The Rise of the Superbillionaires: How 24 Individuals Are Redefining Wealth and Power
In the late 1980s, the idea of a billionaire was still a rarity—a symbol of extraordinary success reserved for a select few. Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape of wealth has transformed dramatically. Today, the world is home to over 3,300 billionaires, a number that dwarfs the 140 individuals Forbes spotlighted in its inaugural billionaires list in 1987. But within this growing elite, a new echelon has emerged: the superbillionaires. Defined as individuals with a net worth exceeding $50 billion, these 24 ultra-wealthy titans are not just reshaping fortunes—they’re redefining what it means to be rich in the modern age.
A New Era of Wealth Concentration
The superbillionaire class is a phenomenon driven largely by the tech revolution. Names like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg dominate the list, their fortunes tied to groundbreaking companies that have harnessed technology to scale at unprecedented rates. As of early February 2025, these 24 individuals collectively hold $3.3 trillion—an amount equivalent to the GDP of France and a staggering 16% of all billionaire wealth worldwide. This marks a sharp rise from just 4% a decade ago, signaling a seismic shift in how wealth is distributed even among the ultrarich.
What sets superbillionaires apart isn’t just their money—it’s the sheer scale of their influence. Take Elon Musk, currently the world’s richest person with a net worth of $419.4 billion. His wealth surpasses that of Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, the richest man in 1987, by more than 20 times. To put that into perspective, Musk’s fortune is over two million times the median net worth of an American household. This gap highlights a growing divide not just between the rich and the poor, but between the ultrarich and the merely wealthy.
Tech Titans and the Superbillionaire Boom
The majority of today’s superbillionaires owe their fortunes to technology. Of the 24, more than half built their empires in the tech sector, a stark contrast to the industrial tycoons of the past like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. Back then, wealth was rooted in tangible assets—oil fields, steel mills, railroads. Today, it’s fueled by intangible forces: intellectual property, stock valuations, and the promise of future growth. Companies like Amazon, Meta, and Tesla don’t just generate revenue—they redefine industries and command investor confidence that sends their founders’ net worth soaring.
This tech-driven ascent has also accelerated the timeline for wealth creation. While it took Rockefeller decades to become the world’s first billionaire in 1916, modern entrepreneurs can amass billions in a fraction of that time. Sam Bankman-Fried, for example, reached a net worth of $26 billion before age 30 through his cryptocurrency exchange FTX—though his subsequent downfall serves as a reminder of the volatility that accompanies such rapid gains. Similarly, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg have seen their fortunes swing by tens of billions in a single year, a rollercoaster tied to the whims of the stock market.
Luxury Living on a Grand Scale
The rise of superbillionaires has left an indelible mark on luxury markets, particularly real estate. From New York to Aspen, supertall skyscrapers and sprawling spec mansions cater to this elite group, with nine-figure home sales becoming increasingly common. Each of the 24 superbillionaires boasts personal residential real estate portfolios valued at $100 million or more, though experts suggest this figure is likely conservative. Properties are often held through trusts, spouses, or corporate entities, masking the true extent of their holdings.
This appetite for opulence reflects a broader trend: superbillionaires aren’t just accumulating wealth—they’re curating lifestyles that set them apart. Whether it’s a beachfront estate in Palm Beach or a mountain retreat in Aspen, these properties are more than homes; they’re status symbols of a class pulling further away from the rest of society.
140: Billionaires on the Forbes World’s Billionaires List in 1987
3,323: Worldwide billionaires as of 2023
24: Superbillionaires, or people worth more than $50 billion
16%: Amount of billionaire wealth that superbillionaires’ fortunes account for
$100 million: Average worth of personal real estate each superbillionaire holds
16: Superbillionaires who qualify as centi-billionaires, meaning they have a net worth of at least $100 billion
From Old Money to New Fortunes
Historically, the world’s richest inherited their wealth—think of the Vanderbilts or Rockefellers passing down empires built on industry. But today’s superbillionaires signal a shift toward self-made success. A 2024 report from the Heritage Foundation notes that the “great American fortunes” of the 21st century are predominantly new money, with fewer heirs clinging to the top ranks. Of the billionaires who inherited their wealth in 2005, less than half remain on Forbes’ list today, and those who do have often slipped in rank.
This transition began in the 1980s and 1990s, fueled by technological leaps and globalization. Businesses like Walmart and Amazon leveraged these changes to scale globally, creating shareholder value on a scale unimaginable in earlier eras. As Steven Kaplan, a finance professor at the University of Chicago, puts it, “Technology has allowed some of these businesses to scale and create enormous wealth in ways that weren’t possible before.”
The Dark Side of Superwealth
Not everyone views the superbillionaire surge as a triumph. Critics argue it exposes flaws in the economic system. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz points to weak antitrust laws that fail to curb tech monopolies, allowing giants like Amazon and Meta to dominate markets unchecked. He also highlights how superbillionaires exploit tax loopholes and corporate governance weaknesses to amass “obscene” sums—case in point, Musk’s contested $50 billion Tesla compensation package.
The numbers bear out the disparity. In 2024, the top 1% of U.S. households held $49.2 trillion, or 30% of the nation’s wealth—up from 23% in the late 1980s. Meanwhile, superbillionaires control a disproportionate share even within that elite group, raising questions about fairness and economic balance.
Power Beyond Wealth
The influence of superbillionaires extends far beyond their bank accounts. Musk’s control of Tesla, SpaceX, and X gives him sway over industries from transportation to social media, while his recent ties to President Trump amplify his political clout. Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, shaping public narratives, and Mark Zuckerberg’s platforms—Instagram, Facebook, and Threads—connect billions, operating with minimal regulatory oversight. This concentration of power in a digital age has sparked debate: Is this level of influence a natural byproduct of innovation, or a threat to democracy?
Kaplan remains optimistic, arguing that the same tech advances driving superbillionaire wealth have lifted global living standards. Yet others, like economist Luigi Zingales, see it as a failure of capitalism. “A healthy system doesn’t let rewards grow this large,” he says, pointing to legal protections that stifle competition and lock in tech giants’ dominance.
A Trillionaire on the Horizon?
As wealth continues to concentrate, speculation grows about the next milestone: the world’s first trillionaire. Maya Imberg of Altrata, a firm tracking global wealth, believes it’s no longer a far-fetched idea. “A decade ago, we might have said no,” she notes. “But today, anything seems possible.” Musk, with his current trajectory, is a leading contender, though stock market volatility and economic shifts could alter the race.
Society at a Crossroads
The superbillionaire phenomenon forces us to confront big questions. Can innovation thrive without such extreme rewards? Or does this wealth gap threaten the social fabric? Stiglitz warns of a “deep divide” that isolates the ultrarich from everyday struggles—public schools, healthcare, housing—eroding the solidarity societies need to function.
For now, the superbillionaire class shows no signs of slowing. Their wealth, power, and lifestyles continue to captivate and polarize, a testament to a world where technology and ambition have rewritten the rules of riches. As we look ahead, one thing is clear: the era of the superbillionaire is just beginning, and its impact will shape the future for generations to come.
