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Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 was a good year for the rich, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Here is a list of the 10 richest billionaires in the world.
According to CNBC, the world's 10 richest billionaires added a total of $402.17 billion to their net worth in 2021. Topping the list is Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who became the world's richest person this year. He added $121 billion in 2021, but that's still less than the $140 billion he made in 2020.
1. Elon Musk: Total assets 277 billion USD (increased 121 billion USD)
The Tesla co-founder has amassed a fortune thanks to the rapid growth of his electric carmaker. Tesla shares have risen about 60% this year, and the company reached a market capitalization of $1 trillion for the first time in October. Last month, he also became the first person to reach a fortune of $300 billion. Musk's influence in so many areas has earned him Time magazine and the Financial Times' Person of the Year honors.
Elon Musk recently sold millions of Tesla shares to pay a $12 billion tax bill related to stock options he received in 2012.
2. Jeff Bezos: Total assets 195 billion USD (increase 5 billion USD)
The former world's richest man's fortune hasn't grown nearly as much as Musk's, but Bezos still pocketed an additional $5 billion in 2021, more than when he joined the list of the world's richest billionaires.
The 57-year-old stepped down as Amazon CEO in July and said he was spending more time on initiatives like the Bezos Earth Fund, spacecraft company Blue Origin, The Washington Post and the Amazon Day 1 Fund.
3. Bernard Arnault: Total assets 176 billion USD (increase 61 billion USD)
The CEO of luxury conglomerate LVMH - which owns brands such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Givenchy - added $61 billion to his net worth in 2021. The 72-year-old is currently the richest person in Europe.
4. Bill Gates: Total assets 139 billion USD (increased 7 billion USD)
Despite giving away tens of billions of dollars to charity over the past few decades, Bill Gates' fortune continues to grow, thanks in part to the performance of Microsoft stock, the company he co-founded and still owns about 1% of.
Bill Gates has long since relinquished his power at Microsoft and is devoting most of his time to his charitable foundation. In 2021, the billionaire also divorced his wife Melinda French Gates after 25 years of marriage.
5. Larry Page: Total assets 130 billion USD (increased 47 billion USD)
The Google co-founder added $47 billion to his fortune in 2021 thanks to the strong performance of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, which had a market capitalization of more than $2 trillion in November. Mr. Page is no longer CEO of Alphabet, but remains a member of the group's board of directors.
6. Mark Zuckerberg: Total assets 128 billion USD (increased 24 billion USD)
The only member of the world's top 10 richest people under 40, Zuckerberg, 37, has added $24 billion to his fortune this year. Zuckerberg owns a 13% stake in Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, which he runs. Meta's fortune has increased by more than 20% this year.
7. Sergey Brin: Total assets 125 billion USD (increase 45 billion USD)
The net worth of Google's other co-founder increased by $45 billion in 2021, putting him on the list of people with a net worth above $100 billion for the first time. The 48-year-old owns about 38 million shares of Alphabet and sits on its board.
8. Steve Ballmer: Total assets 122 billion USD (increased 41 billion USD)
The former Microsoft CEO and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team was $41 billion richer at the end of 2021 than at the beginning of the year. Ballmer's net worth has benefited from the popularity of tech stocks like Microsoft, which has surged more than 50% this year.
9. Larry Ellison: Total assets 109 billion USD (increased 29 billion USD)
Earlier this month, American multinational computer technology company Oracle posted its second-best performance in 20 years. Oracle chairman and founder Larry Ellison has reaped the rewards. The 77-year-old joined the $100 billion-plus fortune club this year, adding $29 billion to his fortune thanks to the company's strong earnings.
10. Warren Buffett: Total assets 109 billion USD (increased 21 billion USD)
The 91-year-old Berkshire Hathaway CEO revealed earlier this year that he was “halfway” toward his goal of giving away the majority of his fortune, but the performance of his company’s stock has not helped. The “Oracle of Omaha” has added $21 billion to his fortune, which he described as “an almost incomprehensible sum.”
According to Tin Tuc Newspaper
