64 trillion as of February 2026. This exceeds the GDP of Australia and is roughly equivalent to the GDP of South Korea.

Who is the richest person in Europe in 2026?

Bernard Arnault, chairman of luxury conglomerate LVMH, remains the richest person in Europe. However, he has slipped significantly in the global rankings from his peak in late 2022 when he briefly topped the worldwide list. The dominance of American tech founders has pushed European billionaires lower in the overall standings.