The 22 Most Famous Billionaires in History

Oil barons and retail pioneers meet pop stars, athletes and the founders of the internet age. Some fortunes took a century to build; others arrived with a single IPO.

1. 1
   Elon Musk

   Tesla and SpaceX chief who became the richest person in the world.
   1000pts
2. 2
   John D. Rockefeller

   Standard Oil founder widely called America's first billionaire.
   960pts
3. 3
   Jay-Z

   Rapper and entrepreneur who became hip-hop's first billionaire.
   905pts
4. 4
   J. Paul Getty

   Oil tycoon named the richest living American in 1957 and famed for his frugality.
   768pts
5. 5
   Taylor Swift

   Singer-songwriter who became a billionaire mainly through her music and touring.
   740pts
6. 6
   Michael Jordan

   Basketball legend who became the first NBA player to reach billionaire status.
   664pts
7. 7
   Rihanna

   Singer whose Fenty Beauty brand made her a billionaire.
   664pts
8. 8
   Mark Zuckerberg

   Facebook founder who became one of the youngest self-made billionaires ever.
   576pts
9. 9
   Sam Walton

   Walmart founder who built the world's largest retailer and once topped the US rich list.
   576pts
10. 10
    Jeff Bezos

    Amazon founder who held the title of richest person on Earth for several years.
    576pts
11. 11
    Larry Ellison

    Oracle co-founder who has repeatedly ranked among the richest people on Earth.
    576pts
12. 12
    Howard Hughes

    Aviator, film producer and industrialist famous for his fortune and eccentric life.
    471pts
13. 13
    Richard Branson

    Virgin Group founder whose fortune spans records, airlines and spaceflight.
    471pts
14. 14
    Bernard Arnault

    LVMH chairman whose luxury empire made him the world's richest person in 2023.
    471pts
15. 15
    Kim Kardashian

    Reality star whose SKIMS and beauty businesses made her a billionaire.
    345pts
16. 16
    Carlos Slim

    Mexican telecom magnate who was the world's richest person from 2010 to 2013.
    345pts
17. 17
    Oprah Winfrey

    Talk-show host and media mogul, the first Black woman billionaire in North America.
    345pts
18. 18
    Steve Jobs

    Apple co-founder whose fortune came from Apple and from selling Pixar to Disney.
    345pts
19. 19
    Bill Gates

    Microsoft co-founder who topped the world's rich list for years and gave billions to his foundation.
    345pts
20. 20
    George Lucas

    Star Wars creator who became a billionaire selling Lucasfilm to Disney.
    0pts
21. 21
    Warren Buffett

    The Oracle of Omaha, who built Berkshire Hathaway into one of the largest companies by investing.
    0pts
22. 22
    Jack Ma

    Alibaba co-founder who became China's best-known billionaire.
    0pts

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