America is home to many billionaires, with a large number living in one of the world’s most influential countries. According to Forbes’ list of the 400 richest Americans in 2025, 85 of them are from California.
These 400 individuals are now worth a total of $6.6 trillion, which is $1.2 trillion more than last year, mostly due to the booming stock market and excitement around AI.
Why California has many billionaires?
California has a lot of billionaires because it’s home to the tech industry, especially Silicon Valley, which is known for technology and innovation.
About half of California’s billionaires got their wealth from tech companies. Some of the famous ones include Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The state’s strong economy, with a focus on tech, attracts and creates a lot of wealth.
Top 10 richest people in California
1.Larry Ellison: California’s richest billionaire, Ellison, grew his wealth from the software giant, Oracle. Today, he owns roughly 40 percent of the company. Nationally, Ellison ranks No. 2 in the nation, under Elon Musk.
2.Mark Zuckerberg: Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook. With a net worth of $253 billion, Zuckerberg built Facebook from a college project into one of the largest social media networks in the world. Over time, he expanded Meta’s reach by acquiring other popular platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp.
3.Larry Page: Larry Page, with a net worth of $179 billion, is one of the co-founders of Google. As a key figure in building Google into the global tech giant it is today, Page revolutionised the way we search for information on the internet. Known for his deep technical expertise, Page played a major role in developing Google’s search algorithm, which has made the company an essential part of everyday life.
4.Sergey Brin: Sergey Brin, worth $166 billion, is the other co-founder of Google, alongside Larry Page. Brin’s work has had a profound impact on the development of internet search and the wider tech landscape. Known for his intellectual curiosity, he was instrumental in creating the algorithms that powered Google’s search engine.
5.Jensen Huang: Jensen Huang is the founder and CEO of Nvidia, with a net worth of $151 billion. Under his leadership, Nvidia has transformed from a small graphics card company into a powerhouse in the semiconductor industry, especially known for its graphics processing units (GPUs). These GPUs are now essential not just in gaming, but in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cryptocurrency mining
6.Henry Samueli: Henry Samueli, with a net worth of $27.7 billion, is the co-founder of Broadcom, one of the largest semiconductor companies globally. Samueli, who started the company in 1991, helped turn it into a leader in the development of semiconductor components for wired and wireless communications.
7.Eric Schmidt: Eric Schmidt, with a net worth of $26.8 billion, was the former CEO and chairman of Google. Schmidt helped guide Google through its most formative years, overseeing its rise from a start-up to a global powerhouse. His leadership and experience in technology management were crucial in transforming Google into the tech giant it is today.
8.Robert Pera: Robert Pera, with a net worth of $24 billion, is the founder and CEO of Ubiquiti Networks, a company that specializes in wireless networking products. Pera launched Ubiquiti in 2005 with the goal of making high-quality networking equipment more affordable and accessible, especially for smaller businesses and underserved markets. T
9.Peter Thiel: Peter Thiel, with a net worth of $23.9 billion, is a co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook. As one of Silicon Valley’s most influential figures, Thiel has made a fortune by investing in high-profile tech companies. His venture capital firm, Founders Fund, has backed several successful startups, including SpaceX and Airbnb
10. Henry Nicholas III: Henry Nicholas III, with a net worth of $19.6 billion, is a co-founder of Broadcom, alongside Henry Samueli. As a key figure in the development of the semiconductor industry, Nicholas played an instrumental role in growing Broadcom into a major technology company.