Billionaire Statistics in 2023: The Post-covid Figures and Facts
Studying successful people is the fastest way to understand the theory of wealth (self-made or inherited).For instance, many wealthy people made their riches from owning businesses and companies, while others were through inherited legacies. Also, studying 19th-century billionaires like Warren Buffett and Andrew Carnegie and today's billionaires like Elon Musk suggests their wealth is attributed to high-leverage thinking. As per the latest data, billionaires are worth $12.7 trillion today, a drop of $500 billion from March 2022.
Learning billionaires' strategies can also affect your investment journey, simplifying the process while boosting the returns. This article outlines fascinating statistics on billionaires and how their number has increased even after the economic downturn following the COVID-19 pandemic. Let's begin.
Key Statistics- 2640 billionaires generate a collective $12.5 trillion.
- 1% of billionaires wealth is higher than 60% of the global population.
- CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, is the richest in the world today.
- New York City has the highest number of billionaires as residents.
- Gross wealth of billionaires in the US grew by 44% during the pandemic.
- The United States of America tops the list of billionaires with 735.
- 27% increase in Billionaires' wealth post-COVID-19.
- Clemente Del Vecchio is the youngest billionaire with a $3.5 billion net worth.
- Alexandra Andresen is the youngest richest woman with a net worth of $1.5 billion.
Discovering who the wealthiest people in the world are and the industries producing them might be a question on your mind. Knowing the source of their wealth, comparing the rate of rich to the poor is included in these statistics. Many people and countries have made it to the billionaires and wealth makers list.
These statistics uncover the significant post-COVID economic breakdown and past and present statistics on billionaires worldwide.Let's look at the geographic locations, sources of wealth, and net worth of some of the world billionaire list breakers.
1. World's Billionaires Total Wealth Amounts to $12.5 Trillion with Over 2,640 Individuals.The number of billionaires recorded is estimated to be 2,640 people, and the total wealth amounts to $12.5 trillion. The population of billionaires heightened specifically in 2023 by 3%. The increased wealth of billionaires contributed significantly to the economy globally and influenced politics and humanitarianism generally. While some billionaires got richer than the previous year, some got poorer as the turbulent times hit the markets.
2. Free Givers Are Good Emulators When Showing Kindness is Concerned.A host of the world's billionaires are philanthropists like John Arnold, Edythe Broad, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk. Notably, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, Larry Ellison, Oracle co-founder, and have given out less than 1% of their wealth. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos, David Geffen, Michael Bloomberg, and Bill Gates gave 1-20% of their wealth to charity. Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is the US' highest philanthropist with a record of over $55 billion. These donations were made to support the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other charities set up by his family.
3. The Billionaires' Wealth is Greater Than 60% of the Global Population.The number of billionaires increased massively, underscoring the degree of global inequality. The discovery shows that 2,640 billionaires are wealthier than 6.1 billion poor people worldwide. Analysis shows that 1% of the richest people own a minimum of two times the poor people's wealth.
4. A Little Bit Above 20 World Billionaires Have More Fortunes than 100% African Women.Regarding gender inequality, the male gender overrides the counterpart. Hence, the male gender is 50% richer than the female gender. Analysis shows that the female brain thinks giving is more rewarding, so women tend to give more than men. Wealth is one factor of gender inequality. Statistics show that 56% of women give more than 41% of men. Other statistics show that 93% of wealthy women are more charitable than 87% of rich men.
Some scientific data shows that 22 of the world's wealthiest men make more than all African women. An instance indicates that women do 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care jobs. These statistics make up for $10.8 trillion yearly of the economy worldwide. The ratio of paid care workforce in women is about two-thirds while unpaid is three-quartered.
5. The Richest Person in the World Makes Around $7,361 Per Second.As of October 5, 2023, statistics update shows Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest man, generates about $7361 every Second. This figure amounts to $10.6 million made daily and is worth over $250 billion. Musk's ambition and goals to become wealthy led him to the top of the world's richest people list. His stakes in companies like SpaceX and The Boring Company resulted in substantial growth in his net worth.
6. The American Billionaires' Wealth Grew by 44% During the COVID-19 Pandemic.While the pandemic hurt some industries globally, the wealth of some American billionaires experienced substantial growth. Statistics show that during the pandemic, the wealth of American billionaires was boosted by $1.3 trillion. About the same time, millionaires turned billionaires, while many thousandaires turned billionaires during the pandemic.
That is to say that the pandemic made people wealthier, even with lower financial net worth. The global economy experienced heightened growth levels in 2021, reaching $96.3 trillion; in 2022, the global GDP grew by 3%. The new gains can be tied to the valuation of properties and the rise in stock prices, especially during the pandemic.
7. New York Has the Highest Number of Billionaire Residents.In 2023, New York has the highest record of residents who are billionaires. Out of the 2640 billionaires, about 100 reside in the city, the highest of other cities.Beijing was formally the residence of top billionaires, but New York has claimed their occupancy.
The collective net worth of 101 residents in New York is $616.8 billion.The richest billionaire resident in New York is Michael Bloomberg, whose net worth is $94.5 billion, seconded by Julia Koch. Although in 2022, New York lost six billionaires on the billionaires' list, it is still the home for billionaires.
8. 55 Billionaires Added to the List of Billionaires in the United States After the Pandemic.Besides the global wealth increment, the rate of new billionaires increased significantly in the United States of America. Data shows the number increased by 5% over the record in 2022, with concentration in cities like Texas and California.As of August 2023, some data shows the US accounts for 30% of the world's billionaires. In the same year, some wealthy men lost their status as billionaires while others became enriched.
9. Finance, Investments, and Technology, Amongst Other Industries, Are Major Sources of Wealth For Billionaires in the United States of America.Some lucrative industries worldwide include Software & services, Investment, Real estate, healthcare, media and entertainment, Consumer goods, etc. It isn't easy to decipher which industry produces the top billionaires. 50% of US billionaires make money from initiatives like the food and beverage, information technology, fashion, retail, finance, and investment industries. A report from Forbes declares the Finance and Investments industry the top billionaire industry globally and in the US.
Top Billionaires in 2021Technology, Food and Beverage, Real Estate, Media and entertainment, Finance and Investments, Energy, Fashion and Retail, Healthcare and Manufacturing.
10. COVID-19 Pandemic Increased Billionaires' Wealth Hits High Record with 27% Increase.During the wave of the pandemic in 2020, the world's billionaires experienced a 27.5% increase in their wealth. The rising global prices of shares in the stock market contributed greatly to this. The statistic shows an increase from $8.9 trillion in 2017 to 10.2 trillion in 2020, and the number of billionaires increased. The number of billionaires rose from 2,158 in 2017 to 2,189 in 2020, with the richest emerging from tech especially. Additionally, the top richest billionaires from 2022 are not just tech-inclined but industrialists generally.
11. The Most Affluent People in the World Became Richer by $852 Billion in 2023.The top 500 richest people gained $852 billion in addition to their wealth, with Elon Must leading the list. On average, each member made $14 million daily in the first half of 2023. This record proves to be the best report post COVID19's economic fallout.
12. Elon Musk Becomes the World's Richest Man with Net Worth Estimated to $260.4 Billion.According to Forbes, the world's richest man as of October 1, 2023, is Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. In June 2023, Elon Musk overtook Bernard Arnault, now at $185.8B, who was previously the world's richest. The 52-year-old billionaire's net worth is estimated to be $260.4 billion; he's the richest in the US and worldwide. Elon Musk co-founded Tesla, an electric car company, SpaceX, Palp, Neuralink, and many others.
13. The United States has the Highest Number of Billionaires.The US tops the list of countries with the most billionaires, amounting to 735 billionaires as of April 2023. The total net worth is estimated at $4.5 trillion as of April 2023, followed by China and India.
14. 19-Year Old with $3.5 Billion Value is the Youngest Billionaire.Clemente Del Vecchio, the youngest billionaire, ranked at 813th position worldwide, has over $3.5 billion net worth. The affluent billionaire from Italy makes money from sales of their customized empire, Luxottica. The youngest billionaire continues to make headlines as an influential figure in his tender age.
15. The Richest Woman's Worth is Estimated at $82.6 Billion and Ranks 15th on the World's Billionaire List.The 70-year-old French named Francoise Bettencourt Meyers & family became the richest woman in the world. She ranks in the 15th position worldwide and is valued at $82.6B; the source of her wealth is L'Oreal.
16. Alexandra Andresen is the Youngest Richest Woman with $1.5 Billion.The Norway-based youngest wealthiest woman, Alexandra Andresen's net worth is estimated at $1.5 billion. The source of the 27-year-old's wealth is the investment industry, which is ranked 1931st position worldwide. She is followed by Katharina Andresen, who's 28 years old and also into Investments with a net worth of $1.5 billion.
17. Amazon CEO Ranks 3rd Position as World's Richest Billionaires.Jeff Bezos, the executive chairman of Amazon, ranks 3rd on the list of billionaires in 2023. Bezos, aged 59, ranks 2nd richest in the US with a net worth of $149.8 billion.In 2022, the billionaire was the 2nd richest, with a net worth range between $139 billion to $177 billion. Amazon accounts for 6.5% of the US retail sales and about 44.9% of digital retail spending in the same year.
18. $14 Billion Donated to Charity by Mackenzie Scott, One of The World's Prominent Richest Women.Jeff Bezos' ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, is on a charity mission of donating her wealth. In light of the above, Scott has given more than $14.1 billion to 1621 charities in the past 3 years. About 17 non-profit organizations have confirmed benefiting from Scott's benevolence through her Yield Giving fund gifts totaling $97 million. The offerings range from $1 to $15 million, and nearly half were channeled to early childhood education and development. Scott stopped announcing her charities and advised that people should stop focusing on publicizing her but on being benevolent. The charity leaders appreciated her advice to non-profit organizations on decisions taken in the organization's interest.
19. John Rockefeller, the Person Who Acquired Riches that Announced Him as the First Billionaire in the US.John Davison Rockefeller, owner of Standard Oil, became the first American to become a billionaire. The oil tycoon became the world's first confirmed billionaire; this announcement was made in 1916. Rockefeller was 77 on his announcement as the billionaire and the richest at that time. The billionaire achieved status and wealth through owning the oil company Standard Oil. Rockefeller hit peak records, with his wealth contributing 2% of the economy. His peak net worth amounted to $26.6 billion, and in 1913, his wealth contributed to around 3% GDP in the US.
ConclusionOne fascinating fact about economic status is the ability to impact one's social quality. This concept is not only applicable to the US alone but to the world as a whole. The essence of becoming a billionaire is not just to gather wealth but to impact others through giving. It is believed to be more rewarding to offer; however, not everyone agrees. These statistics analyze big industries producing the most wealth globally and the few beneficiaries of some billionaires' acts of benevolence.
The statistics show the United States has the highest billionaire record with riches from evolving industries. Significant growth in billionaires' wealth boosted the gross domestic product (GDP) globally, attributed to a rise in stock prices. Statistics show that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, the billionaire population has skyrocketed.
FAQsWho is currently the world's richest person?Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is the richest man in the world, with a net worth estimated at $260.4 billion. Elon co-founded Space X, Neuralink, SolarCity, Twitter (X), and Starlink. The billionaire holds shares in many companies and began his journey to wealth by launching his first company, Zip2, in 1995. The company offers mapping services and business directories to newspapers online.
What is an exciting fact about billionaire statistics?Research shows the United States of America, China, and India have the most billionaires. The US has a record of about 725 billionaires, while China is the second with 495 billionaires. India takes third place with 169 billionaires.
Who was the first person to become a billionaire?The first ever confirmed billionaire was John Rockefeller, an oil tycoon founder of Standard Oil. His announcement as the first person to become a billionaire measured in dollars was in 1916 at 77 years. Other companies birthed from Standard Oil include ExxonMobil and Chevron, which maintains the greatest level of revenue globally.
Who is the youngest billionaire in the world?Clemente Del Vecchio is the youngest billionaire in real-time, with a net worth of $3.5 billion as of October 5. The billionaire produces the world's famous glasses and frames named Luxottica. Clemente is the heir to his late father's empire - Luxottica.
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