Technology

For the first time, the world’s 100 richest tech billionaires are worth over $1 trillion

Forbes has put out its annual Richest In Tech list for 2017. The names on the list won’t surprise you but what’s interesting is that these 100 individuals have a combined net worth of $1.08 trillion.

Forbes is known for ranking individuals on the basis of their wealth, whether it be actors, singers, or tech multi-millionaires. The business magazine has been releasing the Richest In Tech list for three years now but this is the first time that the 100 richest self-made billionaires have crossed the $1 trillion mark for their cumulative net worth. Their combined net worth is 21% more than last year’s figure of $892 and half of this increase is due to the wealth of the top 10 richest tech billionaires.

This significant increase is largely due to an increase in the stock prices of numerous companies including Facebook and Amazon. Interestingly, over three-quarters of the billionaires on the list having bigger net worths than last year.

The names on the list haven’t changed much. Bill Gates is still the richest person in tech and also the richest person in the world. Gates has a fortune of $85.4 billion which has increased by $6.5 billion since last year. Jeff Bezos, who was briefly the richest person in the world, takes the second spot with a net worth of $81.7 billion. After a significant drop, Mark Zuckerberg ranks in the third place with $69.6 billion to his name. He is also the fifth youngest person on the list.

Leading the way for Asians, who make up one-thirds of the list, Jack Ma takes the seventh spot with a net worth of $37.4 billion. Other names on the list include Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, Facebook’s lesser known co-founder Eduardo Saverin, and the founder of Xiaomi Lei Jun who saw a drop of $2.9 billion in his net worth. Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick also saw a drop of $1.2 billion in his fortune, following a series of scandals that have hit the ride-hailing startup. Snapchat’s co-founder Evan Spiegel made it back to the list with a net worth of $3.2 billion. He is also the youngest person on the list.

Only six women were able to shatter the glass ceiling and make it through Forbes’ cut off threshold of $2.6 billion. These women have a combined net worth of an estimated $27.6 billion.

Interested in reading more about the richest people in tech? Find the complete list and other trivia here.

Sponsored
Maryam Dodhy

I love bringing to light stories of extraordinary people working in Pakistan's tech and startup industry. You can reach out to me through maryamdodhy@techjuice.pk.

Leave a Comment
Share
Published by
Maryam Dodhy

Recent Posts

Indian Army Granted Authority to Directly Takedown Social Media Content

The Indian Army has been granted direct authority to manage social media content concerning its…

8 hours ago

NUST Achieves Global Recognition with 43 Researchers Among World’s Top 2% Scientists

In an extraordinary accomplishment for Pakistani academia, 43 researchers from the National University of Sciences…

9 hours ago

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Govt Ready to Acquire PIA with Bid Exceeding Rs10bn

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has officially informed the federal government of its intention to…

10 hours ago

PTA Cautions Public on Illegal and Unlicensed Forex Trading Platforms

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a stern advisory, warning citizens against investing in…

10 hours ago

Record Emigration: Economic Instability Forces Pakistan’s Best and Brightest to Depart

Economic challenges are prompting skilled workers to leave Pakistan, resulting in a significant talent drain…

13 hours ago

Russia’s Fine on Google Exceeds World’s Economy

A Russian court has fined Google for blocking state-run media channels on YouTube, imposing a…

1 day ago