Focus on the BIG picture.
Wednesday, Jul 29, 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
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
OpenAI Faces Demands for Full Disclosure After Models Breach Hugging Face
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Australia and Japan Strengthen Critical Minerals Partnership to Diversify Supply Chains
European Central Bank Signals Interest Rates May Stay Higher for Longer
European Union Agrees Joint Defense Procurement Plan to Expand Military Production
China and United States Increase Naval Presence in the South China Sea
United States Tightens Export Controls on Advanced AI Chips and Semiconductor Equipment
Renewed Red Sea Drone Attacks Disrupt Global Shipping Through Key Maritime Chokepoint
Russian Strikes Hit Ukraine's Energy Infrastructure as European Leaders Hold Emergency Defense Summit
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Visa to Cut About 2,600 Jobs as AI Reshapes Technology Operations
Taiwan Detains Nvidia Employee in Probe Into Suspected AI Server Exports to China
U.S. Delegation Walks Out of U.N. Security Council Session After French Criticism
Trump Warns of Possible Strikes on Iran While Peace Talks Continue
Zelenskyy Meets Trump in Washington to Seek More U.S. Military Support
Russia and Ukraine Exchange One of War's Largest Overnight Drone and Missile Barrages
Japan Hit by Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake as Rescuers Search Collapsed Shopping Mall
Why Americans Queue for $15 Ice Cream and a $100 Caviar Pint
Another AI Genius Left the United States — and Silicon Valley Is Starting to Worry
Search Continues for Missing American Woman in Grenada
Heat Wave Expands as Forecasters Warn of Severe Storms in Several Regions
Wall Street Prepares for a Critical Week of Federal Reserve Decisions and Corporate Results
Federal Election Cases Keep Supreme Court at the Center of Washington's Legal Battles
Republican Lawmakers Remain Divided Over Trump's Election Reform Agenda
Artificial Intelligence Investment Continues to Drive Wall Street Strategy
Technology Stocks Gain Ahead of Major Corporate Earnings
Oil Prices Fall as Pause in Iran Conflict Eases Supply Concerns
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Visits Washington for Talks With President Trump
Seattle Festival Shooting Leaves Two Dead and Several Injured
Release of Anthony Fauci's Pandemic-Era Diary Renews Debate Over COVID-19 Response
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Questions Planned Deportations to Haiti
Federal Survey Reports Improvement in Youth Mental Health and Substance Use
Wildfire Smoke Degrades Air Quality Across Much of the United States
Michigan Democratic Senate Primary Draws National Political Attention
Extreme Heat Warnings Stretch Across Large Areas of the United States
Pentagon Updates U.S. Casualty Figures as Iran Military Operations Remain Paused
President Trump Reaffirms Support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Trump Administration Faces Scrutiny Over Cancellation of Billions in Clean Energy Grants
Trump Administration Revises Asylum Procedures to Accelerate Immigration Cases
Markets Turn to Federal Reserve Decision and Big Tech Earnings After Middle East Tensions Ease
Senate Moves Jay Clayton Closer to Confirmation as Director of National Intelligence
President Trump Defends Tariffs as Foundation of His Manufacturing Agenda
President Trump Says Iran Talks Continue While Warning Military Action Could Resume
President Trump Appeals to Supreme Court to Reinstate Federal Voter Eligibility Order
Michigan Democratic Senate Primary Gains National Attention
President Trump Reaffirms Support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
×