It’s tough when you’re at the top! You might be the richest man in the world one year but completely off of the Forbes billionaire list in the next.
The World’s Billionaires: A Retrospective Transcript
The Top 10 Billionaires and Their Wealth Since the Creation of the Forbes List
Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
2019 | Jeff Bezos and Family, $131 billion | Bill Gates, $96.5 billion | Warren Buffett, $82.5 billion | Bernard Arnault and Family, $76 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $64 billion | Amancio Ortega, $62.7 billion | Larry Ellison, $62.5 billion | Mark Zuckerberg, $62.3 billion | Michael Bloomberg, $55.5 billion | Larry Page, $50.8 billion |
2018 | Jeff Bezos and Family, $112 billion | Bill Gates, $90 billion | Warren Buffett, $84 billion | Bernard Arnault and Family, $72 billion | Mark Zuckerberg, $71 billion | Amancio Ortega, $70 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $67.1 billion | Charles Koch, $60 billion | David Koch, $60 billion | Larry Ellison, $58.5 billion |
2017 | Bill Gates, $89 billion | Jeff Bezos and Family, $72.8 billion | Warren Buffett, $78 billion | Amancio Ortega, $71.3 billion | Mark Zuckerberg, $71 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $65 billion | Larry Ellison, $59 billion | Charles Koch, $48.5 billion | David Koch, $48.5 billion | Michael Bloomberg, $46.8 billion |
2016 | Bill Gates, $75 billionB | Amancio Ortega, $67 billion | Warren Buffett, $60.8 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $50.0 billion | Jeff Bezos and Family, $45.2 billion | Mark Zuckerberg, $44.6 billion | Larry Ellison, $43.6 billion | Michael Bloomberg, $40 billion | Charles Koch, $39.6 billion | David Koch, $39.6 billion |
2015 | Bill Gates, $79.2 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $77.1 billion | Warren Buffett, $72.7 billion | Amancio Ortega, $64.5 billion | Larry Ellison, $54.3 billion | Charles Koch, $42.9 billion | David Koch, $42.9 billion | Christy Walton and Family, $41.7 billion | Jim Walton, $40.6 billion | Liliane Bettencourt and Family, $40.1 billion |
2014 | Bill Gates, $81 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $72 billion | Amancio Ortega, $64 billion | Warren Buffett, $58.2 billion | Larry Ellison, $48 billion | Charles Koch, $40 billion | David Koch, $40 billion | Sheldon Adelson, $38 billion | Christy Walton and Family, $36.7 billion | Jim Walton, $34.7 billion |
2013 | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $73 billion | Bill Gates, $67 billion | Amancio Ortega, $57 billion | Warren Buffett, $53.5 billion | Larry Ellison, $43 billion | Charles Koch, $34 billion | David Koch, $34 billion | Li Ka-shing, $31 billion | Liliane Bettencourt, $30 billion | Bernard Arnault, $29 billion |
2012 | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $69 billion | Bill Gates, $61 billion | Warren Buffett, $44 billion | Bernard Arnault, $41 billion | Amancio Ortega, $37.5 billion | Larry Ellison, $36 billion | Eike Batista, $30 billion | Stefan Persson, $26 billion | Li Ka-shing, $25.5 billion | Karl Albrecht, $25.4 billion |
2011 | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $74 billion | Bill Gates, $56 billion | Warren Buffett, $50 billion | Bernard Arnault, $41 billion | Larry Ellison, $39.5 billion | Lakshmi Mittal, $31 billion | Amancio Ortega, $31 billion | Eike Batista, $30 billion | Mukesh Ambani, $27 billion | Christy Walton and Family, $26.5 billion |
2010 | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $53.5 billion | Bill Gates, $53 billion | Warren Buffett, $47 billion | Mukesh Ambani, $29 billion | Lakshmi Mittal, $28.7 billion | Lawrence Ellison, $28 billion | Bernard Arnault, $27.5 billion | Eike Batista, $27 billion | Amancio Ortega, $25 billion | Karl Albrecht, $23.5 billion |
2009 | Bill Gates, $40 billion | Warren Buffett, $37 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $35 billion | Lawrence Ellison, $22.5 billion | Ingvar Kamprad and Family, $22 billion | Karl Albrecht, $21.5 billion | Mukesh Ambani, $19.5 billion | Lakshmi Mittal, $19.3 billion | Theo Albrecht, $18.8 billion | Amancio Ortega, $18.3 billion |
2008 | Warren Buffett, $62 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $60 billion | Bill Gates, $58 billion | Lakshmi Mittal, $45 billion | Mukesh Ambani, $43 billion | Anil Ambani, $42 billion | Ingvar Kamprad and Family, $31 billion | K.P. Singh, $30 billion | Oleg Deripaska, $28 billion | Karl Albrecht, $27 billion |
2007 | Bill Gates, $56 billion | Warren Buffett, $52 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $49 billion | Ingvar Kamprad and Family, $33 billion | Lakshmi Mittal, $32 billion | Sheldon Adelson, $26.5 billion | Bernard Arnault, $26 billion | Amancio Ortega, $24 billion | Li Ka-shing, $23 billion | David Thomson and Family $22 billion |
2006 | Bill Gates, $50 billion | Warren Buffett, $42 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $30 billion | Ingvar Kamprad, $28 billion | Lakshmi Mittal, $23.5 billion | Paul Allen, $22 billion | Bernard Arnault, $21.5 billion | Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud, $20 billion | Kenneth Thomson and Family, $19.6 billion | Li Ka-shing, $18.8 billion |
2005 | Bill Gates, $46.5 billion | Warren Buffett, $44 billion | Lakshmi Mittal, $25 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $23.8 billion | Prince Al-Waleeed bin Talal al-Saud, $23.7 billion | Ingvar Kamprad, $23 billion | Paul Allen, $21 billion | Karl Albrecht, $18.5 billion | Larry Ellison, $18.4 billion | S. Robson Walton, $18.3 billion |
2004 | Bill Gates, $46.6 billion | Warren Buffett, $42.9 billion | Karl Albrecht, $23 billion | Prince, Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud, $21.5 billion | Paul Allen, $21 billion | Alice Walton, $20 billion | Helen Walton, $20 billion | Jim Walton $20 billion | John Walton, $20 billion | S. Robson Walton, $20 billion |
2003 | Bill Gates, $40.7 billion | Warren Buffett, $30.5 billion | Karl and Theo Albrecht, $25.6 billion | Paul Allen, $20.1 billion | Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud, $17.7 billion | Larry Ellison, $16.6 billion | Alice Walton, $16.5 billion | Helen Walton, $16.5 billion | Jim Walton, $16.5 billion | John Walton, $16.5 billion |
2002 | Bill Gates, $52.8 billion | Warren Buffett, $35 billion | Karl and Theo Albrecht, $26.8 billion | Paul Allen, $25.2 billion | Larry Ellison, $23.5 billion | Jim Walton, $20.8 billion | John Walton, $20.7 billion | Alice Walton, $20.5 billion | S. Robson Walton, $20.5 billion | Helen Walton, $20.5 billion |
2001 | Bill Gates, $58.7 billion | Warren Buffett, $32.3 billion | Paul Allen, $30.4 billion | Larry Ellison, $26 billion | Karl and Theo Albrecht, $25 billion | Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud, $20 billion | Jim Walton, $18.8 billion | John Walton, $18.7 billion | S. Robson Walton, $18.6 billion | Alice Walton*, $18.5 billion, *Tied with Helen Walton |
2000 | Bill Gates, $60 billion | Larry Ellison, $47 billion | Paul Allen, $28.0 billion | Warren Buffett, $25.6 billion | Karl and Theo Albrecht, $20 billion | Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud, $20 billion | S. Robson Walton, $20 billion | Masayoshi Son, $19.4 billion | Michael Dell, $19.1, billion | Kenneth Thomson, $16.1 billion |
1999 | Bill Gates, $90 billion | Warren Buffett, $36 billion | Paul Allen, $30 billion | Steven Ballmer, $19.5 billion | Oeri, Hoffman, and Sacher Families, $17 billion | Philip Anschutz, $16.5 billion | Michael Dell, $16.5 billion | S. Robson Walton, $15.8 billion | Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud, $15 billion | Liliane Bettencourt, $13.9 billion |
1998 | Bill Gates, $51 billion | Walton Family, $48 billion | Warren Buffett, $33 billion | Paul Allen, $21 billion | Kenneth Thomson, $14.4 billion | Jay and Robert Pritzker, $13.5 billion | Forrest Mars Sr. and Family, $13.5 billion | Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal al-Saud, $13.3 billion | Lee Shau-kee, $12.7 billion | Theo and Karl Albrecht, $11.7 billion |
1997 | Bill Gates, $36.4 billion | Walton Family, $27.6 billion | Warren Buffett, $23.2 billion | Lee Shau-kee, $14.7 billion | Paul Allen, $14.1 billion | Kwok Brothers, $12.3 billion | Haas Family, $12.3 billion | Forrest Mars Sr. and Family, $12 billion | Theo and Karl Albrecht, $11.5 billion | Tsai Wan-lin and Family, $11.3 billion |
1996 | Walton Family, $22.9 billion | Bill Gates, $18 billion | Warren Buffett, $15.3 billion | Oeri, Hoffman, and Sacher Families, $13.1 billion | Lee Shau-kee, $12.7 billion | Tsai Wan-lin and Family, $12.2 billion | Kwok Brothers, $11.2 billion | Li Ka-shing, $10.6 billion | Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, $9.2 billion | Theo and Karl Albrecht, $9 billion |
1995 | Walton Family, $23.5 billion | Bill Gates, $12.9 billion | Warren Buffett, $10.7 billion | Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, $9 billion | Hans Rausing, $9 billion | Paul Sacher, $8.6 billion | Tsai Wan-lin, $8.5 billion | Lee Shau-kee, $6.5 billion | Kenneth Thomson, $6.5 billion | Chung Ju-yung, $6.2 billion |
1994 | Walton Family, $22.6 billion | du Pont Family, $9 billion | Hans and Gad Rausing, $9 billion | Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, $8.5 billion | Bill Gates, $8.2 billion | Warren Buffett, $7.9 billion | Paul Sacher and Hoffmann Family, $7.8 billion | Tsai Wan-lin, $7.5 billion | Theo and Karl Albrecht, $7.3 billion | Carlos Slim Helu and Family, $6.6 billion |
1993 | Walton Family, $25.3 billion | Mars Family, $9.2 billion | Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, $9 billion | du Pont Family, $8.6 billion | Minoru and Akira Mori, $7.5 billion | Bill Gates, $7.4 billion | Samuel and Donald Newhouse, $7 billion | Sid and Lee Bass and Brothers, $6.8 billion | Warren Buffett, $6.6 billion | Erivan Haub, $6.2 billion |
1992 | Walton Family, $23.8 billion | Taikichiro Mori, $13 billion | Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, $10 billion | Hans and Gad Rausing, $7 billion | Erivan Haub, $6.9 billion | Haniel Family, $6.4 billion | Bill Gates, $6.4 billion | David Sainsbury and Family, $6.2 billion | Kenneth Thomson, $6.2 billion | Shin Kyuk-ho, $6 billion |
1991 | Walton Family, $18.5 billion | Taikichiro Mori, $15 billion | Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, $14 billion | du Pont Family, $10 billion | Hans and Gad Rausing, $9 billion | Kitaro Watanabe, $7.7 billion | Paul Reichmann and Brothers, $7.1 billion | Kenneth Thomson, $6.8 billion | Kenkichi Nakajima, $6.1 billion | Shin Kyuk-ho, $6 billion |
1990 | Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, $16 billion | Taikichiro Mori, $14.6 billion | Walton Family, $13.5 billion | du Pont Family, $10 billion | Hans and Gad Rausing, $9.6 billion | Kitaro Watanabe, $9.2 billion | Paul Reichamann and Brothers, $9 billion | Kenkichi Nakajima, $8.4 billion | Shin Kyuk-ho, $7.5 billion | Eitaro Itoyama, $5.8 billion |
1989* | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, $25 billion | King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, $18 billion | Forrest Mars Sr. and Family, $12.58 billion | Queen Elizabeth II, $10.9 billion | Samuel and Donald Newhouse, $10 billion | Tsai Wan-lin, $9 billion | Sam Walton, $8.9 billion | Paul Reichmann and Brothers, $8.4 billion | Gerald Grosvenor and Family, $6.9 billion | Kenneth Thomson, $6.9 billion |
1988* | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, $25 billion | King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, $18 billion | Forrest Mars Sr. and Family, $12.5 billion | Queen Elizabeth II, $8.7 billion | Samuel and Donald Newhouse, $8 billion | Sam Walton, $7.4 billion | Paul Reichmann and Brothers, $6.3 billion | Kenneth Colin Irving, $6.2 billion | Kenneth Thomson, $6.0 billion | Gerald Grosvenor, $5.4 billion |
1987 | Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, $20 billion | Taikichiro Mori, $15 billion | Shigeru Kobayashi, $7.5 billion | Haruhiko Yoshimoto, $7 billion | Salim Ahmed bin Mahfouz, $6.2 billion | Hans and Gad Rausing, $6 billion | Paul Reichmann and Brothers, $6 billion | Yohachiro Iwaski, $5.6 billion | Kenneth Thomson, $5.4 billion | Keizo Saji, $4 billion |
Sources:
Since 1987, Forbes magazine has ranked the wealthiest people in the world. A lot has changed.
Today, the richest man in the world is Jeff Bezos of Amazon, worth $131 billion as of March 2019. As the founder of Amazon, he owns a 16% stake in the company, which made $230 billion in one year (2018). He’s particularly interesting considering that as of 2015, he wasn’t even on the top 10 list. Forbes’s richest person by year list and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index both rank him as the wealthiest person in the world today. He shot up the charts quickly, earning his very first billion in 1999, which means he now makes more than a hundred times what he did after only two decades. That’s not bad for a mostly self-made guy who started his career flipping burgers and fixing ketchup containers at McDonald’s
- Jeff Bezos — $131 billion
- Bill Gates — $96.5 billion
- Warren Buffett — $82.5 billion
- Bernard Arnault — $76 billion
- Carlos Slim Helu — $64 billion
- Amancio Ortega — $62.7 billion
- Larry Ellison — $62.5 billion
- Mark Zuckerberg — $62.3 billion
- Michael Bloomberg — $55.5 billion
- Larry Page — $50.8 billion
Bezos wasn’t always the wealthiest man in the world. For the vast majority of the history of the Forbes list, one man has stayed on the top the majority of the time: William Gates III, more commonly known as Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Since the list’s creation in 1987, Gates topped the rankings 16 times (in other words, roughly half of the time). This is despite the billionaire philanthropist’s active efforts to reduce his wealth. The world-famous Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has a mind-boggling endowment of $50.7 billion for its philanthropy and is working to fight malaria and provide clean water to underprivileged communities.
Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, also known as the “Wizard of Omaha,” has ranked consistently on the top 10 list of billionaires and also has formally pledged to give away at least half of his wealth. He’s famously frugal as well, rarely spending more than about three dollars on breakfast, and considers his wealth to be at least partially attributed to luck.
“In short, fate’s distribution of long straws is wildly capricious,” Warren Buffett wrote in his pledge.
One might argue that this kind of philanthropy from the world’s wealthiest is at least somewhat inspired by self-interest rather than pure altruism, given wealth’s complicated history in America. Nevertheless, despite Gates and Buffett giving away massive amounts of money, they still both rank second and third on the Forbes list of richest people in the world and have consistently ranked well for the past 30 years.
Before Buffett, Bezos, and Gates, the Forbes richest people list looked quite different, though. It was less white, for one.
The World’s Richest People in 1987
- Yoshiaki Tsutsumi — $20 billion
- Taikichiro Mori — $15 billion
- Shigeru Kobayashi — $7.5 billion
- Haruhiko Yoshimoto — $7 billion
- Salim Ahmed bin Mahfouz — $6.2 billion
- Hans and Gad Rausing — $6 billion
- Paul Reichmann and Brothers — $6 billion
- Yohachiro Iwaski — $5.6 billion
- Kenneth Thomson — $5.4 billion
- Keizo Saji — $4 billion
The 1987 original Forbes World Billionaires List featured names you might not even recognize: Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, for instance, was the world’s richest man in that year. The hotel, train, and real estate mogul was worth $20 billion in 1987 but was subsequently the subject of lawsuits and accusations of fraud. He’s since been removed from the Forbes list entirely. Examining our list of the richest person in the world by year, one can see how the Lost Decade, a period of economic collapse in the early 1990s, had a huge impact on Japan’s wealthiest.
The list has gotten whiter, and it’s also stayed male. As of now, no self-made female billionaire has made more than $10 billion. That being said, big earners like Oprah Winfrey and Diane Hendricks working their way up the list has been a good thing. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have a female billionaire on the top 10 list in the future.
Our retrospective of the Forbes list shows us both how easy it is to lose money and how hard it is!