Forbes Richest People in the World, 2023

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Last Updated:November 22, 2023

Forbes Richest People in the World, 2023

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Forbes released its annual list of the richest people in the world, and there are not too many surprises at who landed at the top. But what comes as a surprise is that the number of billionaires around the world declined for the second straight year. The total wealth dropped, too.

The 37th annual Forbes list shows wealth dropped by $500 billion. The leader in billionaires remains the United States, with 735 billion.

See the complete list of Forbes billionaires.

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The wealthiest people in the world

1. Bernard Arnault

The French tastemaker heads the brands we know and covet as CEO of LVNH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in France. Forbes recorded him at $76 billion in 2020, $150 billion in 2021, and now $211 billion in 2023, becoming the first French billionaire to make the list since Forbes began its rankings in 1987.

2. Elon Musk

Dropping to second place, coinciding with his Tesla company's shares falling nearly 50% following his takeover of Twitter, which cost him $44 million. While he is worth $39 billion less than 2022, his net worth is still a mighty $180 billion.

3. Jeff Bezos

Following Musk in loss of wealth is the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whose net worth is $114 billion. Bezos lost $57 billion in one year following Amazon's stock decline (38%).

4. Larry Ellison

Moving into the top five for the first time, Larry Ellison is chairman, cofounder, and chief technology officer of Oracle, the software company. Ellison's wealth reached $107 billion in 2023.

5. Warren Buffett

The "Oracle of Omaha" is one of the world's most successful investors and is best known as the CEO of the conglomerate known as Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett has also pledged to give away 99% of his wealth. His net worth clocked in at $106 billion this year.

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The youngest billionaires in the world

The 11 youngest people on the list are all under 30.

1. Clemente Del Vecchio

At 18, Clemente Del Vecchio is the youngest billionaire on the list. As one of six children of Leonard Del Vecchio, Clemente amassed $3.5 billion following the death of his father, the late chairman of eyeglasses company EssilorLuxottica.

2. Kim Jung-youn

Along with her older sister, 19-year-old Kim Jung-youn owns 31% of the online gaming giant Nexon. The youngest female billionaire on this list, Kim resides in South Korea.

3. Kevin David Lehmann

At 20, Kevin David Lehmann hails from Germany and owns 50% of the nation's leading drugstore chain. With a net worth of $2.3 billion, it's actually a second year of decline from his 2021 reported net worth of $3.3 billion.

4. Kim Jung-Min

The older sister of Kim Jung-youn, Kim Jung-Min, 21, also holds a 31% share in Nexon. She and her sister each have $1.7 billion in wealth.

5. Alexandra Andersen

Along with her elder sister, Katharina, 26-year-old Alexandra, Alexandra inherited 42% of her Norwegian family's investment company, Ferd. (Her sister is 27.) Each has a $1.5 billion net worth.

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The most affluent women in the world

Forbes' 2023 billionaire list features 2,640 people, but just a fraction are women. As mentioned, Kim Jung-youn, Jung-min, Alexandra, and Katharina Andressen made the cut, but nowhere near the leaders.

1. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers

Bettencourt Meyers is the granddaughter of the founder of beauty giant L'Oréal. For the third year running, she's topped the list, and her net worth this year is $80.5 billion -- an increase over 2022.

2. Julia Koch

Julia Koch inherited a 42% stake in Koch Industries and her three children after her husband died in 2019. She's worth $59 billion.

3. Alice Walton

The daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, Alice Walton, does not involve big box store operations but works in art. But her net worth, which was $56.7 billion this year, is inherited.

4. Jacqueline Mars

The granddaughter of Franklin C. Mars, who created the world's largest candy manufacturing company, Jacqueline Mars, owns a one-third stake. Her net worth is $38.3 billion.

4. Miriam Anderson

The widow of former CEO and chairman of Las Vegas Sands, Sheldon Adelson, Miriam Adelson, and her children inherited his wealth. Her net worth is valued at $35 billion.

See the complete list of Forbes billionaires.

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Lissa Poirot is Joy Wallet’s Head of Content and an award-winning journalist and editor with a focus on finance, travel and health. Her work has appeared online and in print, and she has often been cited as a source on both. She currently resides in Pennsylvania.

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