Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, was the individual who increased his wealth the most this year among billionaires worldwide, according to Forbes on December 19 (local time).
According to Forbes’ rankings for 2023, the second wealthiest individual was Mark Zuckerberg, who serves as the CEO of Meta. He was followed by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, in third place. Prajogo Pangestu claimed the fourth spot, recognized as an “energy billionaire” from Indonesia. At the same time, Larry Page, the co-founder of Alphabet, rounded out the top five.
Elon Musk, on the other hand, saw a remarkable increase in his net worth, surging by $108.4 billion in this year alone. His estimated total wealth now stands at an impressive $254.9 billion, securing his position as the wealthiest person in the world.
Despite being mired in various controversies throughout the year while overseeing X, Musk’s wealth skyrocketed thanks to Tesla’s stock price, which more than doubled from the previous year. This surge was driven by introducing the electric pickup truck “Cybertruck.” Additionally, the value of SpaceX, in which Musk holds shares, reached a substantial $180 billion, aided by its successful launch of rockets on more than 90 occasions.
Zuckerberg faced a challenging year, contending with Meta’s declining stock, reduced profits, and significant layoffs in the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, Meta’s stock price surged by an impressive 178% from the beginning of the year until December 15, bolstering his wealth by $74.8 billion. As a result, his overall net worth now stands at $118.6 billion.
Meanwhile, Bezos saw a substantial increase in his net worth, which grew by $65 billion this year, primarily attributed to a remarkable 79% uptick in Amazon’s stock price. This surge has catapulted his total wealth to a staggering $172.3 billion.
Prajogo Pangestu, the founder of Barito Pacific Group, managed to augment his wealth by $47.9 billion during the year. This boost was facilitated by listing both the geothermal energy company Barito Renewable Energy and the coal mining company Petrinindo Jaya Kreasi, resulting in a total net worth of $52.8 billion.
Larry Page also experienced a notable asset enhancement, which increased by $34.4 billion. This upswing was primarily driven by a 50% rise in Alphabet’s stock price over the year, fueled by high expectations surrounding “Gemini AI.” Consequently, his total net worth now amounts to $111.7 billion.
The list of the world’s wealthiest individuals continued with Amancio Ortega, the founder of the fashion brand Zara, ranking as the sixth richest person with a net worth of $97.4 billion. His assets increased by an impressive $33.2 billion during the year.
Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, secured the seventh spot with a net worth of $107.3 billion, and his assets swelled by $33 billion, primarily driven by the rise in Google’s stock price.
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the eighth position, boasting a net worth of $110.9 billion. He profited significantly, amassing $32.4 billion in wealth through the appreciation of Microsoft’s stock price and the increased value of the LA Clippers, a professional basketball team he owns.
Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, occupied the ninth spot with a net worth of $133.2 billion, experiencing a noteworthy addition of $30.8 billion to his assets.
Completing the top ten was Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, with a net worth of $43.6 billion. He accumulated an impressive $29.8 billion in wealth during the year.
By. Yong Won Joong
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