The Rich Get Richer: A Look at the Top 10 Wealthiest People Over the Last Decade

Over the past decade, the world's wealthiest individuals have seen their fortunes grow at an astonishing rate.

The Numbers

• 2016: Combined net worth of the top 10 richest people was $559 billion.
• Today: That number has skyrocketed to $2.6 trillion.

The Top 10

Then (2016)

1. Bill Gates
2. Amancio Ortega
3. Warren Buffett
4. Jeff Bezos
5. Carlos Slim
6. Charles Koch
7. Mark Zuckerberg
8. Larry Page
9. Larry Ellison
10. David Koch

Now

1. Elon Musk - $682 billion
2. Jeff Bezos
3. Bernard Arnault
4. Larry Ellison
5. Warren Buffett
6. Larry Page
7. Bill Gates
8. Mark Zuckerberg
9. Steve Ballmer
10. Julia Flesher Koch

Notable Changes

Elon Musk's Rise

• Net Worth: $682 billion
• Key Holdings:
• Tesla: Stock increased 27-fold over the past decade.
• SpaceX: Private valuation reached $800 billion.
• xAI: Valued at around $230 billion.

Rankings Drop

• Amancio Ortega: Fell from 2nd to 15th place despite his net worth nearly doubling.
• Carlos Slim and Charles Koch: Also saw significant ranking drops.

Philanthropy's Impact

• Bill Gates: Dropped to 17th place due to charitable giving.
• Donated over $60 billion to the Gates Foundation.
• Pledged to give away 99% of his fortune by 2045.
• Warren Buffett: Gave away more than half of his Berkshire Hathaway stock.

The Bigger Picture

• 2016: Top 10 net worths ranged from $40 billion to $84 billion.
• Today: Range from $148 billion to $682 billion.
• Striking Difference: The world's wealthiest individual today is eight times richer than the richest person a decade ago.