World’s 10 richest people in September 2026 — and how their fortunes changed

The global billionaire leaderboard has shifted again, although the biggest names at the top remain firmly in place. According to Forbes’ estimates as of September 1, the world’s 10 richest people collectively control about $2.8 trillion. Nine are American, while Spain’s Amancio Ortega is the only non-American on the list. All 10 people on Forbes’ September 2026 list of the world’s richest are men, while Alice Walton is the world’s richest woman, ranking 16th overall with an estimated $116 billion fortune.

Elon Musk widened his already enormous lead in August after sharp gains in SpaceX and Tesla lifted his fortune by more than $200 billion in a single month. Meanwhile, the lower half of the top 10 saw more movement, with two former No. 1 billionaires, Bernard Arnault and Warren Buffett, falling out of the ranking.

Here is how the world’s richest stack up.

1. Elon Musk — $892 billion

Musk remains in a league of his own.

The SpaceX and Tesla chief added an extraordinary $202 billion to his fortune in August, following a brutal $363 billion decline in July. The rebound came as SpaceX shares climbed 33% and Tesla gained 18%.

Musk’s estimated wealth now stands at $892 billion, putting him more than three times ahead of Larry Page, who ranks second. His fortune is heavily tied to his ownership of SpaceX and Tesla. Musk holds roughly 38% of SpaceX and nearly 11% of Tesla, while additional restricted shares could increase his Tesla stake if certain conditions are met.

The billionaire has repeatedly broken wealth records in recent years. He became the first person to cross the $500 billion mark in 2025 and surpassed $800 billion earlier this year.

Despite his current lead, his September fortune remains below the record $1.33 trillion valuation he reached at SpaceX’s peak in June.

2. Larry Page — $277 billion

Google cofounder Larry Page remains the world’s second-richest person despite losing around $15 billion over the past month.

Page and Sergey Brin founded Google in 1998 while they were Stanford doctoral students. He served as the company’s chief executive twice before stepping away from the day-to-day role. He remains a controlling shareholder and board member of Alphabet, Google’s parent company.

Page briefly crossed the $300 billion threshold earlier this year, making him only the third person ever to reach that level after Musk and Larry Ellison.

His fortune has grown dramatically over the past decade. Forbes valued it at about $144 billion on its 2025 annual billionaire list, when Page ranked seventh.

3. Jeff Bezos — $268 billion

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos holds third place with an estimated $268 billion fortune.

His wealth fell by approximately $10 billion in August, but the decline was not enough to knock him below fellow technology billionaire Sergey Brin. Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, initially operating the business as an online bookseller. The company later expanded into e-commerce, cloud computing, entertainment and other industries.

Although he stepped down as Amazon CEO in 2021, Bezos remains the company’s executive chairman and retains an estimated 8% stake. He has also poured billions into Blue Origin, his private space company, and recently returned to an operational role through Prometheus, an artificial intelligence startup focused on engineering and physical design.

4. Sergey Brin — $256 billion

Google cofounder Sergey Brin ranks fourth, with an estimated fortune of $256 billion.

Brin lost around $13 billion in August but retained his position among the world’s four richest people.

Like Page, Brin remains a controlling Alphabet shareholder and sits on the company’s board. He has also become increasingly involved in Google’s artificial intelligence efforts after spending several years largely away from the company’s day-to-day operations. Brin has directed substantial wealth toward philanthropy. He recently transferred about $1.1 billion worth of Alphabet shares, largely to his nonprofit Catalyst4, which focuses on neurological conditions and climate-related issues.

5. Michael Dell — $241 billion

Michael Dell climbed higher as his fortune increased by an estimated $12 billion over the past month.

The Dell Technologies founder began selling computers from his University of Texas dorm room when he was just 19. His early venture generated about $80,000 during his freshman year. Today, Dell serves as chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, which emerged from the company’s $60 billion combination with EMC in 2016.

Dell took his namesake company public, later took it private with Silver Lake, and eventually returned it to the public markets through a complex restructuring.

His wealth has also benefited from the sale of VMware, which was acquired by Broadcom in 2023.

6. Mark Zuckerberg — $197 billion

Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg ranks sixth, with a fortune estimated at $197 billion.

Zuckerberg founded Facebook while studying at Harvard in 2004. The company has since evolved into Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. He remains Meta’s CEO and owns roughly 13% of the company.

Zuckerberg’s fortune increased by about $6 billion in August. Beyond Meta, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have committed significant resources to philanthropy, particularly medical research and efforts aimed at understanding and treating disease.

Meta has also faced continued scrutiny over the impact of its platforms on young users. The company recently agreed to an $18 billion settlement involving a lawsuit brought by 29 US states over allegations concerning children and social media.

7. Larry Ellison — $193 billion

Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison moved back into seventh place after adding an estimated $25 billion to his fortune. Oracle shares rose 15% during August, pushing Ellison’s wealth to about $193 billion.

The move reversed his previous slide to eighth place and put him ahead of Nvidia chief Jensen Huang.

Ellison has repeatedly moved through the upper ranks of the global wealth table. Earlier this year, he briefly became the world’s second-richest person.

8. Jensen Huang — $193 billion

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang slipped one place despite gaining roughly $17 billion over the past month.

His fortune has surged alongside demand for Nvidia’s chips, which have become central to the global artificial intelligence boom. Huang’s move to eighth place was therefore less about a decline in his wealth and more about Ellison’s even larger increase.

The semiconductor executive remains one of the most prominent beneficiaries of the enormous investor enthusiasm surrounding AI infrastructure.

9. Steve Ballmer — $148 billion

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer moved into the top 10 after gaining about $10 billion.

Ballmer rose from 11th place to ninth, displacing two billionaires who had previously occupied spots among the world’s richest. He joined Microsoft in its early growth years and eventually succeeded Bill Gates as CEO. Ballmer later left the company’s top job and became one of its largest individual shareholders.

His fortune is closely connected to Microsoft, whose long-term expansion helped turn Ballmer into one of the world’s wealthiest individuals.

10. Amancio Ortega — $148 billion

Spanish retail magnate Amancio Ortega rounds out the list.

The Zara founder and former head of Inditex added around $5 billion to his fortune, moving from 12th to 10th place. Ortega is the only non-American in September’s top 10. His wealth comes primarily from his stake in Inditex, the fashion group behind Zara and other major retail brands.

His arrival in the top 10 came at the expense of two familiar names: French luxury tycoon Bernard Arnault and legendary investor Warren Buffett.

What changed on the billionaire leaderboard?

The biggest story remains Musk’s extraordinary recovery. After losing hundreds of billions of dollars in July, he regained more than $200 billion in August and strengthened his grip on the No. 1 position.

The fortunes immediately behind him moved in the opposite direction. Page, Bezos and Brin all lost billions, although none changed position.

Further down the ranking, Ellison’s $25 billion gain was enough to push him above Huang. Ballmer and Ortega also made significant gains, entering the top 10.

Arnault’s decline was linked to weaker luxury spending in China, which weighed on LVMH. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway also retreated after reaching a recent 12-month high.

The figures underline how quickly billionaire rankings can change. Because much of these fortunes is tied to publicly traded shares, their estimated net worth can rise or fall substantially from one trading session to the next.

As of September 1, the 10 richest people in the world were worth a combined $2.8 trillion, roughly $200 billion more than the previous month.

All photos via Reuters