File: Elon Musk
* The 10 richest people in the world are worth an estimated $2.8 trillion, up from $2.6 trillion the previous month.
Elon Musk has strengthened his position as the world’s richest person, with his fortune rebounding sharply in August to an estimated $892 billion, according to Forbes.
Musk’s wealth increased by $202 billion in one month, following a $363 billion decline in July. The surge was driven largely by gains in the value of his stakes in SpaceX and Tesla.
Despite the dramatic swings in his fortune, Musk remains far ahead of the rest of the world’s billionaires. He is now less than $110 billion away from becoming a trillionaire again, after becoming the first person in history to reach the milestone earlier this year.
According to Forbes estimates as of Tuesday, the world’s 10 richest people are:
Elon Musk — $892 billion
Larry Page — $277 billion
Jeff Bezos — $268 billion
Sergey Brin — $256 billion
Michael Dell — $241 billion
Mark Zuckerberg — $197 billion
Larry Ellison — $193 billion
Jensen Huang — $191 billion
Steve Ballmer — $155 billion
Amancio Ortega — $148 billion
Musk’s lead is particularly striking. His estimated fortune is more than three times that of Larry Page, the world’s second-richest person.
Page, the Google cofounder, saw his wealth fall by about $15 billion during August, making him the month’s biggest loser among the top billionaires. Jeff Bezos and Sergey Brin also recorded declines of $10 billion and $13 billion respectively.
The biggest climber after Musk was Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, whose fortune rose by $25 billion to $193 billion after Oracle shares gained 15%. Ellison moved up from eighth to seventh place, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang slipped to eighth despite adding $17 billion to his fortune.
The bottom of the top 10 also saw major changes. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer rose from 11th to ninth after gaining $10 billion, while Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, founder of the fashion empire behind Zara, moved from 12th to 10th with a $5 billion increase.
Bernard Arnault and Warren Buffett, both longtime members of the world’s richest ranks, dropped out of the top 10 following declines in the value of their respective holdings in LVMH and Berkshire Hathaway.
Together, the 10 richest people in the world are worth an estimated $2.8 trillion, up from $2.6 trillion the previous month.
Forbes has tracked the world’s billionaires since 1987, and its Real-Time Billionaires list changes as stock prices and other asset values fluctuate.
With nine Americans and one Spaniard making up the September 2026 top 10, the latest ranking also highlights the continuing dominance of technology, artificial intelligence, luxury retail and other major global corporations in the world’s wealthiest fortunes.
