Global and Ukrainian billionaires: who tops the lists of the richest people
11 March 12:38
In 2026, the dominance of billionaires in the world reached a record high. This year’s Forbes list includes 3,428 people — 400 more than in 2025. The total wealth of billionaires grew by $4 trillion and now stands at $20.1 trillion, with the average wealth of a billionaire reaching $5.8 billion.
This was reported by Forbes, as relayed by "Komersant Ukrainian".
Most of the wealth is concentrated in the US, home to 15 of the world’s 20 richest people. Elon Musk remains at the top of the ranking, with an estimated fortune of $839 billion, making him the closest to trillionaire status. He is more than three times richer than his closest competitors, Larry Page ($257 billion) and Sergey Brin ($237 billion).
A record number of billionaires are united in the “100 Billion Dollar Club” — now five new people have joined it with 12-digit fortunes, including cryptocurrency entrepreneur Changpeng Zhao ($110 billion). Another notable newcomer is Donald Trump, whose fortune is now estimated at $6.5 billion.
The artificial intelligence sector is creating new wealth faster than any technology before it: 86 billionaires owe their fortunes to AI, and half of them have become billionaires in the last 12 months. Among the newcomers under the age of 30 are Mercor startup founder Surya Midha (22, $10 billion) and former ballerina and MIT graduate Launa Lopez Lara (29). The youngest billionaire is Amelie Voigt Trejes (20) from Brazil.
The average age of a billionaire is now 65, and the oldest is American insurance magnate George Joseph (104). The list includes 3,428 billionaires from 80 countries, with the largest numbers in the US (989), China (610), and India (229). Women make up 14% of the ranking, including 481 individuals.
Over the year, 80% of billionaires maintained or increased their wealth, while 89 people dropped off the list due to financial difficulties or death. Forbes assessed wealth as of March 1, 2026, taking into account stocks, real estate, yachts, planes, and other assets.
Rinat Akhmetov is the richest Ukrainian in 2026
Rinat Akhmetov remains the richest Ukrainian in this year’s Forbes ranking, ranking 77th in the world with a fortune of $7.8 billion. Despite significant losses suffered by his companies Metinvest and DTEK due to Russian aggression, Akhmetov has publicly stated his intention to remain in Ukraine.
Forbes notes that his companies have provided $150 million in aid to the Ukrainian army and manufactured about 200,000 bulletproof vests.
Second place among Ukrainians went to Viktor Pinchuk (1504th place in the world, $2.8 billion), founder of Interpipe and owner of the Starlight Media media group.
Third place went to Vlad Yatsenko (1913th place, $2.2 billion), co-founder and technical director of the British neobank Revolut, which was valued at $75 billion by private investors in November 2025. In 2025, Revolut attempted to start operations in Ukraine without a Ukrainian license, but the National Bank did not allow this.
The list also includes the fifth president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, who retained his place in the ranking despite the closure of two factories of the confectionery company Roshen due to the war. His fortune is estimated at $1.5 billion.
Rounding out the Ukrainian ranking are Andriy Verevsky (Kernel agricultural holding), Vadym Novinsky (Smart Holding), and Kostyantyn Zhevago (Ferrexpo), each with a fortune of $1.2 billion.
