Bill Gates is no longer the richest man in the world, with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos now overtaking the Microsoft co-founder as a result of the online retailer’s shares skyrocketing.
Bezos now has a net worth of $91.7 billion, overtaking Gates with his net worth of $90 billion this financial quarter. Bezos’s new position atop the rankings is as a result of his net worth climbing by $2.4 billion, a 2.7 per cent increase, while Gates’s net worth fell by 0.1 per cent with a loss of $51 million. Gates has been the richest man in the world since May 2013, according to Bloomberg, while Bezos has now been propelled into the top spot after the online retailer’s shares rose 1.3 per cent to $1,065.92 Thursday morning.
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Amazon’s leap forward is as a result of its push towards apparel and groceries, while the continued success of Amazon Prime continues to help the company grow while simultaneously denting the impact of its physical retailer rivals. Bezos’s earnings have also been bolstered as a result of his Blue Origin space rocket business, along with the Washington Post, which he purchased in 2013.
Other movers and shakers in the billionaire’s list include Mark Zuckerberg, with the Facebook founder and CEO’s net worth having jumped by $3 billion, and Amancio Ortega, who rose by $269 million. The richest woman in the world, L’Oreal’s Liliane Bettencourt, sits outside of the top 10 at number 13, though her net worth also rose by $54 million.
The top 10 richest men in the world:
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com: $91. 7 billion
- Bill Gates, Microsoft: $90 billion
- Amancio Ortega, Zara: $83.5 billion
- Warren Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway: $74.2 billion
- Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook: $71.9 billion
- Carlos Slim Helu, telecom: $69 billion
- Larry Ellison, software: $62.2 billion
- Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg LP: $53.3 billion
- Bernard Arnault, LVMH: $53.2 billion
- Charles Koh, diversified: $48.5 billion
