Top 10 Richest People in the World in 2026: The Dominance of Tech Innovators

The beginning of 2026 brought unprecedented changes in global wealth rankings. The top 10 richest people in the world collectively amassed assets exceeding trillions of dollars, driven by rising valuations of tech companies, the expansion of artificial intelligence, and innovations in the space sector. We are entering a completely new era of tech oligarchy, where digital empires determine global wealth.

Elon Musk maintains an undisputed leadership position

The entrepreneur from South Africa leads the ranking with an estimated net worth of $726 billion — an unprecedented level in modern business history. His fortune is built on four main pillars: the rising valuation of SpaceX (a private space company), the expanding Starlink satellite network, his stake in Tesla, and significant influence in AI and neurotechnology industries. Such a gap from the competition is almost without historical precedent.

Tech giants dominate the competition

In second place is Larry Page, co-founder of Google, with a fortune of around $270 billion, benefiting from Alphabet’s monopoly in AI and internet search. Third is Jeff Bezos, creator of Amazon, with an estimated net worth of $255 billion, supported by growth in AWS cloud services and a global logistics network. This distribution shows that nearly all of the top 10 wealthiest people are founders and executives of American tech conglomerates.

Artificial intelligence and innovation drive wealth growth

The wealth boom of the elite is primarily fueled by explosive growth in the AI and cloud computing sectors. Valuations of companies like NVIDIA (semiconductors), Alphabet (AI services), and Amazon (cloud infrastructure) have reached historic highs. Additionally, renewed interest in the space industry, driven by SpaceX, has increased the estimated value of the private space sector. These billionaires, who retain significant stakes in their companies, benefit from long-term investments in the future.

Full ranking: the path to the peak of wealth

The top 10 richest people in the world are as follows:

1. Elon Musk — $726 billion
2. Larry Page — $270 billion
3. Jeff Bezos — $255 billion
4. Sergey Brin — $251 billion
5. Larry Ellison — $248 billion
6. Mark Zuckerberg — $233 billion
7. Bernard Arnault — $205 billion
8. Steve Ballmer — $170 billion
9. Jensen Huang — $156 billion
10. Warren Buffett — $151 billion

A clear shift toward the technology and innovation sectors is noticeable. Seven out of the ten wealthiest individuals are directly from the digital and tech industries, while traditional sectors have become marginalized. This structure reflects a fundamental change in the global economy, where value is created by artificial intelligence, software, and innovative solutions.