World's 500 richest add record $2.2t in 2025 as wealth gap widens

The world's 500 richest individuals added a record $2.2 trillion to their wealth in 2025, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with just eight billionaires accounting for about a quarter of the total increase. 

The surge lifted their combined net worth to $11.9 trillion, driven by former US president Donald Trump's 2024 election victory and strong gains in cryptocurrencies, equities and metals.

About a quarter of the total gains went to eight billionaires, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Oracle chair Larry Ellison, and Alphabet co-founder Larry Page. In 2024, wealth accumulation was even more concentrated, with the same eight individuals responsible for 43% of total gains among the world's richest 500.

Ellison's wealth rose by $57.7 billion in 2025, taking his net worth to $249.8 billion. Elon Musk saw the largest increase, with his fortune jumping $190.3 billion to $622.7 billion. Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart nearly tripled her wealth, from $12.6 billion to $37.7 billion, largely due to her investments in rare-earth metals.

Some billionaires, however, saw their fortunes shrink. Philippine tycoon Manuel Villar lost $12.6 billion, reducing his net worth to $10 billion, after shares of his property firm Golden MV Holdings Inc plunged 80% following the end of a six-month trading suspension.

According to Oxfam, the $2.2 trillion increase in wealth among the world's richest 500 would have been sufficient to lift 3.8 billion people out of poverty.

"Inequality is a deliberate policy choice," said Amitabh Behar, Oxfam's international executive director. "Despite record wealth at the top, public wealth is stagnating or even declining, while debt distress continues to grow."