TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Despite only reaching the halfway mark, 2025 has already been a remarkable year for the richest persons in the world. From tech moguls and retail giants, several individuals have significantly increased their fortunes with some even surpassing those who once held the top spots, while others continue to dominate the list.
The Richest Person in the World
According to Forbes, Elon Musk has retained his title as the richest person in the world, adding a staggering US$36 billion to his net worth in May alone. Other prominent names making their way into the top rankings are as follows:
1. Elon Musk - US$423 billion
CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk continues to hold the distinction of being the richest person in the world. Boasting a staggering net worth of US$423 billion, Musk holds approximately 12% of Tesla shares. In addition to his futuristic endeavors, his fortune also stems from key roles in other ventures, such as serving as the Chief Technology Officer of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and founding the artificial intelligence company xAI.
2. Mark Zuckerberg - US$224 billion
Named among the most influential business leaders, Mark Zuckerberg has impressively climbed even higher this mid-year. Since founding Facebook in 2004, Zuckerberg’s US$224 billion fortune showed no sign of slowing down in growth, especially as the platform evolved into Meta. Following Meta’s public listing in 2012, Zuckerberg has maintained a commanding presence, retaining approximately 13% ownership of the company.
3. Jeff Bezos - US$220 billion
Establishing Amazon in 1994, Jeff Bezos has frequently held the title of the richest person in the world. With a staggering US$220 billion net worth, Bezos has revolutionized global commerce. Beyond the groundbreaking e-commerce, he has also built a diversified empire, as he founded private rocket company Blue Origin, expanded Amazon into services like Amazon Prime Video, and made strategic investments in companies such as Airbnb.
4. Larry Ellison - US$206 billion
Ellison’s US$206 billion wealth primarily stems from his co-founded software company Oracle. In recent months, a US$29 billion rise has been recorded in his name as Oracle’s shares soared by 18%. In addition to the already impressive figures, Oracle is also reported to be part of Trump’s AI infrastructure development, the Stargate Project, alongside Masayoshi Son and ChatGPT creator OpenAI, adding to Ellison’s significance as another richest person in the world.
5. Warren Buffett - US$158 billion
As a reigning member of the best investors of all time, Warren Buffett boasts an astonishing net worth of US$158 billion as of mid-2025. His dominance in the landscape sparked when he transformed the once-struggling Berkshire Hathaway into a massive conglomerate. However, in May 2025, he announced that he would step down as CEO by the end of the year.
6. Bernard Arnault - US$144 billion
Moving on to the realm of fashion and luxury, Bernard Arnault remains a dominant force, with the CEO and chairman roles of LVMH still tied to his name. Enjoying an astonishing net worth of US$144 billion, Arnault’s LVMH empire continues to be at the forefront of the industry, backed by a long list of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Sephora, and Tiffany & Co. Due to his immense influence and wealth, his family is often cited as among the most powerful families in the world.
7. Larry Page - US$142 billion
One of the Google co-founders, Larry Page has seen his net worth grow by around US$11 billion as of mid-2025. He currently serves as a board member of the parent company Alphabet, having previously held the CEO role from the company’s founding in 1998 until 2001, and again from 2011 to 2015.
8. Sergey Brin - US$136 billion
Alongside Page is Sergey Brin, standing as another brain behind Google. With an estimated net worth of US$136 billion, Brin was a Stanford PhD student when he and Page founded search engine Google. Today, he serves as a board member of Alphabet and remains cited as another richest person in the world.
9. Steve Ballmer - US$133 billion
From serving as CEO of tech giant Microsoft to purchasing the LA Clippers, immense wealth is attached to Steve Ballmer’s name. His success began as a Microsoft employee in 1980, eventually leading the company until 2014. After retiring, he acquired the NBA team, which is now valued at US$5.5 billion, according to Forbes.
10. Amancio Ortega - US$124 billion
With a net worth of US$124 billion, Amancio Ortega rounds out the list as the founder of Inditex, the parent company of Zara. Since its founding in 1975, the fashion-pioneering company has grown impressively, now operating around 5,000 stores worldwide across eight brands. To sustain and grow his long-standing wealth, Ortega has diversified his over US$400 million in annual dividends into commercial real estate across Europe and North America.
The first half of 2025 has proven that wealth at the top can shift rapidly, but certain names continue to dominate the global financial stage.
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