Top Richest Businessmen

Top Richest Businessmen

Share your thoughts on the world’s richest people, their impressive net worths, and how their business ventures and investments have led to their massive wealth.

By Amanda Lee Swanson

Published Oct 24, 2024

Top Richest Businessmen

Table of Contents

  • Steve Ballmer - $123.5 Billion
  • Bill Gates - $130.9 Billion
  • Sergey Brin - $135.6 Billion
  • Warren Buffett - $135.7 Billion
  • Larry Page - $142.0 Billion
  • Larry Ellison - $169.8 Billion

From tech leaders like Elon Musk to retail experts like Bernard Arnault, these individuals have made fortunes through innovation, savvy investments, and strategic moves. Dive into our list of the world’s top 10 richest businessmen to see how their unique talents and bold decisions have led them to incredible wealth.


10. Steve Ballmer - $123.5 Billion

Steve Ballmer, an American businessman and former CEO of Microsoft, boasts a net worth of $123.5 billion as of 2024. The bulk of his wealth comes from his 333.3 million shares in Microsoft, making him the company’s largest individual shareholder with about 4% ownership. Since joining Microsoft in 1980 as its 30th employee, Ballmer has seen his fortune soar, largely due to his equity stake. Over the years, he has amassed billions through dividends and stock sales, with Microsoft’s annual dividend alone bringing in around $1 billion. Beyond Microsoft, Ballmer owns the Los Angeles Clippers, a basketball team valued at $4 billion, which he purchased for $2 billion in 2014. Despite his immense wealth, Ballmer remains grounded, driving a Ford in honor of his father, a former Ford manager.


9. Bill Gates - $130.9 Billion

Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, is an American billionaire with a net worth of $130.9 billion. Surprisingly, only $38 billion of this is tied to Microsoft, where he currently owns just 1.4% of the company, with the rest of his fortune spread across various sectors, including technology, real estate, and agriculture. Most of his wealth stems from Cascade Investments, his private investment firm. Cascade Investments controls the majority stake in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Gates is also the largest private owner of farmland in the U.S., with over 270,000 acres. Over the years, Gates has amassed nearly $60 billion through dividends and stock sales, fueling his massive investment empire.


8. Sergey Brin - $135.6 Billion

Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, commands an impressive net worth of $135.6 billion as of 2024. His fortune is largely tied to his 5.7% stake in Alphabet, the parent company of Google, where his holdings grant him significant voting power. Since Google’s IPO in 2004, Brin has sold shares worth over $10 billion, further inflating his wealth. His diverse portfolio includes investments in Tesla, 23andMe, and various clean energy ventures. Brin’s real estate empire spans luxury properties, including a $13.5 million Malibu mansion and a vast estate in Los Altos Hills. He also indulges in high-end toys, co-owning a $80 million superyacht and a customized private jet. Despite his immense wealth, Brin remains committed to philanthropy, particularly through the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, which focuses on Parkinson’s disease research and other charitable causes.


7. Warren Buffett - $135.7 Billion

American investor and entrepreneur, Warren Buffett has a net worth of $135.7 billion as of 2024. One of the oldest billionaires in the world, Buffet’s majority of wealth comes from his holding company Berkshire Hathaway, in which he has an 18% ownership interest. Through his holding company, Buffet has invested in many companies like The Coca-Cola Company, GEICO, American Express, Bank of America, and Apple. Buffet also has two million shares in Wells Fargo and Seritage Growth Properties. Collectively, Berkshire Hathaway and its investments form 98% of Buffet’s wealth. Unlike many billionaires, Buffet does not seem to be much interested in real estate. He still resides in a modest $1.2 million house in Omaha, which he purchased for $31,500 in 1958. 


6. Larry Page - $142.0 Billion

Co-founder of Google, Larry Page is an American entrepreneur with a net worth of around $142 billion as of 2024. Page’s majority of wealth comes from Google and its parent company Alphabet, which collectively generate more than $300 billion a year in revenue. Serving as the CEO of Google twice, Page left the position in 2015 and currently owns a stake of around 6% in Alphabet. Page has sold around $10 billion worth of shares in Google and Alphabet so far. As for personal investments, Page bought a $7.2 million 9000-square-foot home in Palo Alto in 2009 and a $45 million 193-foot yacht named Senses.


5. Larry Ellison - $169.8 Billion

Founder of software giant Oracle, Ellison is an American businessman with a net worth of $169.8 as of 2024. Ellison, while working as a CEO at Oracle, commanded a salary of around $90 million a year, making him one of the highest-paid executives in the world. Apart from his stint at Oracle, Ellison is also an avid investor, investing around $1 billion to acquire 3 million shares of Tesla. Ellison’s shares were worth around $10 billion by 2021 and he also served as a board member till August 2022. Ellison also has a diverse portfolio of real estate including a 45-acre estate in Woodside, California with an estimated net worth of around $200 million, and a 16-acre estate near Palm Beach, Florida called Gemini worth around $175 million.


4. Mark Zuckerberg - $174.5 Billion

American Tech entrepreneur and philanthropist, Mark Zuckerberg has a net worth of $174.5 billion as of 2024. Founder of Facebook, Zuckerberg was one of the youngest ever to become a billionaire. His source of wealth majorly comes from the social media networking site, Facebook, in which he owns more than 400 million shares. Owing to around 13% of the company, Zuckerberg claims a symbolic annual salary of $1. The parent company, now called Meta, also owns other social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, which also contribute significantly to Zuckerberg’s wealth. As for other investments, Zuckerberg along with his wife, owns around $200 million worth of real estate globally.


3. Bernard Arnault & family - $175.4 Billion

Part of one of the richest business families in the world, Bernard Arnault is a French businessman with a net worth of $175.4 billion as of 2024. Arnault’s source of wealth comes from his association with the luxury goods company, LVMH, where he serves as the chairman and chief executive. Under Arnault’s leadership, LVMH has more than 60 luxury brands under its belt with total revenues of more than $70 billion a year, with LVMH’s market cap around $384 billion. Arnault and his family own 41% of the LVMH including 97% ownership of Dior. Arnault’s other business ventures include Princess Yachts, two wineries in France, and a 5% stake in Carrefour. 


2. Jeff Bezos - $202.1 Billion

Founder of Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos is an American businessman with a net worth of $202.1 billion as of 2024. Holding the title of the richest person in the world from 2017 to 2021, Bezos's majority of wealth comes from Amazon.com in which he owns 55 million shares, translating to around 12% of the company’s shares. Bezos initially owned around 80 million shares but had to lose out on 19.7 million as a settlement to his ex-wife McKenzie Scott. Apart from Amazon.com, Bezos is also funding his space exploration company called Blue Origins. Being one of the earlier investors in Google, Bezos currently owns at least $1 billion worth of shares in Alphabet Inc. Other investments include a real estate portfolio worth around $360 million and ownership of the Washington Post. 


1 Elon Musk - $232.1 Billion

South African-born Canadian-American businessman, Elon Musk’s net worth as of 2024 is around $232.1 billion. Currently the richest businessman on earth, Musk is an entrepreneur with multiple ventures, ranging from automotive manufacturing to a space company. As for his wealth, his biggest source of income is his 13% equity stake in Tesla, which translates to 412 million shares. In addition, Musk also owns around 304 million exercisable shares, making his total ownership of the company to be around 21%. He also owns 43% of SpaceX which is currently valued at around $180 billion and has sold his company PayPal to eBay for $1.5 billion in the past. Despite being a multi-billionaire, Musk claims a symbolic salary of $0 a year. 


These business leaders have turned their innovative ideas and smart investments into incredible fortunes, proving that vision and strategy can lead to massive success and wealth.

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