Who Are the World’s 10 Richest People—and Where Does Their Money Come From? Ever wondered what the richest people on Earth have in common? For starters, each of the top 10 is worth over $100 billion—some are even nearing $200 billion or more than that. 

But don’t imagine piles of cash lying around. Most of their money is tied up in stocks and shares of some of the biggest companies in the world. Many of the same companies are open to the public, so anyone can invest in them, too.

These billionaires didn’t just get lucky. Their wealth comes from big ideas, years of hard work, smart business moves, and advice from top financial experts. They’ve built (or backed) powerful companies that continue to grow—and so does their money.

Let’s meet the 10 richest people with their income in the world right now and find out where their fortune comes from.

List of the Top Richest People in the World & Income

10 The Top Richest People in The World & Their Income

These top richest people of the world are known for their wealth and prosperity they have built over a decade or decades. Their mindset and hard work are not only the factors that build their billions, but also their smart attitude and work matter. Let’s delve into the overview of these top richest people in the world and their income. 

Elon Musk: $332 billion

The well-known controversial billionaire in the world, Elon Musk, by origin, was born in South Africa. Having earned his first fortune through PayPal, Musk achieved international fame through leading Tesla, which helped mainstream electric vehicles. He also founded Spacex, which redefined the possibilities of private space travel. He bought Twitter in 2022 and later transformed it to X because of his larger vision of the tech world.

As of 2025, Musk’s total estimated worth is $332 billion, making him one of the wealthiest people in the world. Most of this wealth derives from large stakes in Tesla and Spacex and some earnings from ventures such as Neuralink, The Boring Company, and XAI. Musk is in the headlines due to the political support he extends to Donald Trump in the 2024 election and leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). His bold personality and unpredictable behaviour, from drug use in a podcast, always keep him in the public view.

Jeff Bezos: $212 billion 

Jeff Bezos, whose fame is widely associated with the founding of Amazon, became an icon in the dot-com boom of the late ’90s. However, it’s post-2008- 2009 financial crisis when his wealth started to rise. In the following decade, Amazon went from being an online bookstore to a big player in the game, expanding to include cloud services, logistics, and so on, engraving Bezos’ name into the list of the richest on Earth.

The income of Jeff Bezos as of 2025 is $212 billion. On top of his involvement with Amazon, Bezos has expanded into other worlds. In 2013, he bought The Washington Post for $250 million, thus establishing his mark in the media space. He also began Blue Origin, a private aerospace company that commercialises space travel, thus taking his entrepreneurial zeal to the final frontier. An ardent philanthropist, Bezos started the Bezos Earth Fund in 2020 with a $10 billion pledge to fight climate change. He has also committed to giving away the bulk of his wealth and thus solidifying his name as an industrialist as well as a giant influence in global affairs.

Mark Zuckerberg: $203 billion

The youngest in this list, Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Meta Platforms, a company previously named Facebook. What started as a social networking site in his dorm at Harvard quickly developed into one of the most technologically advanced companies across the globe. 

Currently boasting a whopping $203 billion, Meta owns most of the social media platforms in the world, some of which include Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Under Zuckerberg’s leadership, the company has equally ventured massively into artificial intelligence and futuristic virtual reality. It is fair to say that his journey from a college project to a millionaire in the tech space has changed billions of lives regarding connection, communication, and the sharing of information.

Larry Ellison: $168 billion

Larry Ellison, after transforming Oracle into a global software giant, remained chief for nearly two decades and later took on the roles of chief technology officer and executive chair with a net worth of $168 billion.

Not only did this business magnate succeed, but he also purchased nearly an entire Hawaiian island, the island of Lānaʻi. And so it has been established that apart from being a tech mogul, he is also a real estate visionary. His future investments and futuristic visionary thinking continue to define a legacy of great, perhaps unsurpassed, leadership, indeed, in the Silicon Valley sector and beyond.

Bill Gates: $166 billion

The one & only co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, has for decades continuously ranked among the richest people in the world, having a net worth of $166 billion. Gates’ revolutionary innovations with personal computers altered the technology landscape and secured Microsoft’s position as a worldwide leader in software.

Besides being known as a successful businessman, Gates is also famous for his charitable undertakings. He donated billions to different projects in global health, education, and poverty alleviation through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. His philanthropy on behalf of very worthy causes has established his legacy as not only a tech titan but also one of the world’s greatest philanthropists.

Warren Buffett: $166 billion

The Oracle of Omaha, who is known as Warren Buffett, ranks up there among the richest people in the world. At a very young age, he started investing and was considered one of history’s most renowned investors. He has made a fortune of $166 billion, and for nearly six decades, Warren Buffett has been plying the trade of making investment conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway into a giant in the world.

As good at making money as any investment conglomerate owned by loyal hands and led by Buffett holds vast stakes in a handful of the biggest companies in America, such as Apple and Coca-Cola, one would expect that thousands of eager investors would jam the annual general meeting of his company known as the “Woodstock of Capitalism” for the chance to get some insight from the man. Buffett made a mark that will not be forgotten in the financial world because of his unmatched investing approach and his long-term vision.

Bernard Arnault: $153 billion

Bernard Arnault is the founder of LVMH, the world’s biggest company that does luxury goods. It is now estimated at $153 billion. Under the leadership of Arnault, the group snapped up some well-known French brands such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon, and Hennessy. Recently, the acquisition by LVMH of Tiffany adorned yet another crown in luxury for them.

Today, LVMH profiles as one of the largest in Europe in terms of market capitalisation and shapes the trends in fashion, jewellery, and fine beverages across miles. The strategic vision and business acumen of Arnault have ranked him among the richest humans in the world and are shaping the future of luxury for decades to come.

Steve Ballmer: $148 billion

The rich men of this world, Steve Ballmer, have a lot of pending bucks with $148 billion. Steve Ballmer, the money maker for Microsoft, just happens to be one of the initial executives. Steve Ballmer was the chief executive officer of Microsoft for the period 2000-2014, where he took the company to some of its biggest expansions and has been a very important player within the scope of Microsoft’s worldwide success.

After he retired, Ballmer sold off his vision and passion to sports, buying the Los Angeles Clippers team from the National Basketball Association in 2014. Famous for his high-energy personality, ball-player-turned-business-turned-owner: “Ballmer sold himself from engineering to sports owner. But all along, he managed to do quite an impressive job in both places.

Larry Page: $146 billion

Larry Page is worth $146 billion and is the co-founder of Google, which later became Alphabet, with Sergey Brin. This invention changed the manner in which worldwide information was accessed and utilized, hence boosting the power of Google as an online giant on earth. 

For six years, between 1997 and 2001 and again from 2011 to 2019, Page has been the CEO of the company, where significant innovation and growth were occurring. While Page tended to stay in the background, he maintained being one of the most powerful forces in the tech world through his involvement in ambitious projects-Google, now as an Alphabet entity, is taking on everything from artificial intelligence to its other futuristic ventures.

Sergey Brin: $138 billion

In the list of the top richest people in the world, Sergey Brin is at the 10th position.  So far as Net worth is concerned, Sergey Brin is the owner of about $138 billion. Sergey Brin started the firm under the shelter of Larry Page in a small garage in Silicon Valley. This would lead to one of the most effective transformations of what was going to be one of the great companies in the world in the tech world. Their vision would change the way people access and interact with information across the globe.

Brin was President of Google and later on inherited the title of Alphabet for leading the company towards cumulative growth, innovation for several years. Brin stepped down from the active position in 2019. However, he continues to be a great force in the tech world, actively involved in the whole of artificial intelligence, robotics, and innovative research.

Conclusion

In the list of the top richest people in the world, it includes the top known businessmen like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Bill gates who build their empire and earned billion of networth which has been mentioned in it. 

Their inspiration, smart work, and ideologies transform the lives of millions of people which overall solve the employability issue from the world.