Billionaire

For other uses, see Billionaire (disambiguation).

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk explains the future capabilities of his company’s “Starship” to senior leaders of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Northern Command, and Air Force Space Command, April, 2019

A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least one billion units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. It is a sub-category of the concept of the ultra high-net-worth individual. The American business magazine Forbes produces a global list of known U.S. dollar billionaires every year and updates an internet version of this list in real time.[1] The American oil magnate John D. Rockefeller became the world's first confirmed U.S. dollar billionaire in 1916.[2]

As of April 2024, there are 2,781 billionaires worldwide, with a combined wealth of over US$14.2 trillion, up from US$12.2 trillion in 2023.[3][4] According to a 2024 Oxfam report, the world's top 1% of earners own more combined wealth "than 95% of humanity".[5] As of October 2024, seventeen people have reached the status of USD centibillionaires, meaning that each has had a net worth of at least $100 billion.[6]

  1. ^ Miller, Matthew; Kroll, Luisa (10 March 2010). "Bill Gates No Longer World's Richest Man". Forbes. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  2. ^ O'Donnell, Carl (11 July 2014). "The Rockefellers: The Legacy Of History's Richest Man". Forbes. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  3. ^ Peterson-Withorn, Chase. "Forbes' 38th Annual World's Billionaires List: Facts And Figures 2024". Forbes. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  4. ^ Peterson-Withorn, Chase. "Forbes' 37th Annual World's Billionaires List: Facts And Figures 2023". Forbes. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  5. ^ "World's top 1% own more wealth than 95% of humanity, as "the shadow of global oligarchy hangs over UN General Assembly," says Oxfam". Oxfam International. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  6. ^ Mohamed, Theron (22 October 2024). "Meet the 17 people in the $100 billion club — who are jointly worth more than Amazon or Google". Business Insider Africa. Retrieved 22 October 2024.