Who leads the global billionaire race, and where do they live?
The annual ranking identified 4,020 billionaires as of January 15, 2026, an increase of 578 from the previous year and the largest annual rise since the report was launched 15 years ago. Their combined wealth grew by 28%, while 726 individuals joined the list for the first time.
China regained its position as the country with the largest billionaire population, adding 287 billionaires over the year to reach 1,110. The United States followed with 1,000 billionaires, while India ranked third with 308.
Elon Musk retained his position as the world's richest person, with his fortune rising 89% to an estimated $792 billion. The increase was driven primarily by higher valuations of SpaceX and Tesla. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos remained second with $300 billion, while Alphabet co-founder Larry Page entered the top three for the first time with a net worth of $271 billion.
Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the most significant sources of new wealth. The report identified 114 billionaires linked to AI companies, including 46 newcomers. Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang joined the world's ten wealthiest individuals after his fortune climbed to $172 billion as demand for AI infrastructure continued to grow.
According to Hurun Research, wealth creation accelerated at a record pace during the past year, with an average of two new billionaires emerging every day. More than 70% of those on the current list were not billionaires a decade ago.
New York remained the city with the highest number of billionaires, hosting 146. China's Shenzhen moved into second place ahead of Shanghai, while Beijing ranked third.
The report also found that financial services remained the leading source of billionaire wealth, followed by media and entertainment, retail, and consumer goods. Industrial products and healthcare generated the highest number of new billionaire entrants during the year.
Meanwhile, 96 individuals dropped off the billionaire list, the lowest number recorded since Hurun began tracking global billionaire wealth.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the Iran conflict boosted G7 energy billionaire wealth by $23.5 billion.