#1 Jeff Bezos
Net Worth: $201 B
Age: 57
State: Washington
Source: Amazon
Philanthropy Score: 1
Jeff Bezos founded e-commerce giant Amazon in 1994 out of his garage in Seattle. He stepped down as CEO to become executive chairman on July 5, 2021. Amazon thrived during the pandemic; revenues in 2020 grew 38% to $386 billion as people stayed home and made online purchases.
#2 Elon Musk
Net Worth: $190.5 B
Age: 50
State: Texas
Source: Tesla, SpaceX
Philanthropy Score: 1
Elon Musk is working to revolutionize transportation both on Earth, through electric car maker Tesla — and in space, via rocket producer SpaceX. He owns 21% of Tesla but has pledged more than half his stake as collateral for loans; Forbes has discounted his stake to take the loans into account.
Bill Gates & Mark Zuckerberg
#3 Mark Zuckerberg
Net Worth: $134.5 B
Age: 37
State: California
Source: Facebook
Philanthropy Score: 2
Facebook, the social network Zuckerberg runs, has been an information hub during the pandemic, but has come under scrutiny for spreading vaccine misinformation. In June 2021, a judge dismissed antitrust cases brought by states and the federal government, which could have forced Facebook to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp.
#4 Bill Gates
Net Worth: $134 B
Age: 65
State: Washington
Source: Microsoft
Philanthropy Score: 4
Bill Gates turned his fortune from software firm Microsoft into a diversified fortune; his focus has shifted to zero-carbon energy investing and philanthropy. On May 3, 2021, Bill and Melinda each announced on Twitter they were ending their marriage after 27 years. They will still co-chair the foundation.
#5 Larry Page
Net Worth: $123 B
Age: 48
State: California
Source: Google
Philanthropy Score: 1
Larry Page stepped down as CEO of Alphabet, the parent of Google, in December 2019 but remains a board member and a controlling shareholder. He cofounded Google in 1998 with fellow Stanford Ph.D. student Sergey Brin.
#6 Sergey Brin
Net Worth: $118.5 B
Age: 48
State: California
Source: Google
Philanthropy Score: 1
Sergey Brin stepped down as president of Alphabet, parent company of Google, in December 2019 but remains a controller shareholder and a board member. He co-founded Google with Larry Page in 1998 after the two met at Stanford University while studying for advanced degrees in computer science.
Warren Buffett & Larry Ellison
#7 Larry Ellison
Net Worth: $117.3 B
Age: 77
State: Hawaii
Source: Software
Philanthropy Score: 1
Larry Ellison is chairman, chief technology officer, and co-founder of software giant Oracle, of which he owns about 35%. He gave up the Oracle CEO role in 2014 after 37 years at the helm. Oracle has grown in part through steady acquisitions of software companies, the biggest of which was $9.3 billion for NetSuite in 2016.
#8 Warren Buffett
Net Worth: $102 B
Age: 91
State: Nebraska
Source: Berkshire Hathaway
Philanthropy Score: 5
Known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” Warren Buffett is one of the most successful investors of all time. Buffett runs Berkshire Hathaway, which owns more than 60 companies, including insurer Geico, battery maker Duracell and restaurant chain Dairy Queen.
Michael Bloomberg & Steve Ballmer
#9 Steve Ballmer
Net Worth: $96.5 B
Age: 65
State: Washington
Source: Microsoft
Philanthropy Score: 2
Steve Ballmer is the high-wattage former CEO of Microsoft, who led the company from 2000 to 2014. He joined Microsoft in 1980 as employee No. 30 after dropping out of Stanford’s MBA program. In 2018, he invested $59 million in Social Solutions, which makes software for nonprofits and government agencies.
#10 Michael Bloomberg
Net Worth: $70 B
Age: 79
State: New York
Source: Bloomberg LP
Philanthropy Score: 4
Michael Bloomberg cofounded financial information and media company Bloomberg LP in 1981. He put in the seed funding for the company and now owns 88% of the business, which has revenues north of $10 billion.
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