10 richest billionaires in the world in 2020
With the markets in flux due to coronavirus, each billionaire’s net worth also fluctuates depending on the day. Here are the 10 richest people in the world:
The list of the world's richest persons can vary from year to year depending on the net worth and financial performance. However, the richest people on the earth are not immune to Covid-19.
The global equity markets collapse as the pandemic triggered. With the markets in flux due to coronavirus, each billionaire's net worth also fluctuates depending on the day.
Forbes recently published its annual list of billionaires in 2020. The report shows that the number of billionaires has significantly dropped due to the pandemic.
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There were 2,095 billionaires on the list when it was finalized on March 18. That was 58 fewer billionaires than last year and 226 fewer than at the beginning of the month, Forbes reported.
All 2,095 billionaires are worth about $8 trillion, which is $700 billion less than they did in 2019, according to Forbes.
To see how each of the 2,095 billionaires are faring each day, Forbes also created a real-time net worth tracker. In its overall report, the website also found that the country with the most billionaires was the US, with 614. China (which includes Hong Kong and Macao) followed in second place, with 456 billionaires.
It also reported that 267 people who were billionaires last year are no longer billionaires and 178 new people have reached billionaire status this year.
Here are the 10 richest people in the world, according to Forbes' list of "The Richest in 2020"
10. Rob Walton - US
Rob Walton, 75, was worth about $54.1 billion on March 18, according to Forbes. Walton is the eldest son of the founder of Walmart, Sam Walton, and served as the chairman of the company from 1992 until 2015.
9. Alice Walton - US
Alice Walton, 70, was worth $54.4 billion on March 18. She is Sam Walton's only daughter and is also the richest woman on Forbes' 2020 list.
8. Jim Walton - US
Jim Walton, 71, was the richest Walton on March 18 with a net worth of $54.6 billion. According to Forbes, Jim Walton gave away $1.2 billion in Walmart in June last year, but kept his wealth because of a 44 percent stake in Arvest Bank.
7. Mark Zuckerberg - US
Mark Zuckerberg, 35, was worth $54.7 billion on March 18. Zuckerberg founded social media site Facebook in 2004.
6. Amancio Ortega - Spain
Amancio Ortega, 84, was the wealthiest clothing retailer in the world on March 18, with a net worth of $55.1 billion, according to Forbes. In 1975 he and his ex-wife Rosalia Mera founded Inditex, which is best known for the fashion chain Zara, Forbes reported.
5. Larry Ellison - US
Larry Ellison, 75, was worth $59 billion on March 18. In 1977, he founded Oracle, a software company and today he serves as the chairman of the board and the chief technology officer, according to Forbes.
4. Warren Buffett - US
Warren Buffett, 89, was worth $67.5 billion on March 18. Buffett is one of the most successful investors of all time, according to Forbes. He also runs Berkshire Hathaway, which owns more than 60 companies.
Previously, Buffett was the third-wealthiest person in the world before Bernard Arnault took his spot this year.
3. Bernard Arnault & Family - France
Bernard Arnault, 71, and his family were worth $76 billion on March 18. Arnault is the CEO of luxury goods company LVMH, which includes Louis Vuitton and Sephora brands. Last year, the company bought Tiffany & Co. for $16.2 billion, which could be the largest luxury brand acquisition, Forbes reported.
2. Bill Gates - US
Bill Gates, 64, was worth $98 billion on March 18, according to Forbes. Gates and his wife Melinda chair the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is the largest private charitable foundation in the world, Forbes reported.
1. Jeff Bezos - US
Jeff Bezos, 56, is the richest man in the world, despite transferring a quarter of his Amazon stake to his ex-wife MacKenzie last summer, according to Forbes. He was worth $113 billion on March 18. Bezos founded ecommerce giant Amazon in 1994 and is still the CEO of the company.
