Focus on the BIG picture.
Tuesday, Sep 08, 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
USDA Launches Emergency Drought Relief for Midwestern Farmers
U.S. Education Department Proposes Clearer College Aid and Loan Disclosures
U.S. Health Department Updates Guidance for Fall Flu and RSV Season
U.S. Labor Board Reports Rise in Union Organizing Across Service Industries
Wall Street Ends Mixed After Volatile Week of Inflation and Energy Concerns
U.S. Updates Global Travel Advisories as International Security Risks Rise
NASA Completes Key Artemis Hardware Tests Ahead of Future Crewed Missions
EPA Tightens National Air Pollution Standards for Industrial Facilities
Leon Panetta Warns U.S. Could Face Prolonged Middle East Conflict
Justice Department Sues Kansas City Schools Over Transgender Student Policies
U.S. Airlines Cut Schedules as Fuel Costs and Airspace Restrictions Rise
Congress and White House Open Budget Talks to Avert Federal Shutdown
Trump Administration Expands Southern Border Enforcement Operations
U.S. Justice Department Indicts Foreign Nationals Over Ransomware Attacks on Critical Infrastructure
FTC Opens Antitrust Probe Into Major AI and Cloud Partnerships
U.S. Regulators Tighten Oversight of Regional Banks
U.S. Unveils Multi-Billion-Dollar Push for Domestic Semiconductor Packaging
Trump Bars Bombardier Aircraft Sales Unless Company Moves Manufacturing to U.S.
Federal Reserve Signals Caution as Energy Shocks Complicate Inflation Outlook
U.S. Diesel Prices Hit Record $5.85 a Gallon Amid Middle East Supply Disruptions
U.S. Opens Investigation Into Civilian Casualties From Airstrike Near Bandar Sirik
Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow Restrictions on Mail-In Ballots
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Order Seeking to End Birthright Citizenship
U.S. Forces Destroy Three Iranian Oil Tankers and Missile Launchers in Gulf of Oman
U.S. Intensifies Airstrikes on Iran as Middle East Conflict Escalates
Trump Administration Proposes Visa Petition Fees Above $100,000 for Skilled Foreign Workers
Trump Administration Imposes 50% Tariffs on Range of Canadian Goods
Trump Threatens U.S. Sales Ban on Bombardier Aircraft Unless Production Moves to America
U.S. Congress Passes Stopgap Funding Bill to Avert Government Shutdown
EU Offers Greenland €200 Million Partnership Package Amid U.S. Territorial Pressure
White House Defends Venezuela Oil Agreement Giving U.S. Majority Rights Over 17 Fields
U.S. Military Says Laser System Cut Unidentified Border Drone Activity by 75%
U.S. Envoys Meet Putin and Zelenskyy as Ceasefire Push Yields No Breakthrough
Far-Right AfD Wins Historic Victory in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt
Nepal Mourns More Than 1,300 Killed in Catastrophic Himalayan Floods
Oil Prices Surge After U.S.-Iran Strikes Raise Fears Over Strait of Hormuz
Frances Tiafoe Beats Daniil Medvedev to Reach US Open Semifinal
Bernie Sanders Proposes Severe Penalties for US Companies Dealing With Strategic Rivals
Leaked Messages Put Senator John Fetterman’s Constituent Work Under Scrutiny
Kennedy Center Ceiling Partially Collapses During Renovation Dispute
Bill Ackman Funds Experimental Cellular Therapy Used to Restore Daughter’s Vision
Flash Flooding Traps Hikers in Grand Canyon
Trump Political Network Backs Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton With $10 Million Ad Buy
Trump to Headline Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas
Oura Plans US Initial Public Offering
Far-Right AfD Wins Saxony-Anhalt State Election in Germany
OpenAI Expands Washington Policy Team Amid AI Safety Concerns
Hawaii Declares State of Emergency as Hurricane Lowell Approaches
Tesla Cybercab Rollout Triggers Federal Regulatory Dispute
Arizona Voter Eligibility Law Reaches US Supreme Court
×