Money
The Richest People in the World in 2024
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The Richest People in the World in 2024
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
The combined wealth of the 10 richest individuals in the world amounts to $1.44 trillion.
Using data from Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List, we provide a snapshot of the richest people in the world as of February 2024.
Bernard Arnault Ahead of Elon Musk
Bernard Arnault overtook Elon Musk as the richest person in 2024 due to a 21% decline in Musk’s wealth, from $245.3 billion to $194.6 billion.
The billionaire chairman and CEO of the global luxury goods company LVMH runs dozens of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Sephora, and Tiffany & Co. The French businessman also has investments in businesses such as Netflix and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.
| Rank | Name | Net Worth | Source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bernard Arnault & family | $212.1B | LVMH | 🇫🇷 France |
| 2 | Elon Musk | $194.6B | Tesla, SpaceX | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 3 | Jeff Bezos | $192.4B | Amazon | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 4 | Mark Zuckerberg | $161.8B | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Larry Ellison | $144.0B | Oracle | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 6 | Warren Buffett | $128.7B | Berkshire Hathaway | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 7 | Bill Gates | $123.1B | Microsoft | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 8 | Larry Page | $120.3B | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Steve Ballmer | $119.2B | Microsoft | 🇺🇸 United States |
| 10 | Sergey Brin | $115.4B | 🇺🇸 United States |
The cumulative net worth of the top five richest individuals grew 4% in 2023, to $904.9 billion.
Among women, the richest person, L’Oréal’s Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, saw her fortune grow by $1.2 billion in 2023.
In China, Zhong Shanshan, the chairman and founder of bottled water and beverage producer Nongfu Spring, remains the country’s richest person with a net worth of $60.5 billion.
In India, the list is topped by Mukesh Ambani. The chairman of Reliance Industries, which has interests in petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecom, retail, and financial services, has a $102.1 billion fortune.
How Fortunes Have Changed
Just as in 2023, Mark Zuckerberg saw the most significant growth in his fortune among the top 10 richest individuals. The Facebook co-founder’s net worth surged by over $45 billion by February 2024 compared to November 2023, after Meta’s latest results far exceeded Wall Street’s expectations, sending its shares up.
Zuckerberg’s net worth growth of 39% moved him from 7th to 4th, overtaking Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Larry Ellison.
Meanwhile, Larry Ellison, Oracle’s chief technology officer and former CEO, saw his net worth retreat by $3 billion after the company reported disappointing revenue in 2023.
Money
Ranked: The Largest Gold Reserves, by Country
The U.S. holds the world’s largest gold reserves, totaling 8,133 tonnes. This graphic showcases the top 11 gold reserves by country.
Creator Program
Ranked: The Largest Gold Reserves, by Country
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Gold remains an important store of value, serving as a hedge and retaining value during economic crises. In 2023, amid uncertainty about US interest rates and continued geopolitical risks, the metal once again demonstrated its importance by hitting a new record in December.
This graphic, by Sam Parker, displays the top 11 countries by gold reserves as of September 2023, based on data from Central Banks, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Gold Council.
Central Bank Gold Demand
Most of the world’s gold is stored in various locations, including central bank vaults, private depositories, and jewelry holdings.
Countries maintain gold reserves for various reasons.
Firstly, gold serves as a stable and dependable store of value, enhancing confidence in a nation’s economic stability, especially during times of financial uncertainty.
Additionally, despite the waning relevance of the gold standard, some countries still deem gold reserves crucial for maintaining currency stability.
Moreover, gold’s tangibility enables countries to diversify their overall portfolio. Currently, almost one-fifth of all the gold ever mined is held by central banks.
The U.S. boasts the world’s largest gold reserves, with 8,133 tonnes stored in 12 Federal Reserve Banks across the country:
| Country | Tonnes of Gold |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 USA | 8,133 t |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 3,353 t |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 2,452 t |
| 🇫🇷 France | 2,437 t |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 2,333 t |
| 🇨🇳 China | 2,192 t |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 1,040 t |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 847 t |
| 🇮🇳 India | 801 t |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 612 t |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | 479 t |
Russia and China—arguably the United States’ top geopolitical rivals—have been the largest gold buyers over the last two decades. The People’s Bank of China was the biggest buyer of gold last year, purchasing 225 tonnes.
Seven of the top countries by gold reserves are also among the top 10 biggest economies.
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