This year’s list featured a record-breaking 2,781 billionaires. In addition, the world’s billionaires are now richer than ever – collectively, they are worth US$14.2 trillion, up by US$2 trillion from 2023 and US$1.1 trillion in 2021.
There were several newcomers, including pop star Taylor Swift (US $1.1 billion) who has toured and recorded her way to billionaire status. Shoe designer Christian Louboutin (US$1.2 billion) also made it to the list, along with Open AI’s Sam Altman (US$1 billion).
Notably, a total of 129 people from mainland China fell off the list, where weak consumer spending and a real estate bust wiped out US$200 billion in wealth, Forbes said.
Celebrities featured on the list include Kim Kardashian (US$1.7 billion), Rihanna (US$1.4 billion), Jay-Z (US$2.5 billion) and Oprah Winfrey (US$2.8 billion). Star Wars director George Lucas (US$5.5 billion) is the richest celebrity on the list.
To view the full list, visit www.forbes.com/billionaires.
