The $100 Billion Club: Meet the 15 Members Who Have 12-Figure Fortunes Worth $2.3 Trillion

The $100 billion club is made up of a select group of individuals who possess enormous wealth and have significant influence on the global economy and society.

While the average wealth of billionaires has increased by 120 percent over the past decade, the wealth of these 14 members has increased by 255 percent.

This remarkable growth far outperforms global inflation and the broader stock market (the S&P 500 index rose 182 percent), putting them on par with NFL franchises, which saw their value increase by 257 percent.

These 15 people have a combined fortune of $2.3107 trillion, which is just 0.5 percent of the world’s 2,781 billionaires. Interestingly, this small fraction holds an astonishing 14 percent of all billionaire wealth.

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According to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires, these are the exclusive members of the $100 billion club as of May 22, 2024.

Bernard Arnault

Bernard Arnault, head of the luxury conglomerate LVMH, retained his title as the world’s richest man with a fortune worth $207.1 billion. His empire, which includes iconic brands such as Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, continues to dominate the luxury market.

Arnault’s net worth grew 10% in 2023, driven by LVMH’s exceptional performance, which posted a record net profit of $16.5 billion on revenue of $94 billion. Solidifying his succession plan, Arnault proposed in January to add his sons Alexandre and Frédéric to the LVMH board, thus ensuring control of the family along with his two eldest children, Antoine and Delphine.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk, known for his groundbreaking work in the automotive and aerospace industries, is currently worth $201.4 billion. As CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, he continues to push the boundaries of technology and exploration, earning recognition as a visionary. Musk’s journey from becoming the first person in history worth $300 billion in November 2021 to his evolving status as the world’s richest man has been marked by bold successes and setbacks.

While SpaceX’s valuation rose 80% to $180 billion, its acquisition of X (formerly Twitter) dropped in value by 70%. Moreover, Tesla shares are down 57% since the end of 2021. Notably, a Delaware judge invalidated his 2018 grant of Tesla stock options, now valued at $46 billion, pending Musk’s appeal, prompting Forbes discounting shares by 50%.

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Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is worth $201.0 billion, cementing his position as a leading figure in the digital age. Despite stepping down as CEO, Bezos continues to influence retail, cloud computing and space exploration through ventures like Blue Origin.

Bezos has seen a remarkable rise in his wealth this year, with a staggering $80 billion increase largely driven by a 93% rise in Amazon shares. In addition, he invested $150 million to buy houses on Miami’s exclusive “billionaire bunker” island, marking a transition from rainy Seattle to sunny, tax-friendly Florida after three decades.

Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg, 39, amassed a fortune of $163.1 billion through Facebook, the world’s largest social media platform. Despite the stock falling 75% from its 2021 peak, Zuckerberg has made significant staff cuts while doubling down on investments in artificial intelligence and the metaverse.

Thanks to these moves, the company’s stock has almost tripled over the past year, leading Zuckerberg to achieve peak wealth.

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Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle Corporation, has a net worth of $154.6 billion. Even a decade after stepping down as CEO, Ellison remains deeply involved as president, chief technology officer and the company’s largest shareholder with 40%.

Oracle shares rose 34% and generated more than $1 billion in dividends for Ellison last year, while his fortune increased by $34 billion. However, his other ventures didn’t fare so well either. His investment in X is now valued at less than a third of its original purchase price, and Project Ronin, the cancer-fighting software startup he co-founded in 2018, is set to shut down.

Larry Page

Larry Page, one of the co-founders of Google, has a fortune worth $147.1 billion. Despite withdrawing from day-to-day operations four years ago, Page and Sergey Brin, his co-founder, remain the tech giant’s largest individual shareholders.

Largely out of the public eye, Page reportedly spends time on his private islands, including Fiji and Puerto Rico. Brin, although semi-retired, began contributing to Google’s AI chatbot models last year and was named a “major contributor” at Gemini’s December launch.

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Sergei Brin

Sergey Brin, worth $140.9 billion, co-founded Google with Larry Page in 1998 while studying computer science at Stanford University. Together, they transformed a simple search engine into a technology giant, changing the way we access information.

Brin, who moved from Russia to the United States at the age of 6 because of anti-Semitism, stepped down as Alphabet’s CEO in 2019 but remains a board member and controlling shareholder. Google, operating under the name Alphabet, went public in 2004. Brin is also known for financing a high-tech airship project.

Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett, known for his shrewd investments and business acumen, is worth $136.5 billion as chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. However, Buffett has been embroiled in a rare dispute with fellow billionaire Jimmy Haslam over the purchase price of Haslam’s truck stop chain, Pilot Travel Centers.

The dispute was settled in January, with Berkshire acquiring the remaining 20% ​​of Pilot for $2.6 billion. Despite this conflict, Berkshire’s shares hit record highs, rising 30% from a year ago.

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Bill Gates

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, is worth $131.3 billion. Known for revolutionizing personal computing, Gates is also a prominent philanthropist, contributing significant funds to global health care and education through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

However, despite reaching near peak wealth, Gates is now lower in the rankings than he has been since 1992. This is attributed to intense competition at the top, the costly fallout from his 2021 divorce and the significant $59 billion he has donated to charity. Notably, Gates was the world’s richest man for 18 of 23 years, from 1995 to 2017.

STeve Ballmer

Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, is worth $126.5 billion. During his tenure, Microsoft strengthened its position as a technology giant, dominating markets ranging from operating systems to productivity software.

As owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Ballmer will move the team to the new $2 billion Intuit Dome facility near LAX this summer. His fortune increased by $40 billion, largely attributed to the increased value of the Clippers and growing Microsoft shares.

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Mukesh Ambani

Mukesh Ambani, chairman and largest shareholder of Reliance Industries, joined the $100 Billion Club this year, becoming the first member from Asia. His diversified empire spans telecommunications, petrochemicals and retail, making him an industrial titan in India and beyond.

Ambani celebrated the upcoming wedding of his youngest son Anant with a lavish three-day gala in March at the Reliance refinery complex, attended by 1,600 guests including Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Ivanka Trump. Reliance Industries, owner of Network18, a licensee of Forbes Media, has helped Ambani’s wealth skyrocket.

Amancio Ortega

Amancio Ortega, founder of Inditex, which owns Zara, saw his fortune rise to $108.7 billion, an increase of $26 billion compared to last year. This increase is mainly due to the 43% increase in Inditex shares. Zara’s fast fashion revolutionized retail by offering stylish clothing at affordable prices around the world.

Additionally, Ortega’s real estate holdings, primarily in Europe and North America, are now valued at $20 billion. These properties, which include logistics, residential and office space, are leased to anchor tenants such as Apple, Amazon and Walmart.

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Michael Bloomberg

Michael Bloomberg, with a net worth of $106.2 billion, acquired his wealth primarily through Bloomberg LP, a financial data and media company. His term as mayor of New York increased his influence in business and politics.

Bloomberg LP recently named Vlad Kliatchko as CEO, marking the first time since Bloomberg returned to the company in 2014 after a term as mayor. Bloomberg, now 82, announced plans to donate his 88% stake in Bloomberg LP to Bloomberg Philanthropies upon or before his death. Philanthropy focuses on causes such as climate change prevention and public health.

Michael Dell

Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, is worth $104.3 billion. His company transformed the PC industry and continues to innovate in cloud computing and cybersecurity. Dell Technologies, formed in 2016 through a $60 billion merger with EMC, returned to public markets in late 2018 after a complex financial restructuring.

Dell’s private investment firm, DFO Management, has significant interests in hotels and corporate lending. In 2021, Dell’s cloud software division, VMware, was spun off and acquired by Broadcom for $69 billion in 2023, with 39% of the proceeds going to Dell. In 2023, Dell demonstrated philanthropy by donating over $3 billion to its foundation, focusing on child poverty and supporting its donor-advised fund.

Carlos Slim Helu

Carlos Slim Helu, worth $103.1 billion, made his fortune mainly thanks to the telecommunications giant América Móvil. Being the richest person in the world from 2010 to 2013, Slim reached his peak fortune of $74 billion.

Although he has been overtaken by 14 peers in the current rankings, his fortune has increased due to the rise in the Mexican peso and a significant increase in the share price of Grupo Carso, his industrial conglomerate.