Elon Musk has retained his position as the world’s richest person, with an estimated fortune of $892 billion, according to Forbes’ latest September 2026 ranking, as the combined wealth of the 10 richest people climbed to about $2.8 trillion.
Forbes said Musk’s fortune jumped by $202 billion in August, reversing a $363 billion decline recorded in July. The increase was largely driven by strong gains in the value of his stakes in SpaceX and Tesla.
Musk’s latest fortune puts him more than three times ahead of Google co-founder Larry Page, who occupies second place with an estimated $277 billion.
The latest ranking, based on wealth estimates as of September 1, also shows significant movement further down the list, with two longtime members of the top 10 Bernard Arnault and Warren Buffett dropping out.
Full list of the 10 richest people
According to Forbes, the September 2026 ranking is:
- Elon Musk — $892 billion
Source of wealth: SpaceX, Tesla - Larry Page — $277 billion
Source of wealth: Google - Jeff Bezos — $268 billion
Source of wealth: Amazon - Sergey Brin — $256 billion
Source of wealth: Google - Michael Dell — $241 billion
Source of wealth: Dell Technologies - Mark Zuckerberg — $197 billion
Source of wealth: Meta - Larry Ellison — $193 billion
Source of wealth: Oracle - Jensen Huang — $191 billion
Source of wealth: Nvidia - Steve Ballmer — $155 billion
Source of wealth: Microsoft - Amancio Ortega — $148 billion
Source of wealth: Zara/Inditex
Forbes said the 10 billionaires are collectively worth an estimated $2.8 trillion, up from $2.6 trillion in the previous month. The figures, however, can change rapidly because the fortunes of billionaires with major publicly traded holdings fluctuate with stock prices.
Musk widens lead as billionaires shuffle positions
Musk’s position at the top became even more dominant following the sharp rise in his fortune during August. Forbes said shares of SpaceX and Tesla rose significantly during the month, helping his wealth recover from the steep decline recorded in July.
Larry Page, despite remaining firmly in second place, lost about $15 billion during August. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Google’s other co-founder, Sergey Brin, also saw their fortunes decline by about $10 billion and $13 billion respectively.
At number five, Michael Dell recorded a $12 billion increase, lifting his fortune to $241 billion. Mark Zuckerberg also added about $6 billion to reach $197 billion.
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison was one of the biggest gainers after Musk. His fortune increased by approximately $25 billion to $193 billion as Oracle shares gained 15 per cent, allowing him to move from eighth to seventh position.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang moved in the opposite direction, slipping from seventh to eighth despite adding about $17 billion to his fortune.
Further down the ranking, former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer climbed from 11th to ninth after gaining about $10 billion, while Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega rose from 12th to 10th after adding about $5 billion.
The changes pushed French luxury tycoon Bernard Arnault and legendary investor Warren Buffett out of the top 10.
Forbes noted that Arnault’s decline was linked partly to falling LVMH shares amid weaker luxury spending by Chinese consumers, while Berkshire Hathaway shares also retreated after reaching a 12-month high.
The September ranking also highlights how heavily the world’s largest fortunes remain concentrated in technology and major global corporations. Seven of the 10 richest people on the list built their fortunes primarily through technology companies, while Ortega’s wealth comes from the fashion and retail empire behind Zara.
Nine of the 10 richest people are American citizens, with Ortega, a Spanish citizen, the only non-American in the group. Forbes also noted that all 10 members of the September top 10 are men.
Despite the huge fortunes involved, Forbes cautioned that the figures are not fixed. Because several of the billionaires hold substantial stakes in publicly traded companies, their estimated net worths can rise or fall significantly from one day to another as financial markets move.
The latest ranking therefore offers a snapshot of global wealth rather than a permanent order, with the positions likely to continue changing as the value of major companies and investments fluctuates.
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