With a $233 billion net worth, Bernard Arnault has dethroned Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2024.

The Frenchman is in charge of the LVMH empire, which consists of 75 fashion and beauty businesses, including Sephora and Louis Vuitton. Forbes annual wealthy list of 2024 includes billionaires whose wealth is rising as world stock markets ignore conflict, political turmoil, and persistent inflation.

There are currently 2,781 billionaires worldwide, which is 26 more than the record established in 2021 and 141 more than the previous year. With a combined wealth of $14.2 trillion, they are wealthier than ever.

This is $2 trillion more than in 2023 and $1.1 trillion more than the previous high, which was also achieved in 2021. Just 14% of the individuals of the list are poorer than they were a year ago, while 2/3 of them are wealthier.

A significant portion of the gains originate from the top 20, whose combined wealth has increased by $700 billion since 2023, and the United States, which currently has a record 813 billionaires with combined values of $5.7 trillion.

With a $195 billion total net worth, Elon Musk ranks second. The American was a co-founder of six businesses, including SpaceX, a manufacturer of rockets, Tesla, and the tunnelling venture Boring Company.

Third place went to Jeff Bezos ($194.1 billion). In 1994, he started the massive online retailer Amazon in his Seattle garage.

TOP 10 FORBES BILLIONAIRES LIST