According to the new rich list, Taylor Swift has joined Elon Musk in the ranking of the world’s richest people.
The American pop star entered the Forbes World’s Billionaires list for the first time with $1.1 billion (£877 million), along with Sam Altman, creator of AI chatbot ChatGPIT, who entered with $1 billion (£800 million).
LVMH French luxury goods titan Bernard Arnault and his family top the charts with an estimated $233 billion (£185 billion).
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Forbes said there were a record 2,781 billionaires in 2024.
This figure is 141 more than last year and 26 more than the previous record set in 2021. Forbes said the elite are richer than ever – with a collective wealth of £14.2tn (£11.3tn).
After achieving megastar status, singer-songwriter Swift joined the rich list. She swept this year’s Grammy Awards and became the first artist to win Album of the Year four times.
Their album 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was also the best-selling vinyl LP of the previous year.
Swift’s success is not limited to just the world of music. Her mere attendance at American football games to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce has been credited with increasing NFL viewing figures.
When it comes to the top 10 richest people on the planet, eight of the ones listed were from the US – six of whom made their money in technology industries.
After Frenchman Mr Arnault and his family, Tesla owner Mr Musk and
After him, Amazon owner Jeff Bezos is in third place.
Mr Musk’s wealth is up 8% from last year, but his net worth declined in November 2021, when he became the first person with a fortune of $300bn (£239bn).
The Forbes list also includes basketball legend Magic Johnson, with a net worth of $1.2bn (£950m), and Dick Wolf, the TV producer behind US series Law & Order and Chicago PD, with a net worth of $1.2bn.
Chase Peterson-Whittorn, Forbes’ senior editor on wealth, said it has been an “amazing” year for the world’s richest people.
“The record-breaking 14 centi-billionaires have 12-figure wealth. Even at a time of financial uncertainty for many, the ultra-wealthy are thriving,” he said.
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Forbes said the billionaire class in 2024 was 255% richer than a decade ago, now worth a combined $2tn (£1.59tn), meaning just 0.5% of the world’s 2,781 billionaires have all the wealth. Billionaires own 14% of the wealth.
Geographically, the US still has more billionaires than any other country, with a record 813 on the list. China is in second place, followed by India.
In the UK, hedge fund manager Michael Platt is the richest person, followed by Manchester United part owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and inventor Sir James Dyson.
Forbes said 189 people dropped from the list, including 129 from mainland China, where weak consumer spending and a falling real estate market wiped billions of dollars from portfolios.
Another 32 billionaires died, including Egyptian tycoon Mohammed al-Fayed, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and Margaritaville singer Jimmy Buffett.
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