Billionaires are having a big moment, adding more and more of the world’s wealth to their coffers. Elon Musk is even positioned to possibly become the world’s first trillionaire. But what’s creating new billionaires who join their ranks?
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To find out, GOBankingRates looked at two rundowns of the world’s richest human beings, and compared their takeaways about where billionaires are headed, and taking the rest of us with them.
Which Industry Is Home to the Most Billionaires?
Finance and investments are home to more billionaires than any other industry in 2025, furthering the industry’s position as a global wealth-creation machine. The sector claimed 464 billionaires in total for 2025, according to Visual Capitalist, representing 15.3% of the world’s total ultra-wealthy population, based on Forbes’ 2025 World’s Billionaires List. Among those, 37 new billionaires joined the three-commas club in 2025.
Warren Buffett still dominates the finance world, holding an estimated fortune of $154 billion. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, remains a powerhouse; its wide-ranging investments in railroads, insurance, utilities, and household-name brands continue to deliver steady, compounding gains year after year.
These numbers don’t tell the entire story, however, as a different field actually put up bigger numbers in 2025, adding more names and a larger percent of its own share.
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Technology Added More Billionaires Than Finance
While the technology sector’s billionaire population remains in second place overall, with 401 billionaires and nearly 14% of the global total, it showed the biggest growth. Tech added 59 new billionaires since 2024, the fastest growth among all industries, and 17.25% increase internally, compared to finance’s 8.67% growth in the fiscal standings.
Visual Capitalist cites rising demand for AI-powered software, cloud infrastructure and semiconductors as key catalysts for investor enthusiasm. That rebound helped tech produce more new billionaires than any other field in the past year.
At the top of the tech list is Mark Zuckerberg, whose fortune has climbed to $216 billion. Among the newest members of the tech billionaire class is Alexandr Wang, the 28-year-old founder of Scale AI, which now collaborates closely with Meta on AI development. His rise shows how rapidly fortunes can form in technology, compared with older industries.
Manufacturing, Fashion and Healthcare Round Out Top Five
Manufacturing claimed third place with 342 billionaires, up 14 from the previous year. Reinhold Würth and family lead the category at $35.1 billion from Würth Group.
Fashion and retail landed fourth with 297 billionaires, adding 12 new names. Bernard Arnault and family top this category at $178 billion through LVMH, though tech and finance billionaires now surpass him.
Healthcare rounded out the top five with 230 billionaires, gaining 33 new ultra-wealthy individuals. Thomas Frist Jr. and family helm this sector at $27 billion through HCA Healthcare.
Food and beverage (223 billionaires), diversified holdings (210), real estate (206), media and entertainment (116) and energy (106) complete the top 10 industries. Another 433 billionaires fall into other categories.
What About Elon Musk?
Despite his deep involvement in AI and diversified technologies, Elon Musk is categorized by Forbes as an automotive billionaire due to his controlling stake in Tesla. That classification, Visual Capitalist says, means his $342 billion fortune (or $428 billion, according to Forbes estimates) doesn’t count toward the technology sector totals, even though his ventures span nearly every major frontier of innovation.
The blurred lines around Musk’s classification and fluctuating holdings highlight a broader trend: Today’s billionaires rarely stay within one lane. Many now build wealth that straddles multiple sectors (finance, tech, manufacturing and beyond) creating cross-industry empires that challenge the old definitions of where fortunes are made.
Why Finance Keeps Winning — For Now
Finance and investments occupy the bulk of the billionaire landscape for straightforward reasons: The industry multiplies money directly rather than creating products or services. Successful investors, private equity operators and hedge fund managers compound returns without the operational headaches of manufacturing, retail or technology companies.
Furthermore, the barrier to entry remains high through connections, capital and expertise, but once established, finance billionaires scale wealth faster than almost any other field. A successful investment firm can generate billions in management fees and carried interest without employing thousands of workers or building physical infrastructure.
Technology’s rapid growth threatens finance’s dominance, as AI and software create winner-take-all markets with extraordinary profit margins. But for now, finance remains the reliable path to billionaire status globally.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: This Industry Created More Billionaires Than Any Other in 2025
