Did You Know? Phil Knight co-founded Nike, at the time Blue Ribbon Sports, in 1964. Today, even though he has stepped away from most daily operations, he continues to be one of the company’s major shareholders and advises on the strategic direction for branding. Interestingly, his son Travis Knight is a well-known animator and movie director.
9. Steve Ballmer
Net Worth: $95.3 Billion
Source of Wealth: Microsoft
Residence: Hunts Point, Washington
Company: Former CEO of Microsoft, owner of Los Angeles Clippers
Did You Know? Since retiring as CEO of Microsoft, Ballmer purchased the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014. With his high-energy and animated personality, Ballmer has devoted much of his retirement to philanthropic efforts, particularly reforming education and bringing change to communities.
8. Michael Bloomberg
Net Worth: $96.7 Billion
Source of Wealth: Bloomberg LP
Residence: New York City, New York
Citizenship: USA
Age: 82
Marital Status: Single
Company: Bloomberg L.P.
Children: 2
Did You Know? Bloomberg’s company revolutionized finance by delivering real-time financial data and analytics. Beyond business, he has strong influence in politics and environmental causes. His unique “taxi yellow” colored helicopter has become a signature part of New York’s skyline.
7. Larry Ellison
Net Worth: $105.4 Billion
Source of Wealth: Oracle Corporation
Residence: Lanai, Hawaii
Citizenship: USA
Age: 79
Status: Divorced
Company: Co-founder and CTO of Oracle Corporation
Children: 2
Did You Know? Ellison bought close to 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, where he lives. The highly competitive Ellison funds an America’s Cup sailing team and is an accomplished sailor. His daughter, Megan Ellison, is a film producer in Hollywood.
6. Sergey Brin
Net Worth: $117.6 Billion
Source of Wealth: Google (Alphabet Inc.)
Location: Los Altos, California
Country of Citizenship: USA
Age: 51
Marital Status: Divorced, currently dating
Company: Co-founder of Google and Alphabet Inc.
Number of Children: 2
Did You Know? Brin, who immigrated from Russia, cofounded Google with Larry Page while both were Ph.D. students. His passion extends to futuristic technology, with his involvement in various AI projects and renewable energy ventures.
5. Larry Page:
Net Worth: $120.4 Billion
Source of Wealth: Google (Alphabet Inc.)
Residence: Palo Alto, California
Citizenship: USA
Age: 51
Marital Status: Married to Lucinda Southworth
Company: Co-founder of Google and Alphabet Inc.
Children: 2
Did You Know? Page is really into automation and robotics. A lot of his time is consumed in projects dealing with high-tech ideas for the future, such as driverless cars and flying cars. He is also leading a pretty laid-back life and keeps things private despite the fortune he has amassed.
4. Mark Zuckerberg
Net Worth: $131.5 Billion
Source of Wealth: Facebook (Meta Platforms, Inc.)
Residence: Palo Alto, California
Citizenship: USA
Age: 40
Marital Status: Married to Priscilla Chan
Company: Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook)
Children: 2
Did You Know? Zuckerberg was a cofounder of Facebook in his Harvard dorm room. He’s passionate about philanthropy- particularly through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, his family’s foundation- in education and health. Zuckerberg speaks Mandarin, too, and his new favorite thing is artificial intelligence.
Bill Gates
Net Worth: $132 billion
Source of Wealth: Microsoft
Residence: Medina, Washington
Citizenship: United States
Age: 68
Company: Co-founder of Microsoft
Did You Know: Gates has donated billions through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on global health and education.
Marital Status: Divorced from Melinda Gates; they have three children.
Warren Buffett
Net Worth: $141.2 Billion
Source of Wealth: Berkshire Hathaway
Residence: Omaha, Nebraska
Citizenship: USA
Age: 94
Marital Status: Married to Astrid Menks
Children: 3
Company: CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
Did You Know? Nicknamed “Oracle of Omaha,” Buffett ranks among the frugal billionaires. Despite his fortune, he still resides in the same home he purchased back in 1958. He has committed to donating the majority of his net worth to charity over his lifetime, including to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
2. Jeff Bezos
Net Worth: $162.7 Billion
Source of Wealth: Amazon
Company: Founder of Amazon, Blue Origin (aerospace company)
Did You Know? Bezos, who initially started Amazon in his garage, diversified his interests into the space exploration company Blue Origin. Known for his strategic business moves, he was also a major investor in the early stages of Google. He’s now looking toward space ventures, to which he has pledged serious investments along with climate projects.
1. Elon Musk
Net Worth: $246 Billion
Source of Wealth: Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, Twitter (X)
Company: CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures
Residence: Austin, Texas
Citizenship: USA
Age: 53
Marital Status: Single (Previously married and divorced)
Children: 10
Did You Know? Musk’s projects run the gamut from electric cars to space exploration and even neurotechnology. Since he’s often in the news, there’s much interest and controversy over his life and decisions. Perhaps best known for his ambitions to colonize Mars, he remains one of the most spoken-of figures in tech.
