1st rank: Elon Musk

American high-tech mogul Elon Musk ended 2024 with a fortune of $439 billion, increasing his wealth by a record $188 billion over the past 12 months. This incredible growth was driven by the success of Musk’s companies. This year, Tesla shares soared by 68%, SpaceX topped the list of the world’s most valuable private companies, and his startup xAI reached a market valuation of $50 billion. All of this cemented his undisputed leadership among the world’s ultra-rich people, where he confidently holds the top spot.

2nd rank: Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg, American entrepreneur and founder of Meta, which comprises Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, completed 2024 with a fortune of almost $214 billion, growing by $92 billion over the past year. The catalyst of his success was a 67% surge in Meta’s stock, marking a stunning rally after their decline in 2022. Investors regained confidence in the company’s strategy, including its metaverse development, which bolstered Zuckerberg’s position among Forbes billionaires.

3rd rank: Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison, American entrepreneur and co-founder of IT giant Oracle, finished the year with a fortune of approximately $218 billion, adding $84 billion over the past 12 months. Ellison’s financial success this year was fueled by a 52% rise in Oracle’s stock on the back of the company’s achievements in cloud technology and artificial intelligence. The billionaire currently owns about 42% of Oracle’s shares, as well as Tesla stock and several valuable real estate properties, including the Hawaiian island of Lanai.

4th rank: Jensen Huang

Jensen Huang, American entrepreneur of Taiwanese descent and co-founder of tech company Nvidia, closed the year with a fortune of nearly $117 billion, increasing his wealth by $74 billion over the past 12 months. Huang’s financial growth was propelled by a sharp surge in Nvidia’s stock price. Since January, the company’s shares have soared by 185% due to growing demand for Nvidia’s graphics processors, which have become essential for training AI models and data processing in cloud computing. Huang currently owns about 3% of Nvidia’s shares.

5th rank: Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos, American entrepreneur and Amazon founder, rounds out the list of the year’s most successful tycoons. According to the latest data, his current net worth is $241 billion – $69 billion more than a year ago. Bezos’ profit growth was driven by Amazon’s stock price, which surged by 53% since January amid buoyant demand for the company’s cloud services and the active implementation of artificial intelligence technologies. This solidified Amazon’s position as a leader in e-commerce and the IT sector.