Mark Zuckerberg rises to fourth richest person in the world

Meta's strong share performance creates spike in founder's fortune

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Mark Zuckerberg. Image: Shutterstock

Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth surged remarkably in 2024, moving him closer to the top of the world’s richest individuals. Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index reports that his personal fortune has increased by a whopping $73.4 billion to a whopping $201 billion. This significant increase makes Zuckerberg the fourth richest person in the world, cementing his position within the exclusive club of billionaires with fortunes exceeding $200 billion.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X, currently tops the list with assets of $272 billion. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos follows closely behind with $211 billion, while Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury conglomerate LVMH, is worth $207 billion. Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook in 2004 at the age of 23, derives a significant portion of his wealth from shares of Meta Platforms.

Meta’s share price has skyrocketed nearly 64% this year, fuelled by investor optimism and the company’s growing reach on social media platforms. On Wednesday, Meta shares reached a record high with a closing price of $568.31, before dipping slightly on Friday. Meta’s portfolio includes popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp, contributing to its significant value.

At the recent Meta Connect 2024 event, Zuckerberg highlighted the rapid growth of Meta AI and predicted that it will become the world’s most used assistant. He emphasized that the platform is approaching 500 million monthly active users and has yet to launch in key markets such as those within the European Union.

Zuckerberg’s financial success is not isolated within the tech industry. As many as eight tech moguls occupy the top 10 richest people in the world.

1. Elon Musk ($272 billion – X, Tesla)
2. Jeff Bezos ($211 billion – Amazon)
3. Berard Arnault ($207 billion – LVMH)
4. Mark Zuckerberg ($201 billion – Meta)
5. Larry Ellison ($182 billion – Oracle)
6. Bill Gates ($163 billion – Microsoft)
7. Larry Page ($149 billion – Alphabet)
8. Steve Ballmer ($148 billion – Microsoft)
9. Warren Buffett ($144 billion – major investor from technology and financial services to consumer goods and energy)
10. Sergey Brin ($140 billion – Alphabet)

After Zuckerberg, Jensen Huang (Nvidia) and Larry Ellison (Oracle) also saw their net worth rise significantly this year, with profits of $62.2 billion and $58.6 billion, respectively.

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