Warren Buffett, famously known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” is one of the greatest investors in history. He bought his first stock at 11 and filed taxes at 13. Buffett runs Berkshire Hathaway, a conglomerate owning numerous companies. He has pledged to donate over 99 per cent of his wealth and has already given away around $60 billion (over Rs 5 lakh crore), mainly through the Gates Foundation. His current net worth is $142.1 billion, according to Forbes.
9. Steve Ballmer ($131.6 billion – approximately Rs 11 lakh crore)
Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, led the company from 2000 to 2014. After retiring, he purchased the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion, a team now valued at $4.65 billion (Rs 40,000 crore approx.) by Forbes. Since 2014, Ballmer has donated over $4 billion to various causes. Most of his $131.6 billion net worth, estimated by Forbes, comes from his Microsoft stock holdings.
10. Amancio Ortega ($119.3 billion – approximately Rs 10 lakh crore)
Amancio Ortega, the cofounder of Inditex, is best known for creating the Zara fashion chain with his ex-wife in 1975. He owns about 60 per cent of Inditex, which operates 5,000 stores globally. Ortega earns over $400 million (Rs 4000 crore approx.) annually in dividends, which he primarily reinvests in real estate across Europe and North America, and his net worth is currently $119.3 billion, according to Forbes.
11. Michael Dell ($118.1 billion – approximately Rs 9.8 lakh crore)
Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, has a net worth of $118.1 billion, according to Forbes. Much of his wealth comes from his private investment firm, DFO Management, which holds stakes in hotels and corporate credit investments. In 2023, he donated over $3 billion (over Rs 25,000 crore) in cash and stock to his foundation, which focuses on addressing child poverty.
12. Jensen Huang ($113.4 billion – approximately Rs 9.4 lakh crore)
Jensen Huang, CEO and president of Nvidia, cofounded the graphics-chip company in 1993 and has led it ever since. Huang owns about 3 per cent of Nvidia, which went public in 1999. His net worth is currently $113.4 billion, according to Forbes.
13. Rob Walton ($113.3 billion – approximately Rs 9.4 lakh crore)
Rob Walton, the eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, became chairman of the company after his father’s death in 1992. Walton and his siblings inherited a significant portion of their wealth from their father, who gave each of them a 20 per cent stake in Walmart, helping them avoid paying billions in estate taxes, according to Business Insider. Rob Walton’s current net worth is $113.3 billion.
14. Jim Walton ($112 billion – approximately Rs 9.3 lakh crore)
Jim Walton, the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, is the chairman of Arvest Bank Group, which holds assets of $26 billion (over Rs 2 lakh crore), according to Forbes. Thanks to a 50 per cent rise in Walmart’s stock this year, Jim’s net worth surpassed $100 billion. His current net worth stands at $112 billion, according to Forbes.
15. Bill Gates ($107 billion – approximately Rs 8.9 lakh crore)
In 2024, Bill Gates, the cofounder of Microsoft, fell out of the top 10 richest people list for the first time in over 20 years, according to The Times of India. His current net worth is $107 billion, according to Forbes. Gates co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975. By March 2020, when Gates stepped down from the Microsoft board, he owned about 1.3 per cent of the company. After donating billions of dollars in Microsoft shares to fund the Gates Foundation in 2022, his stake in the company is now below 1 per cent, according to Forbes.
16. Alice Walton ($104.3 billion – approximately Rs 8.7 lakh crore)
Alice Walton, the only daughter of Sam Walton, became the world’s richest woman earlier this year. In September, she joined her brothers, Jim and Rob, in the $100 billion club, according to Business Insider. An art lover, Alice opened the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansa, in 2011. Her current net worth is $104.3 billion, according to Forbes.