2010-2020
A DECADE OF
BILLIONAIRES
LOOKING BACK AT THE WEALTHIEST IN THE WORLD.
,000,000,000
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From sudden fortunes to spectacular dropoffs, a decade of highlights from Forbes’ lists of the world’s richest people.
2010
BY THE NUMBERS
1,001
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$3.6T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Carlos Slim Helú
$53.5B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
Larry Ellison's team wins the America's Cup sailing race.
NOTEWORTHY
Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett launch the Giving Pledge to encourage the world’s wealthiest people to donate at least half their fortunes to charitable causes.
With 89 list members, China (including Hong Kong) overtakes Germany to become the country with the second largest number of billionaires.
The song “Billionaire” by Bruno Mars and Travie McCoy debuts and goes double platinum.
2011
BY THE NUMBERS
1,209
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$4.5T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Carlos Slim Helú
$74B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
Steve Jobs, billionaire cofounder of Apple, dies in October after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
NOTEWORTHY
Moscow is home to 79 billionaires, more than any other city.
Newcomers include the Los Angeles-based couple behind fast fashion chain Forever21, Do Won and Jin Sook Chang.
The BRIC countries—Brazil, Russia, India and China—are now home to 25% of the list, up from 10% in 2006.
2012
BY THE NUMBERS
1,226
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$4.6T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Carlos Slim Helú
$69B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
WATCH: Carlos Slim: Private Sector Should Support Social Programs
NOTEWORTHY
Elon Musk debuts on the list after a surge in the share price of electric carmaker Tesla Motors, which he took public in 2010.
Billionaires hail from 58 countries including, for the first time, 3 from Morocco.
Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, is a newcomer and, at age 41, the youngest self-made woman on the list.
2013
BY THE NUMBERS
1,426
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$5.4T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Carlos Slim Helú
$73B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
WATCH: Nicholas Woodman On Embracing Entrepreneurship
NOTEWORTHY
Spanish fashion tycoon Amancio Ortega, owner of Zara parent Inditex, becomes the world’s third richest person, worth $57 billion.
The year’s biggest loser is Brazilian oil and mining investor Eike Batista, whose fortune plunges to $10.6 billion—a $19.4 billion drop.
Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of Angola’s longtime president, becomes Africa’s first woman billionaire.
2014
BY THE NUMBERS
1,645
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$6.4T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Bill Gates
$76B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
WATCH: Richard Branson's Call To Entrepreneurs
NOTEWORTHY
Bill Gates retakes the number one spot from Mexico’s Carlos Slim Helú, who had been the world’s richest person for four years.
WhatsApp founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton join the list after Facebook announces it will pay $19 billion for their messaging firm.
Forbes finds billionaires for the first time from Algeria, Lithuania, Tanzania and Uganda.
2015
BY THE NUMBERS
1,826
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$7.1T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Bill Gates
$79.2B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
WATCH: Why Markus "Notch" Persson Sold Minecraft And Became A Billionaire
NOTEWORTHY
Michael Jordan is the first former U.S. professional athlete to debut on the billionaires list.
Evan Spiegel of Snapchat, 24, debuts as the world’s youngest billionaire at $1.5 billion.
A record number of women make the list: 197, versus 172 in 2014. 29 of these women are self-made billionaires.
2016
BY THE NUMBERS
1,810
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$6.5T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Bill Gates
$75B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
WATCH: Dick Yuengling And The Brewing Family Legacy
NOTEWORTHY
Newcomers include the world’s youngest billionaires, Alexandra Andresen, 19, and her sister Katharina Andresen, 20, from Norway.
China boasts the most newcomers, adding 70 to the list.
IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad drops off after he shifts his fortune to his three sons, all now billionaires.
2017
BY THE NUMBERS
2,043
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$7.7T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Bill Gates
$86B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
WATCH: Meg Whitman On Corporate Responsibility
NOTEWORTHY
Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao takes budget airline VietJet Air public in February 2017, becoming Vietnam's first self-made woman billionaire.
Jeff Bezos, the year’s biggest gainer, jumps to third richest in the world, worth $72.8 billion.
The change in the total number of billionaires—up 233 since 2016—is the biggest increase in 31 years.
2018
BY THE NUMBERS
2,208
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$9.1T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Jeff Bezos
$112B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
WATCH: Rick Caruso On The Importance Of Retail
NOTEWORTHY
Jeff Bezos becomes the world’s richest person, worth $112 billion; Bill Gates had been No. 1 for 18 out of the past 24 years.
Three billionaires are heads of state: U.S. President Donald Trump, Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera and the Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.
Total number of billionaires hits record high, with 2,208 around the world—165 more than in 2017.
2019
BY THE NUMBERS
2,153
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$8.7T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Jeff Bezos
$131B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
WATCH: Guy Laliberte On The Importance Of Storytelling
NOTEWORTHY
At age 21, Kylie Jenner becomes the youngest billionaire in the world and the youngest self-made billionaire ever.
The CEO of $900 down jacket maker Canada Goose, Dani Reiss, flies into the billionaire ranks.
Another notable newcomer: Daniel Ek of Sweden, founder of popular digital music app Spotify.
2020
BY THE NUMBERS
2,095
TOTAL
BILLIONAIRES
$8T
TOTAL
NET WORTH
RICHEST
PERSON
Jeff Bezos
$113B
RICHEST
COUNTRIES
TOTAL BILLIONAIRE NET WORTH
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES
MEMORABLE MOMENT
WATCH: Zoom's Eric Yuan On Corporate Responsibility
NOTEWORTHY
The coronavirus pandemic pushes the total number of billionaires to 2,095—down from 2,153 in 2019.
Two U.S. billionaires, Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg, spend hundreds of millions each running for president, only to drop out by early March.
Dozens of billionaires respond to the coronavirus pandemic, including Bill Gates, whose foundation commits $255 million to fight the disease.
READ MORE | WORLD'S BILLIONAIRES LIST
THE 2020 LIST
The complete ranking of the world’s 2,095 billionaires. How they’ve made it—and how they spend it.
COUNTRIES SPOUTING BILLIONAIRES
These ten countries have gained the most billionaires since 2010.
YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRES
They’ve amassed a combined $15.9 billion—all before turning 30.
BILLIONAIRE CORONAVIRUS TRACKER
Forbes’ real-time archive of how billionaires are responding to COVID-19.
CREDITS
Editors:
Kerry A. Dolan with
Chase Peterson-Withorn
and Jennifer Wang
Reporters:
Jonathan Ponciano
and Will Yakowicz
Design Director:
Alicia Hallett-Chan
Graphics:
Nicholas DeSantis
Engineering:
Johnny McCampbell
and Kelly Sample
Video:
Kirsten Taggart
Photos:
Larry Ellison: Manuel Queimadelos Alonso-Getty Images. Steve Jobs: Justin Sullivan-Getty Images. Bill Gates: Paul Best/Getty Images. Jeff Bezos: Dennis Van Tine/STAR MAX/IPx.