Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has long been considered one of the world’s wealthiest people. However, as of 2023, he is no longer at the top of the list. According to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires list, the current wealthiest person in the world is Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company.
Arnault’s net worth as of April 2023 is estimated to be over $225 billion, while Musk’s net worth is estimated to be just under $200 billion. Arnault’s wealth has largely been driven by his stake in LVMH, which includes luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Fendi, among others.
Musk’s fortune, on the other hand, is largely tied to his holdings in Tesla and SpaceX. However, while Musk has seen incredible success with both companies in recent years, his net worth has fluctuated considerably due to the volatile nature of the stock market.
It’s worth noting that the rankings of the world’s wealthiest people can change rapidly due to fluctuations in stock prices and other factors. For example, Jeff Bezos, the founder and former CEO of Amazon, held the top spot on the Forbes list for many years before being overtaken by Musk in 2021. However, Bezos has since fallen to third place behind Arnault and Musk.
While the exact order of the world’s wealthiest people may change from year to year, one thing is clear: the top echelon of the world’s ultra-rich is incredibly exclusive, with only a small number of individuals holding the vast majority of the world’s wealth. Critics have argued that this concentration of wealth in the hands of so few individuals is a major contributor to global inequality and other societal problems.
In conclusion, while Elon Musk may no longer be the world’s wealthiest person in 2023, his incredible success with SpaceX and Tesla has cemented his place as one of the most influential and innovative entrepreneurs of our time. The rise of Bernard Arnault and others to the top of the wealth rankings is a reminder of the constantly evolving nature of global finance and the incredible power of the world’s most successful business leaders.