The wealth of the world’s billionaires climbed past $15 trillion for the first time in 2025, marking a year of record gains fueled largely by a boom in artificial intelligence (AI) investment, according to a new report from global wealth intelligence firm Altrata.
Total billionaire wealth rose 12.8% to $15.1 trillion, a sum equal to nearly a quarter of the entire market value of the S&P 500. The global billionaire population grew 8.2% to 3,795 individuals, the fastest pace in five years and the third straight year that wealth gains among the ultra-rich accelerated.
The average billionaire fortune now stands at $4 billion, though the typical fortune is closer to $2 billion, reflecting how concentrated wealth has become at the top.
AI boom pushes wealth of the world’s billionaires to new extremes
Researchers at Altrata mentioned artificial intelligence (AI) was the central driver of the surge. Among the 150 publicly traded companies that contribute most to billionaire fortunes, those that invested meaningfully in AI saw their stock value grow 23% faster than those that did not, over the combined 2024-25 period.
The world added 400 billionaires over the past year.
Forbes’ 2026 list counts a record 3,428 billionaires globally, worth a combined $20.1 trillion, up $4T YoY.
The top 29 are worth $4.53T, up ~35% from $3.36 trillion a year ago, and now account for 22.5% of total billionaire… pic.twitter.com/KugozNvD2U
— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) September 4, 2026
The gains widened the divide between the richest of the rich and the rest of the billionaire class. The planet’s 29 wealthiest people, each worth more than $50 billion, held a combined $4.1 trillion in 2025, or 27% of all billionaire wealth. That share has nearly quadrupled since 2017, when just 10 people held fortunes above that threshold.
North America remained the dominant region, adding billionaires faster than anywhere else. Its population grew 11.6% to 1,337, more than a third of the global total, while regional wealth jumped 16% to $6.8 trillion.
Europe’s billionaire class expanded for a second straight year, rising nearly 8% to 1,081 people worth a combined $3.7 trillion. Asia’s population grew 6.5% to 881, trailing the global average despite spillover gains from the AI boom.
United States, China and New York lead billionaire rankings
The United States alone is home to a third of the world’s billionaires, who together hold 44% of global billionaire wealth. Its population rose 11.5% to 1,265. China’s billionaire count grew 13%, its strongest showing in five years, while Germany posted the fastest growth among the 15 largest billionaire countries, at 20%.
New York kept its title as the world’s top billionaire city, adding 12 residents to reach 164. Hong Kong and London were the only two cities among the top 15 to lose billionaires over the year.
A fifth of the world’s billionaires were born outside the country where they now live, with that share reaching nearly 60% in London and 41% in San Francisco. The typical billionaire is 71 years old, male and self-made, with women making up just 13% of the group.
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