Top ten wealthiest people on the planet in May 2024

FILE PHOTO: Elon Musk attends Italy's PM Meloni's right-wing party's political festival Atreju, in Rome

FILE PHOTO: Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk gestures, as he attends political festival Atreju organised by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d'Italia) right-wing party, in Rome, Italy, December 16, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo

Source: REUTERS

In the high-stakes game of global wealth where the wealth of some select individuals on the planet plays a huge role in the lives of millions, Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) sits atop as of May 1, 2024, according to Forbes.

According to the American business magazine Forbes' real-time billionaires list, Arnault, the head of the luxury empire remains the world's richest person with a $209.4 billion net worth, despite a recent $17 billion dip in LVMH's stock value.

Hot on the Frenchman's heels is Tesla's Elon Musk, with a net worth of $199.6 billion. Musk briefly fell to third place in April 2024 when Amazon founder Jeff Bezos overtook him. However, according to Forbes, a 15% surge in Tesla's stock on April 29, 2024, boosted Musk's wealth by $14.5 billion, securing his second-place position.

Bezos now sits in third place with a net worth of $193.3 billion while Mark Zuckerberg of Meta holds fourth place with a net worth of $151.2 billion.

Among the top 10 wealthiest individuals, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, once the world's richest person for nearly three decades, now ranks ninth with a net worth of $128 billion. Steve Ballmer, another Microsoft veteran, rounds out the list with a net worth of $117.1 billion.

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The wealthiest woman on the list is Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of France, ranked 15th globally with a net worth of $95.4 billion. Meyers’ wealth stems from her ownership stake in cosmetics giant L'Oréal, a family inheritance.

Here are the top ten richest people in the world as of May 1, 2024:

1. Bernard Arnault

Net worth: $209.4 billion

Source: LVMH/ luxury goods

Age: 75

Nationality: French

2. Elon Musk

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