Focus on the BIG picture.
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026

Taylor Swift, Elon Musk, and Sam Altman Join Record-Breaking Forbes Billionaires List

Taylor Swift and Sam Altman, creator of ChatGPT, have made their first appearances on the Forbes World's Billionaires List with estimated fortunes of $1.1bn and $1bn respectively.
Bernard Arnault and his family topped the chart with a record-breaking $233bn.

There were a total of 2,781 billionaires in 2024, a 141 increase from last year and 26 more than the previous record in 2021.

The collective wealth of the billionaires reached $14.2tn.

Swift joined the list due to her megastar status.

Taylor Swift made history at the Grammy Awards, winning the album of the year prize for the fourth time with her re-recorded album "1989 (Taylor's Version)".

Swift's success extends beyond music, as her attendance at American football games to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, reportedly boosted NFL viewership.

In the world of business, eight of the top 10 richest people are from the US, with six of them coming from the technology industry.

Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and SpaceX, is the second-richest person with an estimated net worth of $195bn, followed by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

Musk's net worth has increased by 8% since last year but is lower than his record-breaking $300bn net worth in November 2021.

Forbes released its list of billionaires for 2024, with Jeff Bezos topping the list with a net worth of $177 billion.

Other notable additions include basketball legend Magic Johnson and TV producer Dick Wolf, each with a net worth of $1.2 billion.

This year saw a record-breaking 14 centi-billionaires and a total wealth of $2 trillion among the 2,781 billionaires, representing a 255% increase from a decade ago.

The US continues to have the most billionaires with 813 on the list.

The text reports on Forbes' latest list of the world's billionaires.

China remains the second-largest country with billionaires, following the US.

The UK is home to the three richest people: hedge fund manager Michael Platt, Sir Jim Ratcliffe (part-owner of Manchester United), and inventor Sir James Dyson.

However, 129 billionaires from mainland China fell off the list due to weak consumer spending and a collapsing real estate market.

Additionally, 32 billionaires died, including Egyptian tycoon Mohamed Al-Fayed, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera, and singer Jimmy Buffett.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Mexican Court Sentences Three Men to Over 150 Years for Murder of American and Australian Surfers
Astronomers Confirm Discovery of First Known "Green Star"
Mexican Court Sentences Three Men to 150 Years for Murder of International Tourists
Judge Imposes Strict Rules to Prevent Alex Murdaugh Retrial From Becoming Spectacle
Tesla Unveils Prototype Flying Sports Car as Part of Aerospace Expansion
Washington Post Journalist Hospitalized After Attack by Israeli Settlers in West Bank
Climate Scientists Warn of Accelerated Melting of Antarctica's "Doomsday Glacier"
California Wildfire Destroys Homes and Forces Evacuations in Los Angeles Region
Four Students Killed in Oregon Elementary School Shooting Before Parent Intervenes
White House Renews National Emergency Status for Sudan to Maintain Economic Pressure
Elon Musk Reaches Settlement in Lawsuits Over One Million Dollar Voter Fraud Giveaways
Representative Ilhan Omar Challenges Legality of Federal Raid on Her Residence
Alaska Senate Race Intensifies as Republican Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola Clash in Debate
Nonpartisan Analysts Warn of Two Trillion Dollar Federal Deficit Ahead of Midterms
Israeli Government Halts Construction of Gaza Base Proposed by Trump Administration Peace Board
President Trump Denies Restricting Ukrainian Access to Starshield Satellite Network
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Dismissed Following Five-Day Tenure
Federal Authorities Investigate Suspicious Substances Mailed to Election and Congressional Offices
Nasdaq Composite Drops More Than Two Percent as Investors Scrutinize Artificial Intelligence Debt
U.S. Military Weighs Use of Massive Air Blast Munitions in Potential Strikes Against Iran
President Trump Suspends Congressional Sanctions on Russia Amid Worsening Ukraine Relations
White House extends national emergency status on Sudan to sustain economic pressure
Democratic Senate candidates hold fundraising lead over Republicans ahead of midterms
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia resigns following scrutiny over legal credentials
Supreme Court allows Trump administration to implement executive orders on mail voting procedures
Senate Democrats and Republicans demand Pentagon probe into Elon Musk’s communications regarding Ukrainian satellite access
Trump bypasses bipartisan Russia sanctions with executive order to waive tariffs
Pope Francis Calls Vladimir Putin from Hospital to Discuss Ukraine War
Researchers Confirm First Known Use of Zero-Click Spyware Delivered via Digital Ads
Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila Announces Rebel Coalition to Oust Incumbent
G20 Finance Chiefs End Bangkok Summit Without Consensus Following Sanctions Dispute
United States Approves $1 Billion Sale of Advanced Apache Attack Helicopters to Israel
Yemeni Houthi Forces Launch Coordinated Strikes Against Saudi Airports and Gulf Shipping
Ireland Public Sector Workers Launch First National General Strike Since 2009
Department of Justice Secures Million-Dollar Settlement Over Brokerage Oversight Failures
President Donald Trump Casts Doubt on White House Press Secretary's Future
U.S. Treasury Extends Sanctions Waiver for Russian Energy Firm Lukoil
Delaware Election Office Relocates Following Receipt of Suspicious Mail
President Donald Trump Launches Campaign Rally in Georgia Battleground
Trump Receives $330 Million in Corporate Donations for White House Ballroom Project
Nine People Killed in Mass Shooting at Pennsylvania Residence
Four Killed in Mass Shooting at Elementary School in Bend, Oregon
United States Approves Billion-Dollar Sale of Advanced Apache Helicopters to Israel
White House Orders SpaceX to Limit Starlink Access for Ukrainian Military Operations
Brazilian Court Threatens Meta With Fines Over Alleged Algorithmic Bias
Eight State Attorneys General Sue OpenAI Over Alleged Deception Regarding AI Safety
Bipartisan Opposition Grows Against Trump Proposal to Import Russian Diesel
Apple and Nvidia Commit Millions to White House Ballroom Project Amid Surge in Midterm Spending
Senate Democrats Demand Accountability Over Reallocation of Funds for Minority-Serving Institutions
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Dismissed After Five-Day Tenure
×