The combined net worth of the richest people on the planet is an incredible amount, larger than the GDP of a bunch of countries around the world.
Some adore the billionaires' approach to life and their incessant drive for wealth, while others believe them to be greedy and exploitative of people lower down the system.
What is true without a doubt is that money buys you influence and people often hang on every word of the globe's most affluent mega-money people.
The list contains some well-known names from software founders to inventors, to global shopping emperors and revolutionary tech boffins, but doesn't contain Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.
According to a report from Oxfam, the ten richest people in the world saw their wealth double since the start of the global -pandemic.
So who are the ten richest people on the planet and how did they earn themselves so much money?
Who is the richest person in the world?
-
Who is Elon Musk's new 'mystery' girlfriend? Meet Australian actress Natasha Bassett
Elon Musk is the richest person in the world. Forbes has put together a regularly updated list of people who hold much of the world's riches.
Elon Musk
Musk rose to his huge fortune as part of electric car maker Tesla and now rocket company Space X.
In his personal life, he has dated the likes of Amber Heard and Talulah Riley, before getting with Canadian musician Grimes. The two had a child before separating.
His net worth is estimated to be just under £172billion. More than enough to buy a few Tesla Model Xs with.
Based on figures from 2019, Musk would be the 44th richest country on Earth.
Bernard Arnault
Bernard Anrault is the CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
The company now owns a range of luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Bulgari and Christian Dior.
All of this combined wealth earns Arnault and his family a net worth of £135billion.
Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos used his wealth to go to space. The Amazon founder started his business as an online bookstore before it turned into a huge international service that provides any product imaginable, as well as a video-streaming service with exclusive shows.
Amazon has come under fire for its treatment of workers, but Bezos has emerged relatively unscathed with a net worth rocketing up to £131billion.
Bill Gate
Bill Gates' net worth is believed to be around £95billion.
Gates, founder of Microsoft, has become as well known for his charity work since accumulating his vast wealth, which has been gained despite some questionable behaviour.
Gates has previously said he made a "huge mistake" in spending time with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The billionaire claimed the meetings were about a philanthropy project which never saw the light of day.
He said: "It was a huge mistake to spend time with him, to give him the credibility of being there."
Warren Buffet
Warren Buffet is the closest thing on Wall Street to a guru.
Now 91, the savvy investor has earned himself a jaw-dropping £83billion in his near-century present on the old green and blue.
The son of a US Congressman, he first filed taxes at the age of 13 and his firm Berkshire Hathaway owns more than 60 companies.
Larry Page
How did you find this article? Chances are it was Google. Larry Page co-founded the global tech giant in 1998 and helped invent an internet search engine that revolutionised the use of the internet.
No longer CEO of parent company Alphabet, but still a controlling shareholder, 48-year-old Page has just under £81billion to his name.
Sergey Brin
Larry Page co-founded Google along with Sergey Brin, who also stepped down as president of Google with Page.
Also 48, his net worth is just shy of Page's at £78billion.
Brin hopes that Google will retain the start-up attitude that gave it so much success.
He told the New York Times: "One of the primary goals I have is to get Google to be a big company that has the nimbleness and soul and passion and speed of a start-up."
Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison, 77, made his fortune as co-founder of software company Oracle and also joined the board of Tesla in 2018 after purchasing three million shares. His net worth is now believed to be £75billion.
Some people have incredible titles to their name. The Queen, for instance, is known by a full title of 'Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith'.
Similarly, upon Ellison was bestowed the equally impressive 'second-richest Larry in the world'.
Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer became employee number 30 of Microsoft in 1980.
Ballmer, now 65, and Microsoft co-founder Gates were classmates at Harvard and while his net worth is much lower than his former study partner, his net worth is around £68billion.
Ballmer became president of Microsoft in 1998, and two years later moved on to become the company’s CEO, taking over from Gates.
After suffering from panic attacks due to shyness as a child, Ballmer actually became known in Microsoft for his loud personality in which he had to have surgery on his vocal cords after shouting so much.
Mukesh Ambani
One of only two non-Americans in the top 10, Indian Mukesh Ambani has a net worth of around £67billion.
According to Forbes, his Reliance Industries "has interests in petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecom and retail".
He earned his money initially by going into business with his father and helping to expand Reliance.
Not a man to desperately peruse the aisles of Pandora after forgetting his partner's birthday, Mumbani bought his wife Neeta on her 44th birthday a custom-fitted Airbus plane for around £44million.
The plane was fitted out with a cabin, office, games consoles, jacuzzi and satellite TV. When relaxing on the plane, Neeta could use the aircraft's master bedroom, showers and bar with mood lighting.
The forward-thinking businessman said: "Anything and everything that can go digital is going digital. India cannot afford to be left behind."
Source: Read Full Article