Forbes 2026 Billionaires List: Meet world’s 20 richest people who are now in ‘$100 Billion Club’

The world’s ultra-rich have grown even richer, with the number of individuals in the $100 billion club rising to 20 in 2026, according to the latest list released by Forbes. The group, often referred to as “centi-billionaires,” has expanded from 15 members a year ago, reflecting the rapid rise in fortunes driven largely by technology and stock market gains.

Together, these 20 individuals control a combined wealth of about $3.8 trillion. While they represent only about 0.6% of the 3,428 billionaires worldwide, they now account for roughly 19% of all billionaire wealth globally.

Rise of the $100 Billion Club

At the top of the list is Elon Musk, whose fortune has surged dramatically over the past year. His net worth crossed multiple milestones, surpassing $500 billion in October before climbing further past $600 billion and $700 billion in December. By February, his wealth had soared beyond $800 billion after he merged SpaceX with his artificial intelligence and social media venture xAI in a deal that valued the combined entity at $1.25 trillion.

The unprecedented rise has sparked speculation that Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire if the merged company goes public later this year.

The scale of today’s fortunes highlights how dramatically billionaire wealth has expanded over the decades. When the first World’s Billionaires list was published in 1987, only two people had fortunes exceeding $10 billion. Bill Gates briefly crossed the $100 billion mark during the dot-com boom in 1999, but the next centi-billionaire did not emerge until 2017, when Jeff Bezos reached the milestone.

New Entrants and Wealth Growth

This year’s ranking also saw several new additions to the $100 billion club, including Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, Changpeng Zhao, Carlos Slim Helú, Jensen Huang and Michael Dell. Their entry reflects strong gains across industries ranging from beauty and telecom to cryptocurrency and semiconductor technology.

Several other billionaires are also close to joining the exclusive group. Among them is Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, whose wealth is estimated at $99.7 billion, along with crypto executive Giancarlo Devasini and investor Thomas Peterffy.

World’s 20 Centi-Billionaires (2026)