The Top 10 Richest People in the World in Feb. 2026: Forbes Report
The February, 2026 Forbes ranking of the world’s billionaires highlights individuals whose wealth reflects the most influential industries today. From technology and AI to luxury and strategic investments, this list shows where global power and economic influence reside.
Notably, eight of the ten richest individuals are from the United States, reflecting the country’s dominance in technology and innovation, while Bernard Arnault is from France and Amancio Ortega is from Spain, representing luxury and retail sectors outside the U.S.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk tops the 2026 list with an estimated net worth of $775 billion. Musk’s wealth spans multiple ventures, including Tesla, SpaceX, and his AI-focused company, xAI. Tesla’s groundbreaking electric vehicles, combined with SpaceX’s commercial space contracts and Musk’s investments in artificial intelligence, have propelled him to the very top of global wealth rankings. His position highlights how technological innovation and risk-taking in emerging industries remain key drivers of extreme wealth in the 21st century.
Larry Page
Larry Page, co-founder of Google and Alphabet, holds the second spot with a net worth exceeding $200 billion. Page’s fortune comes primarily from Alphabet’s dominance in search, advertising, and cloud computing. Platforms like YouTube and the Android operating system have sustained Alphabet’s global reach and profitability, rewarding Page with one of the largest personal fortunes in history. His ranking underscores the value of founding companies that serve fundamental needs on a global scale.
Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin, Alphabet co-founder, ranks third with an estimated net worth of $190 billion. Brin’s wealth is tied to the same tech ecosystem as Page, including search, cloud services, and YouTube. Unlike some of his peers, Brin maintains a relatively private lifestyle, yet his fortune continues to grow due to the long-term value of Google’s market dominance.
This year, Brin moved up one position compared to last year, overtaking Jeff Bezos, reflecting growth in Alphabet’s market value while Amazon stock experienced relative stagnation. His position illustrates that sustained ownership in global tech platforms can generate immense wealth even without public visibility.
Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, sits fourth with a net worth exceeding $150 billion. Bezos continues to profit from Amazon’s global e-commerce operations and the highly lucrative Amazon Web Services cloud division.
Compared to 2025, Bezos has dropped one position, reflecting slower growth in Amazon stock relative to other tech companies like Nvidia and Alphabet. Even after stepping down as CEO, Bezos’ wealth reflects Amazon’s central role in modern retail and cloud computing, demonstrating the long-term financial rewards of pioneering digital marketplaces.
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg ranks fifth, with a net worth around $140 billion. As CEO of Meta, he oversees Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, platforms that dominate social networking and digital advertising worldwide.
Zuckerberg’s ranking is unchanged from last year, despite challenges in user growth and regulatory scrutiny, Meta’s advertising business remains highly profitable, maintaining Zuckerberg’s status among the globe’s wealthiest. His presence shows how social networks continue to be powerful engines for wealth creation.
Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, ranks sixth with an estimated net worth of $120 billion. Ellison built his fortune through enterprise software and cloud solutions that serve corporations worldwide. Oracle’s transition into cloud computing has preserved its relevance, and Ellison’s wealth highlights the enduring financial potential of software solutions that power business infrastructure globally.
Bernard Arnault
Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, occupies the seventh spot with an estimated net worth of $115 billion. Arnault’s fortune comes from luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Sephora, catering to high-end consumers worldwide.
Arnault moved down one position compared to 2025, after a strong rise in tech stock valuations outpaced luxury gains. His ranking demonstrates that even in a tech-dominated era, luxury goods and cultural influence remain major sources of wealth.
Jensen Huang
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, ranks eighth with an estimated net worth of $110 billion. Huang’s leadership in AI hardware and semiconductors has positioned Nvidia at the center of the artificial intelligence revolution.
This marks a significant rise compared to 2025, reflecting the explosive growth in AI and the increased demand for Nvidia GPUs powering AI and high-performance computing worldwide. Huang is one of the biggest gainers this year in the top ten.
Nvidia’s GPUs power AI models, data centers, and advanced computing applications, reflecting how technology beyond software; specifically AI infrastructure can create extraordinary wealth.
Amancio Ortega
Amancio Ortega, founder of Inditex and Zara, ranks ninth with a net worth of $85 billion. Ortega built a global retail empire through Zara’s fast-fashion model, emphasizing efficiency, rapid design cycles, and international expansion. His inclusion shows that traditional industries such as fashion and retail, when executed at scale, can generate wealth comparable to the largest technology companies.
Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, rounds out the top ten with an estimated net worth of $80 billion. Buffett’s fortune is the result of decades of strategic, long-term investing across diverse industries including insurance, retail, and energy.
Buffett moved down one position compared to 2025, as tech and AI-related fortunes outpaced traditional investing. Nonetheless, his decades-long strategy of diversified investments continues to secure him a place in the world’s wealthiest.
His ranking emphasizes that wealth can be built and preserved not only through innovation but also through disciplined investment and portfolio management.
The 2026 Forbes top 10 richest people reveal several key trends. Technology and artificial intelligence dominate wealth creation, with six of the ten billionaires deriving their fortunes from tech ventures. Luxury and global retail industries remain powerful, as demonstrated by Bernard Arnault and Amancio Ortega. Long-term investing continues to produce significant wealth, as exemplified by Warren Buffett.
These individuals not only represent vast financial resources but also influence global industries, job creation, and market trends. Understanding their paths to wealth provides insight into where opportunity, innovation, and economic power are concentrated in the modern world.