How Many Billionaires Are There in The World?

Introduction

How Many Billionaires Are There in The World: The number of billionaires has skyrocketed, creating a vast chasm between the extremely wealthy and the rest of the world. To the question of how many billionaires are there in the world, according to Forbes’ 2024 Rich List, there are currently 2,781 billionaires globally, with a combined net worth of $14.2 trillion.

This staggering figure represents a significant increase from previous years, highlighting the accelerating accumulation of wealth among the ultra-rich. The United States, with 813 billionaires, remains the global leader in terms of the billionaire population, followed by China and India.

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• In 2023, about 40% of U.S. billionaires came from the technology industry, representing a wealth of over $2 trillion US dollars.
• The billionaire statistics have estimated that Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are the top competitors in the richest people segment in the US, with US$195 billion and US$194 billion of net worth, respectively.
• Based on Statista research, Mark Mateschitz from Austria, aged 31 as of April 2024, is the youngest billionaire in the world by net worth. He has a net worth of US$39.6 billion as of today.
• As of 2024, Diane Hendricks is the richest self-made woman in the US, having a net worth of 20.9 billion US dollars.
• In the wealthiest women segment, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and her family from France are the leaders, with 99.5 US dollars of net worth as of June 2024.
• As of 2023, around 10% of billionaires in Australia and Oceania are from the technology sector.
• By 2030, the number of billionaires could rise to over 3,000, with their combined wealth reaching $15 trillion US dollars.
• Compared to other regions, Africa has fewer technology billionaires, but the number is growing, especially in mobile payments and fintech. In 2023, only about 5% of African billionaires came from the technology sectors.
• By 2030, Asia will likely have more technology billionaires than any other region. The rapid digital transformation in countries like China, India, and Southeast Asia will drive this growth.
• Billionaires control a significant portion of the world’s wealth, representing about 1% of the world’s total population but holding around 60% of the world’s wealth in terms of financial assets.

Top 100 World’s Richest People as of September 2024

The following charts explain how many billionaires are there in the world by net worth. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg are the top leaders of the segment.

(Source: bloomberg.com)

List of Countries By Number of Billionaires

The following chart reveals how many billionaires are there in the world by number of billionaires in each country. This data reveals that in the world, there are currently 2,781 billionaires, while the United States, China, and India are top contributors.

(Source: wikipedia.org)

Richest Billionaires 2024 By Country

(Source: forbes.com)

The Estimated Net Worth of The 20 Richest People in The US 2024

(Reference: statista.com)

The billionaire statistics have estimated that Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are the top competitors in the richest people segment in the US, with US$195 billion and US$194 billion of net worth, respectively. Mark Zuckerberg ranks third with US$177 billion of net worth.

Youngest Billionaires in The World as of April 2024

(Reference: statista.com)

Based on Statista research, Mark Mateschitz from Austria, aged 31 as of April 2024, is the youngest billionaire in the world by net worth. He has a net worth of US$39.6 billion as of today. John Collison and Firoz Mistry, both residing in Ireland, aged 33 and 27, respectively, have a net worth of US$7.2 billion and US$4.9 billion, being the second and third youngest billionaires as of 2024.

Richest Self-Made Women in The US 2024 By Net Worth

(Reference: statista.com)

As of 2024, Diane Hendricks is the richest self-made woman in the US, having a net worth of 20.9 billion US dollars. Judy Love & Family and Judy Faulkner, each with US$11.6 billion and US$7.6 billion of net worth, ranked respectively.

Wealthiest Women Worldwide as of June 2024 By Net Worth

(Reference: statista.com)

Based on the wealthiest women segment, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and her family from France are the leaders with 99.5 US dollars of net worth as of June 2024. Alice Walton (USA) and Julia Koch and family follow shortly after with US$72.3 billion and US$64.3 billion, respectively.

Which is The Most Common Industry With Billionaires Around The World? 2024 and 2030

The most common industry with billionaires around the world is technology. This includes major regions such as Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Australia & Oceania. Over the last decade, technology has emerged as the leading sector for billionaire creation due to rapid advancements, global digitalization, and high profitability. Below is a comparison of the billionaire’s presence in technology across these regions, reasons for its dominance, and future projections for 2030.

Technology as the Leading Industry

• Asia: Asia, particularly China and India, has seen a major rise in technology billionaires. China is home to tech giants like Alibaba, Tencent, and Huawei, creating numerous billionaires. India’s growing tech startup ecosystem is also pushing the country forward. In 2022, over 200 billionaires in Asia were from the technology sector, with combined wealth exceeding $1.2 trillion US dollars.
• The Americas: The U.S. is the heart of the global technology industry. Companies like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook have created the highest number of billionaires in the tech space. In 2023, about 40% of U.S. billionaires came from the technology industry, representing a wealth of over $2 trillion US dollars. Latin America, though less dominant in tech, has emerging players like MercadoLibre in Argentina.
• Europe: Europe lags slightly behind in technology billionaires compared to the U.S. and Asia, but tech hubs like London, Berlin, and Stockholm have produced several notable figures. Around 15% of European billionaires come from tech, with a total wealth of approximately $500 billion US dollars.
• Africa: Compared to other regions, Africa has fewer technology billionaires, but the number is growing, especially in mobile payments and fintech. In 2023, only about 5% of African billionaires came from technology sectors, but this figure is expected to grow as more investments flow into digital infrastructure.
• Australia and Oceania: Technology is an emerging sector here, with only a small percentage of billionaires coming from this industry, primarily in software and online services. As of 2023, around 10% of billionaires in Australia and Oceania are from the technology sector.

Reasons for Technology’s Dominance

• High-Profit Margins: Technology companies often have high profit margins, especially in software, e-commerce, and online services. This allows tech entrepreneurs to scale quickly and amass significant wealth.
• Global Reach: The internet and digital products allow businesses to operate globally. Tech companies can quickly expand across borders without the limitations of physical products, increasing revenues and billionaire potential.
• Rapid Growth: Startups in the tech sector often experience exponential growth. For example, companies like Facebook and Alibaba became global giants within a decade, creating numerous billionaires.
• Innovation & Disruption: Technology disrupts traditional industries, giving early innovators a significant advantage. Cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain are just a few examples of technology that continue to generate immense wealth for their founders.

Future Projections (2030)

Looking ahead to 2030, technology is expected to remain the most common industry for billionaires. Here’s why:

• Artificial Intelligence: AI is expected to become a US-dollar industry worth $15 trillion by 2030. Many new billionaires will emerge from AI-driven companies, which will revolutionize industries such as healthcare, finance, and retail.
• Blockchain & Cryptocurrency: As blockchain technology matures, it will create new billionaires, particularly in decentralized finance (DeFi) and crypto-based platforms. Experts predict that the total market value of the cryptocurrency industry could surpass $10 trillion US dollars by 2030.
• Space Exploration: Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are pushing space exploration into the private sector. By 2030, the space industry could grow to $1 trillion US dollars, producing billionaires involved in space tourism, satellite communications, and space mining.
• Green Technology: As the world moves towards cleaner energy, green technology companies are expected to see massive growth. This sector is projected to be worth over $2 trillion US dollars by 2030, potentially creating new tech billionaires focusing on renewable energy, electric vehicles, and sustainable innovations.
• Asia’s Rise: By 2030, Asia will likely have more technology billionaires than any other region. The rapid digital transformation in countries like China, India, and Southeast Asia will drive this growth. Asia is projected to hold around 50% of all technology billionaires by 2030, with an estimated combined wealth of over $3 trillion US dollars.

Key Facts About How Many Billionaires Are There in The World

#1. Total Number of Billionaires

• In 2024, there are around 2,640 billionaires globally.
• Their total combined wealth is estimated at $12.2 trillion US dollars.

#2. Billionaires by Region

• North America: The U.S. leads with around 735 billionaires, who have a combined wealth of about $4.5 trillion US dollars.
• Asia: There are about 770 billionaires in Asia, with China having over 500 billionaires. Their combined wealth is estimated at $3 trillion US dollars.
• Europe: Europe has approximately 500 billionaires, with the leading countries being Germany, France, and the U.K.. Their combined wealth is around $2 trillion US dollars.
• Latin America and Africa: These regions have fewer billionaires, with about 150 billionaires combined.
• Australia & Oceania: Australia has a smaller share, with around 50 billionaires.

#3. Billionaire Wealth

• The top 1% of billionaires control over 30% of total billionaire wealth, which amounts to approximately $3.6 trillion US dollars.
• The wealthiest billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos each have wealth exceeding $100 billion US dollars.

#4. Billionaire Industries

• Technology is the most common industry for billionaires, followed by finance and real estate.
• Technology billionaires represent a large portion of the total wealth, especially in the U.S. and Asia.

#5. Growth of Billionaires

• The number of billionaires is expected to grow, with Asia leading the creation of new billionaires.
• By 2030, the number of billionaires could rise to over 3,000, with their combined wealth possibly reaching $15 trillion US dollars.

#6. Wealth Concentration

• Billionaires control a significant portion of the world’s wealth, representing about 1% of the world’s total population but holding around 60% of the world’s wealth in terms of financial assets.

#7. Emerging Regions

• Asia, particularly India and China, is expected to see the fastest growth in billionaires. By 2024, Asia could have more billionaires than the U.S. for the first time.

These facts highlight the current state of billionaires in the world, their distribution, and how their wealth is concentrated. This trend of increasing billionaires is expected to continue, especially in the tech sector and emerging economies.

Conclusion

As seen in the How many billionaires are there in the World data, technology is the most common industry with billionaires due to its rapid growth, high profitability, and global scalability. Regions like the U.S. and Asia have a significant number of tech billionaires, and this trend is expected to continue and expand into new areas such as AI, blockchain, space, and green technology by 2030.

Pramod Pawar

Pramod Pawar brings over a decade of SEO expertise to his role as the co-founder of 11Press and Prudour Market Research firm. A B.E. IT graduate from Shivaji University, Pramod has honed his skills in analyzing and writing about statistics pertinent to technology and science. His deep understanding of digital strategies enhances the impactful insights he provides through his work. Outside of his professional endeavors, Pramod enjoys playing cricket and delving into books across various genres, enriching his knowledge and staying inspired. His diverse experiences and interests fuel his innovative approach to statistical research and content creation.

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