Elon Musk’s position at the summit of global wealth has widened into unprecedented territory following SpaceX’s public offering on June 12, which pushed the founder and chief executive into what the reporting describes as “trillionaire status.” According to Barron’s calculations cited in the report, Musk’s net worth reached approximately $1.2 trillion as of June 30, placing him far ahead of every other billionaire in the world.
The scale of that lead is underscored by comparisons within the global wealth rankings. It would take the combined fortunes of the next five richest individuals to surpass Musk’s net worth, reflecting how sharply concentrated gains have become at the very top of global markets.
Behind Musk, Alphabet co-founder Larry Page holds the second position, supported by a 13.4% rise in Alphabet shares during the first half of the year. His net worth stood at $301 billion as of June 30, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Sergey Brin, his fellow co-founder, moved up to third place from second at the end of the first quarter, with a net worth of $280 billion. Both founders retain roughly 6% ownership stakes in Alphabet, according to Bloomberg data cited in the report.
The shifting order at the top reflects not only gains but also relative losses among long-standing figures in the technology sector. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos fell from third to fourth place in Bloomberg’s rankings during the quarter, with a net worth of $262 billion. Bezos holds an 8.2% stake in Amazon, whose shares rose 5.2% through June 30, a performance that was not enough to maintain his previous ranking as other fortunes accelerated more rapidly.
One of the most significant changes in the global top 10 was the rapid rise of Michael Dell to fifth place. The founder and chief executive of Dell Technologies saw his net worth climb to $217 billion as of June 30, up from $140 billion at the start of the year when he ranked 11th. The increase tracked closely with a near 238% rise in Dell Technologies shares over the period. The company has become a key supplier of servers used in artificial intelligence data centers, placing it at the center of one of the most important infrastructure buildouts in global technology markets.
While several fortunes expanded rapidly, others contracted despite remaining among the world’s richest individuals. Oracle founder and chief executive Larry Ellison fell to sixth place, with his net worth declining by approximately $45 billion as Oracle shares dropped 25%. The decline came despite continued strength in the company’s cloud business. Ellison, who briefly surpassed Musk in wealth last September, holds about 40% of Oracle shares.
Meta Platforms founder Mark Zuckerberg also saw a significant decline in wealth, falling two places to seventh with a net worth of $201 billion. Bloomberg attributed a $32.7 billion reduction in his fortune to increased spending tied to artificial intelligence initiatives. Meta shares showed signs of recovery midweek after reports that the company is building a cloud business, though the first-half losses remained substantial. Zuckerberg holds about 13% of Meta.
Luxury goods also faced pressure in the midyear rankings. Bernard Arnault, founder and chairman of LVMH, lost approximately $44 billion as shares of the conglomerate fell nearly 27% in the first half. The decline pushed Arnault down to eighth place, with an estimated net worth of $163 billion. The report notes that market sentiment toward luxury demand weakened during the period, including amid geopolitical developments such as the Iran war. Arnault owns 49% of the company through family holdings.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang remained ninth on the list with a net worth of $162 billion, holding steady despite broader pressure on technology shares. Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett ranked tenth with a net worth of $148 billion, maintaining his position within the global top tier even as markets fluctuated around him.
Outside the top 10, the report highlights notable declines among former top-ranked billionaires. Microsoft’s share price fell 21% through the first half of the year as the company navigates the artificial intelligence transition, contributing to a significant drop in the wealth of former chief executive Steve Ballmer. His net worth fell to $132 billion, ranking him 15th from eighth at the start of the year. Bloomberg estimates he owns about 4% of Microsoft. In December 2024, Ballmer told The Wall Street Journal that the stock remains “overwhelmingly” the main component of his wealth.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also continued his downward movement in the rankings, falling to 19th place with a net worth of $104 billion. Gates has moved further down the list since the third quarter of 2024, after announcing plans to donate $200 billion of his current and future wealth to philanthropy over the next 20 years.
Taken together, the midyear snapshot illustrates a wealth landscape increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence-driven markets, where sharp gains and losses in a handful of technology stocks continue to determine the global hierarchy of billionaires.
