For the first time in history, the number of billionaires worldwide has surpassed 3,000. According to a study by CEOWORLD magazine and the COSMOS Analytica Institute, 3,028 individuals now hold billionaire status.
Their collective wealth totals $16.1 trillion, an increase of $2 trillion compared to the previous year. To put this into perspective: this figure exceeds the GDP of every country except the United States and China. The U.S., China, and India account for nearly half of the global billionaire population.
At the highest end of the wealth spectrum is the $200 Billion Club, an exclusive group of just four individuals whose personal net worth exceeds the GDPs of entire nations:
• Elon Musk: $414B (≈ South Africa’s GDP)
• Mark Zuckerberg: $237B (≈ Hungary’s GDP)
• Jeff Bezos: $222B (≈ Qatar’s GDP)
• Larry Ellison: also surpasses the $200B threshold
Source: CEOWORLD Magazine & Forbes, COSMOS Analytica Institute