Meet the 10 biggest wealth gainers this year — who’ve added a combined $360 billion to their fortunes in 2024
Jim Walton, Alice Walton, and Rob Walton.
Ten people have grown their personal fortunes by a combined $360 billion this year — a sum larger than the market value of Coca-Cola ($307 billion), Bank of America ($301 billion), or Netflix ($295 billion).
This year’s biggest wealth gainers include Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Oracle chairman Larry Ellison. The massive buzz around artificial intelligence has boosted their companies’ stock prices this year, benefiting them as the biggest shareholders.
Here are the 10 greatest wealth builders this year as of Thursday, September 12:
10.Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett.
Year-to-date wealth gain: $22.3 billion
Net worth: $142 billion
Source of wealth gain: Berkshire Hathaway stock
Warren Buffett is the CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, which owns scores of businesses such as Geico and Fruit of the Loom, and holds multibillion-dollar stakes in public companies like Apple and Coca-Cola.
Berkshire owns lots of economically sensitive businesses, and their prospects have brightened as inflation and recession fears have faded, pushing its stock up 26% this year.
9.Amancio Ortega
Amancio Ortega.
Year-to-date wealth gain: $22.3 billion
Net worth: $110 billion
Source of wealth gain: Inditex stock
Amancio Ortega is the founder and former chairman of Inditex, the Spanish powerhouse that owns Zara, Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Pull&Bear, and other fashion brands.
Inditex shares have gained 28% this year due to strong consumer demand, and Ortega’s net worth has jumped as a result.
8.Michael Dell
Michael Dell.
Year-to-date wealth gain: $27.8 billion
Net worth: $106 billion
Source of wealth gain: Dell Technologies stock
Michael Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, the storied maker of PCs, printers, and other computing equipment.
Dell shares have soared 49% this year as the company shifted its focus toward AI-powered devices and servers.
7.Rob Walton
Rob Walton
Year-to-date wealth gain: $28.1 billion
Net worth: $99.3 billion
Source of wealth gain: Walmart stock
Rob Walton is the eldest son of Sam Walton and an heir to the Walmart fortune.
He and his siblings owe a big chunk of their wealth to their father, who handed them each a 20% stake in the family business over 70 years ago instead of having them inherit his fortune upon his death, in turn avoiding paying billions of dollars in estate taxes.
6.Alice Walton
Alice Walton.
Year-to-date wealth gain: $28.7 billion
Net worth: $98.7 billion
Source of wealth gain: Walmart stock
Alice Walton is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton.
She overtook L’Oréal heiress Françoise Bettencourt Meyers to become the world’s richest woman in August.
5.Jim Walton
Jim Walton.
Year-to-date wealth gain: $29.1 billion
Net worth: $102 billion
Source of wealth gain: Walmart stock
Jim Walton is the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton and one of the megaretailer’s largest shareholders with an over 11% stake.
Walmart stock has climbed 52% this year, fueled by resilient consumer spending in the face of historic inflation and soaring interest rates in recent years. The surge led to Walton amassing a $100 billion fortune for the first time this month.
4.Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos.
Year-to-date wealth gain: $32.4 billion
Net worth: $209 billion
Source of wealth gain: Amazon stock
Jeff Bezos is Amazon’s founder, former CEO, and executive chairman.
Amazon shares have leaped 24% this year as investors bet the online retailer can harness AI to supercharge its sales and leverage Amazon Web Services to become a key provider of cloud infrastructure to AI companies.
3.Larry Ellison
Oracle chairman Larry Ellison.
Year-to-date wealth gain: $50 billion
Net worth: $173 billion
Source of wealth gain: Oracle stock
Larry Ellison is the cofounder, executive chairman, and chief technology officer of Oracle, one of the largest enterprise software companies.
Oracle stock has jumped 58% this year as the company has emerged as a key provider of cloud data centers for AI businesses, lifting Ellison’s fortune along with it.
2.Mark Zuckerberg
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Year-to-date wealth gain: $58.6 billion
Net worth: $187 billion
Source of wealth gain: Meta stock
Mark Zuckerberg is the cofounder and CEO of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
Meta stock has soared 48% this year as investors wager Zuckerberg’s big bets on AI and the metaverse will pay off in the years ahead. Zuckerberg has added nearly $60 billion to his net worth as a result, propelling him into third place on Bloomberg’s rich list.
1.Jensen Huang
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Year-to-date wealth gain: $60.5 billion
Net worth: $104 billion
Source of wealth gain: Nvidia stock
Jensen Huang is the founder and CEO of Nvidia, the graphics chip maker that has emerged as a critical seller of “picks and shovels” to the AI gold rush.
Nvidia’s stock has surged 140% this year, boosting its market value to around $2.9 trillion and Huang’s net worth by over $60 billion to north of $100 billion.
