Forbes’ billionaires list 2024: More of them than ever, and US has the most
Magic Johnson, Taylor Swift and Elon Musk are pictured in file images. (Credit: Getty Images)
Forbes this week released its annual World’s Billionaires List, ranking the world’s richest people – including some newcomers like pop superstar Taylor Swift and NBA legend and businessman Earvin "Magic" Johnson.
The 2024 list has a record-breaking 2,781 billionaires – which is more than ever before, Forbes said. The United States has more billionaires than any other country, now boasting a record 813 on the list.
Overall, the world’s billionaires are richer than ever, too. Collectively, the world’s richest people are worth $14.2 trillion, up by $2 trillion from the 2023 list, Forbes said.
"It’s been an amazing year for the world’s richest people, with more billionaires around the world than ever before," Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes’ senior wealth editor, said in a statement. "A record-breaking 14 centibillionaires have 12-figure fortunes. Even during times of financial uncertainty for many, the super-rich continue to thrive."
After the U.S., China maintains the second spot at 31 people – nearly doubling its number of new billionaires from 2023, according to Forbes. The richest are Maggie Gu, Molly Miao and Ren Xiaoqing, who co-founded the Gen Z fast-fashion giant Shein and are worth an estimated $4.2 billion each.
Newcomers on Forbes’ World Billionaires List
Some of the 265 newcomers include the man behind the iconic red-soled high heels, Christian Louboutin ($1.2 billion), TV producer Dick Wolf, best known for his "Law & Order" franchise ($1.2 billion), and Swift, who has toured and recorded her way to billionaire status, Forbes said.
"The 34-year-old pop star amassed an estimated $1.1 billion fortune, based on earnings from the blockbuster tour, the value of her music catalog and her real estate portfolio," Forbes said. "Swift is the first musician to hit ten-figure status solely based on her songs and performances."
OpenAI’s Sam Altman is also now worth an estimated $1 billion, according to Forbes.
Meanwhile, Johnson joined the exclusive club’s ranks thanks to "investments in professional sports teams, movie theaters, Starbucks franchises, real estate and healthcare," the outlet said.
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Who tops the list of the world’s billionaires?
Bernard Arnault, the CEO of French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, reigned supreme out of all the world’s billionaires with his $233 billion net worth, according to Forbes.
He and two other familiar faces — Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — formed the top three.
The three richest men, Arnault, Musk and Bezos, have traded places at the top spot in recent years, often impacted by the stock performance of their respective companies.
To view Forbes’ full list, visit www.forbes.com/billionaires.
This story was reported from Cincinnati.