Forbes, the renowned business magazine, has recently unveiled its annual compilation of the world's wealthiest individuals. Topping the list in 2023 is none other than the prominent French tycoon, Bernard Jean Etienne Arnault, who commands an astounding fortune of $211 billion. Remarkably, Arnault stands alone as the sole member of this elite roster whose wealth surpasses the staggering threshold of $200 billion.
Slipping to the second position is Elon Musk, the visionary CEO of Tesla, who strategically acquired Twitter and rebranded it as "X." Musk, previously reigning as the wealthiest individual, now possesses a substantial wealth amounting to $180 billion.
Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, secures a place among the top 10 on this list, specifically landing in the ninth position. Ambani's wealth is valued at an impressive $83.4 billion. It's noteworthy that a majority of the world's affluent denizens have witnessed a decline in their wealth when compared to the preceding year.
Jeff Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon, claims the third spot in Forbes' prestigious ranking, boasting an enviable net worth of $114 billion. Other prominent figures on the list include Larry Ellison with $107 billion, Warren Buffett with $106 billion, Bill Gates with $104 billion, Michael Bloomberg with $94.5 billion, Carlos Slim with $93 billion, and Steve Ballmer with $80.7 billion.
Arnault, at the helm of the LVMH conglomerate, oversees a portfolio of 75 fashion and cosmetics brands, including iconic names like Louis Vuitton and Sephora. Notably, in 2022, the 74-year-old Arnault occupied the third position on the list with a net worth of $158 billion.
Musk, having claimed the top spot in 2022, now finds himself in second place this year. His acquisition of Twitter in the preceding year played a pivotal role in this shift, as it led to a decline in Tesla's stock value. Musk is the majority shareholder of Tesla, now rebranded as "X," owning an estimated 74% of the company.
Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, an e-commerce and cloud computing giant, ranks third this year. He is followed closely by Larry Ellison, the highly successful investor, Warren Buffett, the legendary figure in investing, Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, and Michael Bloomberg, the co-founder of Bloomberg LP, among other notable individuals.