Billionaire

A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least one billion units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. It is a sub-category of the concept of the ultra high-net-worth individual. The American business magazine Forbes produces a global list of known U.S. dollar billionaires every year and updates an internet version of this list in real time.^[1] The American oil magnate John D. Rockefeller became the world's first confirmed U.S. dollar billionaire in 1916.^[2]

As of April 2024,^[update] there are 2,781 billionaires worldwide, with a combined wealth of over US$14.2 trillion, up from US$12.2 trillion in 2023.^[3]^[4] According to a 2024 Oxfam report, the world's top 1% of earners own more combined wealth "than 95% of humanity", and also stated that the world's top 1% of earners also owned 43% of all global financial assets.^[5]^[6] As of October 2024, seventeen people have reached the status of USD centibillionaires, meaning that each has had a net worth of at least $100 billion.^[7]

^ Miller, Matthew; Kroll, Luisa (10 March 2010). "Bill Gates No Longer World's Richest Man". Forbes. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
^ O'Donnell, Carl (11 July 2014). "The Rockefellers: The Legacy Of History's Richest Man". Forbes. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
^ Peterson-Withorn, Chase. "Forbes' 38th Annual World's Billionaires List: Facts And Figures 2024". Forbes. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
^ Peterson-Withorn, Chase. "Forbes' 37th Annual World's Billionaires List: Facts And Figures 2023". Forbes. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
^ "World's top 1% own more wealth than 95% of humanity, as "the shadow of global oligarchy hangs over UN General Assembly," says Oxfam". Oxfam International. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
^ Taylor, Lin. "The richest 1% own 43% of global assets, Oxfam study says | Context". www.context.news. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
^ Mohamed, Theron (22 October 2024). "Meet the 17 people in the $100 billion club — who are jointly worth more than Amazon or Google". Business Insider Africa. Retrieved 22 October 2024.

[1] Miller, Matthew; Kroll, Luisa (10 March 2010). "Bill Gates No Longer World's Richest Man". Forbes. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2010.

[2] O'Donnell, Carl (11 July 2014). "The Rockefellers: The Legacy Of History's Richest Man". Forbes. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2014.

[3] Peterson-Withorn, Chase. "Forbes' 38th Annual World's Billionaires List: Facts And Figures 2024". Forbes. Retrieved 22 October 2024.

[4] Peterson-Withorn, Chase. "Forbes' 37th Annual World's Billionaires List: Facts And Figures 2023". Forbes. Retrieved 22 October 2024.

[5] "World's top 1% own more wealth than 95% of humanity, as "the shadow of global oligarchy hangs over UN General Assembly," says Oxfam". Oxfam International. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.

[6] Taylor, Lin. "The richest 1% own 43% of global assets, Oxfam study says | Context". www.context.news. Retrieved 13 February 2025.

[7] Mohamed, Theron (22 October 2024). "Meet the 17 people in the $100 billion club — who are jointly worth more than Amazon or Google". Business Insider Africa. Retrieved 22 October 2024.

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