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Richest people of the last 100 years as Elon Musk loses top spot
Jeff Bezos has overtaken Elon Musk as the worlds richest person but the billionaires are just two of eleven people to have held that title over the last 100 years.
They include oil magnates, tech entrepreneurs and even the founder of Walmart and each of them has had net worths that we mere mortals can only dream of.
Elon Musk loses status as richest person in the world
Since 2021, Elon Musk has held the top spot on Bloombergs Billionaires Index which ranks the richest people in the world.
However, in its latest update on March 5, 2024, recent losses suffered by Musk of a staggering $17 billion mean that his net worth has fallen to $198 billion, leaving him in second place on the list.
Overtaking the South African-born businessman is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos whose net worth currently stands at $200 billion.
Bezos previously held the position of the worlds richest man according to the Billionaires Index between 2017 and 2021, after unseating Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, before being supplanted by Musk.
The richest people of the last 100 years
The recent shift in rankings among the wealthiest people in the world prompted us to cast our eye over who has held the title of the worlds richest person over the last 100 years.
Bloombergs Billionaires Index was only launched in March 2012 so we turned to data gathered the Madison Trust which used Forbes’ Worlds Billionaires List which has been ranking the worlds richest people for decades.
It should be noted that Forbes ranking of the worlds richest person differs slightly from Bloombergs with French businessman Bernard Arnault taking the top spot in 2023.
John D. Rockefeller | 1910-1939
Max net worth (while ranked as the worlds richest person): $1.4 billion in 1937 ($29.6 billion when adjusted for inflation in 2023 dollars)
Source of wealth: Standard Oil Company
Henry Ford | 1940-1949
Max net worth: $14.6 billion in the 1949 ($200 billion)
Source of wealth: Ford Motor Company
J. Paul Getty | 1950-1979
Max net worth: $6 billion in 1976 ($32.1 billion)
Source of wealth: Getty Oil Company
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi | 1980-1990
Max net worth: $20 billion in 1987 ($53.6 billion)
Source of wealth: Seibu Corporation – conglomerate with businesses in railways, tourism and real estate
Sam Walton (Walton Family) | 1991-1996
Max net worth: $25.3 billion in 1993 ($53.4 billion)
Source of wealth: Walmart, Sams Club
Bill Gates | 1997-2007, 2009, 2014-2017
Max net worth: $86 billion in 2017 ($107 billion)
Source of wealth: Microsoft
Warren Buffet | 2008
Max net worth: $62 million in 2008 ($87.7 billion)
Source of wealth: Berkshire Hathaway – conglomerate holding company specializing in insurance while investing in other areas
Carlos Slim & Family | 2010-2013
Max net worth: $74 billion in 2011 ($100.2 billion)
Source of wealth: Am�rica Movil, Telcel, Telmex – Telecommunications companies
Jeff Bezos | 2018-2021, 2024
Max net worth: $177 billion in 2021 ($200 billion in 2024)
Source of wealth: Amazon
Elon Musk | 2022
Max net worth: $219 billion in 2022 ($228 billion)
Source of wealth: Tesla, SpaceX
Bernard Arnault | 2023
Max net worth: $211 billion
Source of wealth: LVHM (Mo�t Hennessy Louis Vuitton) – holding company specializing in luxury goods
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