In 2025, these ten billionaires' net worth surged by $730 billion

Written by: Sofia Chierchio

Translated by: Lemin

Source: Forbes

Elon Musk’s impact on his trillion-dollar fortune is no longer just talk.

At the beginning of the year, his net worth was $421 billion. By October, he became the first person in history to surpass $500 billion. Subsequently, SpaceX launched a share sale plan, with a valuation reaching approximately $800 billion, making Musk the first person in history to have a net worth of over $600 billion. Soon after, a Delaware court ruled that Musk could retain his previously canceled massive Tesla stock option awards, which made him the world’s first individual with a net worth exceeding $700 billion last Friday. As the year draws to a close, as of December 22, Musk’s net worth has reached $754 billion.

Musk is arguably this year’s biggest winner, with his wealth increasing by over $333 billion throughout the year, averaging a daily increase of $9.35 million. This growth rate not only leads among global billionaires but also surpasses the net worth of any other individual. The second-richest person globally is Google co-founder Larry Page, with a net worth of $255 billion.

However, Musk is not the only billionaire to see a significant increase in wealth over the past year. Throughout the year, the combined net worth of over 3,100 billionaires worldwide increased by $3.6 trillion, reaching a total of $18.7 trillion.

Most global stock markets performed well in 2025, driving the wealth of billionaires higher. The S&P 500 index returned 17% for the year, with major indices in Germany, Japan, and Canada performing even better, with gains of 22%, 26%, and 30%, respectively. Of course, some billionaires’ fortunes flourished even more: the top ten biggest winners saw their wealth surge by over $729 billion in the past year.

Among the top ten winners, six are Americans, and over 85% of the total wealth increase belongs to these six individuals. This clearly indicates that a new wave of wealth creation is highly concentrated in this country, led by billionaires and government officials with substantial fortunes. With investments in artificial intelligence surging and the U.S. striving to lead in the AI race, the top five wealthiest individuals in 2025 are all giants in the American tech industry.

Below are the ten billionaires with the most wealth growth in 2025.

1. Elon Musk

Net worth: $754.4 billion

Wealth increase in 2025: $333.2 billion

Industry: Technology

Nationality: USA

Image source: Getty Images

In early December, SpaceX’s valuation nearly doubled to $800 billion. An investor told Forbes that the company plans to go public in 2026, with a valuation potentially reaching $1.5 trillion, which would help Musk become the world’s first trillionaire. In November, Tesla shareholders approved a compensation plan that, if performance targets are met, would grant Musk stock awards worth $1 trillion (before taxes and related costs). Tesla’s stock price has increased by 22% over the past year. Additionally, Musk’s xAI Holdings (formed by merging AI startup xAI with social media platform X) is in talks for a new round of funding, with a valuation possibly reaching $230 billion, nearly doubling its valuation from March this year. It seems that the global richest person’s prospects in 2026 will be even brighter than in 2025.

2. Larry Page

Net worth: $254.7 billion

Wealth increase in 2025: $98.7 billion

Industry: Technology

Nationality: USA

Last month, Google’s quarterly revenue exceeded $100 billion for the first time. Meanwhile, the company launched its latest AI model, Gemini 3, which outperforms competitors like OpenAI, further consolidating Google’s leadership in AI. Notably, the training process for this model did not use Nvidia graphics chips. In early December, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the Department of Defense is adopting Gemini 3 to develop internal military AI platforms. Page and Sergey Brin co-founded Google in 1998. Although they stepped down from daily management roles in 2019, they still hold seats on the board and, as major shareholders, own over 6% of the company. Google’s stock price increased by 61% in 2025, making Page and Brin the biggest beneficiaries.

3. Sergey Brin

Net worth: $235.1 billion

Wealth increase in 2025: $86.1 billion

Industry: Technology

Nationality: USA

Image source: Corbis via Getty Images

4. Jensen Huang

Net worth: $159.5 billion

Wealth increase in 2025: $42.3 billion

Industry: Technology

Nationality: USA

Image source: Ethan Pines for Forbes

In 1993, Jensen Huang co-founded Nvidia, where he still serves as CEO and President. Driven by explosive demand for AI chips, this graphics chip manufacturer became the first company in history to reach a market value of over $5 trillion in October. Although the stock price retreated 11% afterward, it still rose 37% from the beginning of the year. Huang owns about 3% of the company, and his net worth has increased by nearly $36 billion due to stock appreciation. He also tattooed Nvidia’s logo on his deltoid muscle.

5. Larry Ellison

Net worth: $250.3 billion

Wealth increase in 2025: $40.6 billion

Industry: Technology

Nationality: USA

Image source: Jamel Toppin for Forbes

On September 10, driven by the AI boom, Oracle’s stock soared 36 in a single day, and co-founder and CTO Larry Ellison’s net worth surged nearly $100 billion, setting a record for the largest single-day wealth increase. Although the stock later fell 40%, Ellison’s wealth decreased slightly, but his gains this year remain substantial. He also acquired a stake in short-video social platform TikTok and facilitated an $8 billion deal this summer—his son David’s Skydance Media merged with entertainment giant Paramount.

Undoubtedly, this deal was partly possible due to Ellison’s long-standing close relationship with Trump. Trump once praised Ellison at a July rally: “I think he would run CBS very well; this acquisition is a good deal. He’s a great guy.” However, due to reports related to CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Trump has recently criticized Ellison and his son.

6. Amancio Ortega

Net worth: $145.2 billion

Wealth increase in 2025: $28.7 billion

Industry: Fashion & Retail

Nationality: Spain

Image source: Getty Images

Despite a general slowdown in consumer spending on apparel worldwide, Ortega’s retail giant Inditex (owner of affordable fashion brand Zara) saw sales grow against the trend. In the first three quarters of 2025, the company’s net profit hit a record $5.4 billion, up 3.9% year-over-year, driven by a strong Spanish economy and expansion and renovation plans for US stores. These include 30 stores, such as a new Zara flagship on Las Vegas Boulevard covering 33,000 square feet, and a 26,300-square-foot store in Los Angeles. Ortega owns about 60% of the company and received over $3 billion in pre-tax dividends this year, which he has invested in real estate markets across Europe and America.

7. Germán Larrea Mota Velasco and family

Net worth: $51.4 billion

Wealth increase in 2025: $25.6 billion

Industry: Metals & Mining

Nationality: Mexico

Fueled by strong demand, supply shortages, and tariff concerns, copper prices have continued to rise in 2025, benefiting Larrea—who controls Mexico’s largest copper mining company, Grupo México. The company’s diversification strategy has also paid off, with stock price gains approaching 100% this year. Thanks to increased production and sales of molybdenum (a metal used to strengthen steel and accelerate refining), zinc, and silver, the company’s net profit in Q3 grew 50% year-over-year.

8. Masayoshi Son

Net worth: $56.1 billion

Wealth increase in 2025: $25.4 billion

Industry: Finance & Investment

Nationality: Japan

Image source: Getty Images

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son’s wealth has surged significantly this year. The group increased investments in AI infrastructure, including an $6.5 billion acquisition of U.S. chip design firm Ampere Computing Holdings in November. Son said this acquisition is crucial for advancing AI computing technology. To fund his ambitious plans, SoftBank sold $5.8 billion worth of Nvidia stock, raising capital for major projects like the $500 billion “Interstellar Gate” plan—aimed at building data centers in the U.S., with other participants including OpenAI and Oracle.

9. (Tie) Mark Zuckerberg

Net worth: $226.8 billion

Wealth increase in 2025: $24.3 billion

Industry: Technology

Nationality: USA

Image source: Getty Images

Facebook’s parent company Meta performed steadily this year. The company continued to invest heavily in AI, with revenue in the first nine months reaching $141 billion, up 21%. In 2004, 19-year-old Zuckerberg was a Harvard student when he founded Facebook. Today, he owns about 13% of the company and remains CEO. As of now, the company’s stock has increased by 13% in 2025.

9. (Tie) Carlos Slim Helú

Net worth: $101.6 billion

Wealth increase in 2025: $24.3 billion

Industry: Telecommunications

Nationality: Mexico

Image source: Getty Images

As Mexico’s richest person, Carlos Slim Helú and his family control América Móvil, the largest mobile telecom operator in Latin America. This year, the group added over 3 million mobile users, with revenue in the first nine months up 10.5% year-over-year. Slim’s conglomerate Grupo Carso is involved in construction, energy, and retail. This year, it made several moves in the energy sector, including a $2 billion partnership with Mexico’s state oil company Pemex to develop up to 32 oil and gas wells. Despite global market volatility caused by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, Mexico’s various exports enjoyed tariff exemptions, and the peso appreciated nearly 15% against the dollar this year.