Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk has retained his position as the world’s richest person, with his estimated fortune rising sharply to $892 billion in August 2026, according to Forbes.
Musk’s wealth jumped by $202 billion during the month, recovering from a $363 billion decline recorded in July. The increase was largely driven by a rise in the value of his holdings in SpaceX and Tesla.
The latest figures put Musk well ahead of the other billionaires on the list. His fortune is more than three times that of Larry Page, who ranks second with an estimated $277 billion.
The latest ranking saw Bernard Arnault and Warren Buffett fall out of the top 10 after declines in the value of their respective holdings in LVMH and Berkshire Hathaway.
Forbes’ estimates as of Tuesday, September 1, 2026, show the following as the 10 richest people in the world:
Musk remains comfortably at the top of the global wealth ranking with an estimated fortune of $892 billion. His wealth increased by $202 billion in August, largely due to gains in Tesla and SpaceX.
Google co-founder Larry Page is the second-richest person in the world, with a fortune estimated at $277 billion. However, his wealth dropped by about $15 billion in August, making him the biggest loser among the top 10.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ranks third with an estimated fortune of $268 billion. His wealth declined by about $10 billion during August.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin is fourth on the list with an estimated $256 billion. Like Page and Bezos, Brin recorded a decline in his fortune during August, losing about $13 billion.
Technology entrepreneur Michael Dell occupies fifth place with an estimated fortune of $241 billion.
Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg ranks sixth, with his fortune estimated at $197 billion.
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison moved up to seventh place after his fortune increased by $25 billion to $193 billion. The rise followed a 15 per cent increase in Oracle’s share value.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang ranks eighth with an estimated fortune of $191 billion. Despite adding about $17 billion to his wealth during August, he dropped one place in the ranking.
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer climbed from 11th to ninth after adding about $10 billion to his fortune. He is now worth an estimated $155 billion.
Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, founder of the fashion group behind Zara, completes the top 10 with an estimated fortune of $148 billion. His wealth rose by about $5 billion during August.
Collectively, the 10 richest people in the world are worth an estimated $2.8 trillion, up from $2.6 trillion the previous month.
Nine of the 10 billionaires are Americans, with Ortega the only non-American on the list.
The ranking also reflects the continued dominance of technology, artificial intelligence and major global corporations among the world’s wealthiest individuals.
The post Top 10 list: Forbes richest people in the world in 2026 appeared first on Vanguard News.
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