2025 proved to be a spectacular year for most billionaires, but a select few saw their wealth skyrocket to unprecedented levels. Among them, Elon Musk has undoubtedly had the most extraordinary year, with his net worth reaching staggering new heights.
Beginning 2025 with a fortune of $421 billion, Musk made history by becoming the first person to reach $500 billion in October. By December, he had surpassed $750 billion, largely due to major milestones for his companies. SpaceX’s valuation nearly doubled to $800 billion, while a court ruling allowed Musk to retain a massive Tesla stock option package, boosting his net worth. As of December 22, Musk’s wealth stood at an astounding $754 billion, a rise of more than $333 billion in 2025—an average gain of about $935 million per day.
While Musk’s gain was the largest, other billionaires also saw impressive increases in their wealth throughout the year. The global billionaire class collectively added $3.6 trillion to their net worths, with their combined wealth now totaling $18.7 trillion. The surge in wealth was driven largely by a robust performance in the stock markets, including a 17% return on the S&P 500. However, some individuals were far luckier than others, as the top 10 wealthiest gained a combined $730 billion.
Notably, six of the top 10 wealthiest billionaires are from the U.S., reflecting the concentration of wealth in the country, where technological advancements—especially in AI—have been central to this wealth creation. With AI investments surging, the U.S. has increasingly positioned itself as the leader in this global race, helping to propel these tech billionaires to even greater financial heights.
Here are the top 10 billionaires who saw the most significant growth in 2025, ranked by their wealth increase:
10. (tie) Carlos Slim Helú
- Net Worth: $101.6 billion
- Increase in 2025: +$24.3 billion
- Industry: Telecommunications
- Country: Mexico
Carlos Slim, Mexico’s richest individual, saw his wealth grow thanks to América Móvil, Latin America’s leading mobile telecom firm, which gained over 3 million new customers. Additionally, his Grupo Carso conglomerate has made major strides in energy, securing a $2 billion deal to develop oil wells with Pemex. Despite global market volatility, the peso strengthened by almost 15% this year, benefiting Slim’s holdings.
9. (tie) Mark Zuckerberg
- Net Worth: $226.8 billion
- Increase in 2025: +$24.3 billion
- Industry: Technology
- Country: U.S.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, reported impressive growth in 2025, largely driven by investments in AI. With a 21% year-over-year revenue increase, Zuckerberg’s wealth climbed alongside Meta’s stock price, which rose 13% during the year.
8. Masayoshi Son
- Net Worth: $56.1 billion
- Increase in 2025: +$25.4 billion
- Industry: Finance & Investments
- Country: Japan
The founder of SoftBank saw his fortune surge thanks to strategic AI infrastructure investments, including SoftBank’s $6.5 billion acquisition of Ampere Computing, a U.S. chip design company. The company also sold $5.8 billion worth of Nvidia stock, which provided the capital for more high-stakes projects, like the $500 billion Stargate Project.
7. Germán Larrea Mota Velasco & Family
- Net Worth: $51.4 billion
- Increase in 2025: +$25.6 billion
- Industry: Mining
- Country: Mexico
Larrea’s Grupo México, the largest copper producer in Mexico, benefited from rising metal prices and increased production. A 50% jump in profits, bolstered by the sale of molybdenum, zinc, and silver, helped propel his wealth upward.
6. Amancio Ortega
- Net Worth: $145.2 billion
- Increase in 2025: +$28.7 billion
- Industry: Fashion & Retail
- Country: Spain
While the global clothing market faced challenges, Ortega’s Inditex conglomerate, which owns Zara, had a standout year, with revenue growing thanks to a booming Spanish economy. The company opened major stores in the U.S., such as a massive Zara flagship in Las Vegas. Ortega himself took in billions in dividends, investing those earnings into real estate ventures across North America and Europe.
5. Larry Ellison
- Net Worth: $250.3 billion
- Increase in 2025: +$40.6 billion
- Industry: Technology
- Country: U.S.
Oracle’s cofounder had an extraordinary year, especially in September, when Oracle’s stock soared by 36%, adding nearly $100 billion to his net worth. Though some of those gains reversed, Ellison still had a strong year. Additionally, he expanded his influence by securing partial control over TikTok and orchestrating a key merger between Paramount and Skydance Media.
4. Jensen Huang
- Net Worth: $159.5 billion
- Increase in 2025: +$42.3 billion
- Industry: Technology
- Country: U.S.
As CEO of Nvidia, Huang saw his fortune swell with the booming demand for AI chips. The company’s market value surpassed $5 trillion in 2025, the first-ever company to achieve such a valuation. Though Nvidia’s stock cooled after its peak, it still finished the year 37% higher than in January, further adding to Huang’s wealth.
3. Sergey Brin
- Net Worth: $235.1 billion
- Increase in 2025: +$86.1 billion
- Industry: Technology
- Country: U.S.
As one of the cofounders of Google, Sergey Brin’s wealth soared alongside the company’s advancements in AI. With Google hitting $100 billion in quarterly revenue and making strides in military AI contracts, Brin’s net worth expanded significantly in 2025.
2. Larry Page
- Net Worth: $254.7 billion
- Increase in 2025: +$98.7 billion
- Industry: Technology
- Country: U.S.
Page, alongside Brin, benefitted from Google’s record revenues and AI breakthroughs. With a 61% increase in Google’s stock price, Page’s net worth jumped by nearly $100 billion, cementing his place among the top gainers of 2025.
1. Elon Musk
- Net Worth: $754.4 billion
- Increase in 2025: +$333.2 billion
- Industry: Technology
- Country: U.S.
Musk’s extraordinary year was driven by his various ventures. SpaceX’s valuation nearly doubled, and Tesla’s stock surged, following a court ruling that allowed Musk to retain lucrative stock options. Additionally, his AI company, xAI Holdings, increased its valuation, adding to Musk’s fortune. As of 2025’s end, Musk is on track to potentially become the world’s first trillionaire, with his wealth continuing to grow into 2026.
In summary, 2025 saw massive wealth gains among the world’s richest, with tech billionaires leading the way as investments in AI and technology soared. Musk remains the standout figure of the year, but many others in the tech and energy sectors saw substantial gains as well.
