The world's 500 richest individuals added a record $2.2tn to their collective wealth in 2025, bringing their total net worth to $11.9tn, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The gains were fuelled by Donald Trump's 2024 election victory and booming markets in cryptocurrencies, equities and metals.
Just eight billionaires accounted for a quarter of the gains, led by Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison and Larry Page. Elon Musk's net worth soared by $190.3bn to $622.7bn, while Oracle chair Larry Ellison saw a $57.7bn increase to $249.8bn. Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart nearly tripled her wealth to $37.7bn through her rare-earth metals portfolio.
However, not all billionaires fared well. Philippine billionaire Manuel Villar lost $12.6bn, with his net worth dropping to $10bn after shares of his property development firm, Golden MV Holdings Inc, plunged 80% following a six-month trading suspension.
Oxfam, a global confederation of non-government organisations, said the $2.2tn growth in wealth for the richest 500 would have been enough to lift 3.8 billion people out of poverty. “Inequality is a deliberate policy choice. Despite record wealth at the top, public wealth is stagnating, even declining, and debt distress is growing,” said Amitabh Behar, Oxfam's international executive director.
