It added that there are now more billionaires than ever before across the world with 2,781aking the list. This is 141 more than 2023. They are richer than ever and are worth $14.2 trillion.
The world recorded an upsurge in billionaires, a report by Forbes Magazine has said.
In Africa, Aliko Dangote remains the riches, and the richest black man in the world. He is worth $13.4 billion this year. The Dangote Group of Companies remains the largest employer of labour in the private sector in Nigeria.
This information is released by Forbes this week reporting that the Dangote net worth had risen to $13.4 billion.
Other Nigerians listed in the report include Mike Adenuga who is worth a whooping $6.7 billion and Abdussamad Rabiu worth $5.2 billion followed by Femi Otedola that is worth $1.4 billion, all in 2024 despite the global economic downturn.
The Forbes report states that money is concentrated at the very top. There are now a record 14 people who are members of the $100 Billion Club, the elite group of people whose net worth stretch into 12 digits, which is up from just one four years ago.
The report added that these lucky few are worth $2 trillion in all, meaning just 0.5 percent of the world’s 2,781 billionaires hold 14 percent of all billionaire wealth in the world.
It added that there are now more billionaires than ever before across the world with 2,781aking the list. This is 141 more than 2023. They are richer than ever and are worth $14.2 trillion.
There are 813 billionaires in the United States worth $5.7 trillion, putting it in the lead with China coming second with 473 billionaires worth $1.7 trillion in aggregate. The third on the list is India which has 200 billionaires.
The report said that “the richest of all is Bernard Arnault, who holds the number one spot for the second year in a row. The French luxury goods kingpin is worth an estimated $233 billion, $22 billion more than in 2023 thanks to another record year for his conglomerate LVMH, the company behind brands such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Sephora.”
It added that “two-thirds of the planet’s billionaires are richer than a year ago. No one has gained more, in sheer dollar terms, than Mark Zuckerberg, who has benefited to the tune of a $116.2 billion jump in a single year; thanks to Meta stock nearly tripling amid cost-cutting layoffs and big bets on AI and the metaverse. Zuckerberg is number four on Forbes’ 2024 ranking, worth an estimated $177 billion, the richest he’s ever been. Oracle’s Larry Ellison, worth an estimated $141 billion, rounds out the top five.”
