Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has once again become the world's richest person, surpassing Elon Musk with a staggering $200 billion fortune. According to data from Bloomberg, Bezos' wealth exceeded Musk's by $2 billion as of Monday, marking his return to the top spot.
Bezos' fortune is primarily driven by his ownership stake in Amazon, valued at $167 billion on Monday, which constitutes about 84% of his total wealth. The surge in Amazon's stock price, up by 15% this year, has contributed to Bezos' $23 billion wealth gain so far.
In addition to Amazon, Bezos holds a stake in Blue Origin worth approximately $15 billion, with an additional $18 billion in cash reserves. Last month, Bezos sold $8.5 billion worth of Amazon stock, further boosting his wealth.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk has experienced a decline in wealth, losing $31 billion this year, bringing his net worth to $198 billion as of Monday. The drop is attributed to a 28% decrease in Tesla's stock price, which led to a $17 billion wealth reduction in a single day.
Musk's wealth is tied to his $77 billion stake in Tesla and a $71 billion stake in SpaceX, along with other ventures like X, Neuralink, and The Boring Company. Tesla's stock price continued to fall on Tuesday, down by 4%, amid concerns over the company's exposure to China's economic slowdown.
Bernard Arnault, the owner of luxury goods company LVMH, holds the third spot on the list of the world's richest individuals with a net worth of $197 billion. Mark Zuckerberg follows with a net worth of $179 billion, and Bill Gates rounds out the top five with a net worth of $150 billion.
Bezos' resurgence as the wealthiest person underscores the dynamic nature of wealth rankings, influenced by stock market fluctuations and business performance.
