The world had a record 3,795 billionaires in 2025, according to a new report from Altrata.
The collective wealth of the world’s billionaires increased 12.8% in 2025 to a record $15.1 trillion, Altrata said. There are now 29 “superbillionaires” with a net worth of at least $50 billion.
Of the world’s billionaires, 1,265 are Americans.
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The number of billionaires has steadily increased. In 2016, there were 2,397 billionaires globally.
The Altrata report indicates the emergence of artificial intelligence has helped drive the wealth of the world’s elite.
The report says sports and philanthropy are the most popular hobbies among billionaires. More than 5% of billionaires own stakes in sports franchises.
Billionaires typically do not keep their wealth in liquid assets. Instead, their wealth is generally concentrated in equity stakes in publicly traded or privately owned companies, the report said.
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New York City is home to the most billionaires in the world, with 164, followed by Hong Kong and San Francisco. Chicago and Los Angeles also rank among the top 10 cities globally by number of billionaires.
Among billionaires, 62% are considered fully “self-made.” Just 7.8% fully inherited their wealth. The rest accumulated wealth through a combination of inheritance and self-made fortunes.
