The ten wealthiest billionaires in the US earned $796 billion in 2024, because the surging worth of tech shares this yr helped them earn as a lot because the nation’s defence finances ($850 billion)!
Elon Musk Elon Musk’s inventory portfolio earned him $252 billion in 2024, a mean of $5 billion each week. (File picture)(AP)
These American millionaires have been ranked in keeping with their earnings in a report by the Each day Beast.
Right here is the listing.
1. Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s inventory portfolio earned him $252 billion in 2024, a mean of $5 billion each week. He’s concerned in six main corporations: privately held Area X, Tesla, xAI, Neuralink, and the Boring Firm.
Musk additionally controls the social media platform X (previously Twitter). Since Trump’s victory within the US presidential election, Musk has been reportedly busy remaking the US federal authorities forward of Trump’s presidency.
2. The Waltons
The richest household within the US earned round $148 billion from their inventory portfolio. Their major wealth was inherited from Sam Walton, the founding father of America’s greatest employer, Walmart. Complete wealth is cut up among the many relations, together with Alice Walton, the second-richest girl on the planet.
3. Mark Zuckerberg
The founding father of Meta, now proudly owning 13.5% of the corporate’s shares, earned $82 billion from surging tech shares in 2024. The report notes that Meta’s worth has elevated greater than six occasions since late 2022.
The report notes that the corporate sustains one of many strongest margins (35-40%) amongst tech shares and appears to keep up the momentum by tapping into AI by deploying Llama AI.
4. Larry Ellison
Oracle’s founder earned $73 billion this yr, with a serious portion of his wealth coming from his 43% stake within the cloud computing firm.
5. Jensen Huang – founder, Nvidia
The spike within the firm’s company worth this yr helped Huang, who owns 3.8% of stakes, add to his earnings of $72 billion. Nvidia’s worth elevated by $1.9 billion in 2024, greater than twice as a lot as some other tech firm.
6. Jeff Bezos
Regardless of a tumultuous yr for his house firm Blue Origins and The Washington Put up, the founding father of Amazon elevated his web price by greater than $1 billion each week. Bezos owns nearly 9 per cent of Amazon’s inventory and funds Blue Origin by periodically promoting the e-commerce behemoth’s inventory.
7. Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett, famend for his funding prowess, is at the moment famous for holding a report $325 million in money, practically 30% of Berkshire Hathaway’s worth, after promoting two-thirds of his Apple shares. He earned $29 billion this yr.
Regardless of this cash-heavy place, Berkshire Hathaway has outperformed most buyers, gaining 28% this yr, barely forward of the S&P 500’s 25% rise and corresponding to the Nasdaq’s 29%.
8. Steve Ballmer
Former Microsoft CEO earned $20 billion in 2024. Ballmer noticed the corporate’s shares fall by a 3rd over his 14-year tenure. He nonetheless retains 4.5% of the corporate, whose fortune was circled by a brand new CEO, Satya Nadella. Microsoft is the third most dear firm on the planet.
9. Larry Web page and Sergei Brin
Google’s founders, Larry Web page and Sergey Brin, stepped again from operating Alphabet 5 years in the past however nonetheless maintain important stakes, with Web page proudly owning barely over 3% and Brin barely much less.
Because of Alphabet’s $650 billion worth enhance this yr, their holdings have grown considerably, incomes them $19-20 billion. The duo retain management of the corporate by their super-voting shares, giving them 51% of the voting energy.
10. Micheal Dell
Dell, as soon as primarily recognized for making PCs, misplaced prominence after its early success however has now reinvented itself as a key participant in AI infrastructure. Its machines energy Elon Musk’s supercomputer, and its founder’s inventory has risen 55% this yr, including $29 billion in worth, including $14 billion to his web price. Dell nonetheless owns about half of the corporate.