Overview
- Bloomberg’s index shows the top 500 now hold about $11.9 trillion after a record $2.2 trillion increase in 2025.
- Roughly 25% of the year’s gains accrued to only eight individuals, underscoring extreme concentration at the very top.
- Elon Musk was the biggest winner, adding about $190 billion to roughly $622–623 billion, while Larry Ellison rose $57.7 billion to about $250 billion.
- Gains were driven by AI-exposed equities, cryptocurrencies and metals, with some reports noting President Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory as a tailwind.
- The windfall was uneven: Australia’s Gina Rinehart nearly tripled her fortune to $37.7 billion, while Philippine billionaire Manuel Villar lost $12.6 billion after Golden MV Holdings plunged about 80%; Oxfam said the $2.2 trillion could lift 3.8 billion people out of poverty.