The wealthiest individuals in the United States have witnessed their fortunes swell by $500 billion compared to the previous year, thanks to a resurgence in stock markets and a booming AI-driven technology sector.
Their collective wealth now stands at a staggering $4.5 trillion, matching the record set in 2021. The minimum wealth required to join this elite club has reached an all-time high of $2.9 billion, up from $2.7 billion the previous year.
Elon Musk maintains his top position on the Forbes 400 Richest Americans list, with a net worth of $251 billion. Musk’s wealth surpasses that of Jeff Bezos and Larry Ellison, who rank second and third, respectively.
Notable newcomers on the list include basketball legend Michael Jordan with an estimated net worth of $3 billion. The richest new member is Elisabeth DeLuca, inheriting a 50 percent stake in Subway, worth an estimated $8.2 billion.
Several individuals dropped off the list, including Donald Trump, Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Gary Wang.
Within this elite group, there are notable Indian-origin billionaires making their mark:
1. Jay Chaudhry, CEO of Zscaler, with a net worth of $9.2 billion.
2. Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, worth $6.5 billion.
3. Romesh T Wadhwani, chairman of Symphony AI, valued at $5.1 billion.
4. Rajiv Jain, founder and CIO of GQG Partners, with a net worth of $3.1 billion.
