Forbes has published its "New Billionaires 2026" list, adding 390 individuals worldwide, with the US leading the way at 106. China follows with 55, Germany with 42 and India with 30, and nearly two-thirds of the new entrants are self-made.
Singer Beyoncé, 44, saw her net worth reach an estimated $1 billion in December, following years of music success. She now joins her husband, rapper Jay-Z, who is worth an estimated $2.8 billion and became a billionaire in 2019.
Hip-hop mogul Dr Dre, 61, has also been recognised as a billionaire, more than a decade after he and investors sold Beats by Dre to Apple in 2014 for $3.2 billion in cash and stock. His estimated net worth now stands at $1 billion. "I don’t chase money — I try to make the money chase me," Dre told Forbes.
Film director James Cameron, 71, is another new name on the list, with an estimated fortune of $1.1 billion. His wealth crossed the milestone in December, just before the release of his third Avatar blockbuster. Cameron remains the only director to have made three films that each earned more than $2 billion worldwide.
Retired Swiss tennis star Roger Federer also features, with an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion, helped by his 20 Grand Slam singles titles and stake in Swiss shoemaker On Running. America's two richest newcomers are Edwin Chen of AI firm Surge AI, with $18 billion, and Peter Mallouk of Creative Planning, with $16.1 billion. The youngest new billionaire is 20-year-old Brazilian heiress Amelie Voigt Trejes, whose late grandfather co-founded electrical equipment company WEG.
