Elon Musk: $250B+
Elon Musk studied at the University of Pennsylvania before chasing his dreams. He’s the mind behind Tesla, SpaceX, and a bunch of other wild ideas that have made him one of the richest men in the world. Love him or not, he’s built a massive fortune.
Jeff Bezos: $190B+
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos went to Princeton before building his company from a garage. At first, he just sold books, but then turned it into the world’s biggest online store. He even launched Blue Origin for space travel. He’s proof that a small idea can make you filthy rich.
Larry Ellison: 130B+
Larry Ellison dropped out of the University of Chicago. But that didn’t stop him from starting Oracle, a massive software company. Today, he’s flashy, loves yachts, and isn’t afraid to stand out. He’s now worth more than $130 billion. Not bad for a college dropout.
Larry Page: $120B+
Larry Page studied engineering at the University of Michigan before moving on to computer science at Stanford. With his qualifications under his belt, he co-founded Google. His net worth is currently at around $120 billion thanks to Google’s growth.
Sergey Brin: $110B+
Sergey Brin moved from Russia to the U.S. as a child. He studied math at the University of Maryland before going on to study computer science at Stanford, where he met Larry Page. Together, they started Google. Sergey stayed more behind the scenes and focused on research.
Mark Zuckerberg: $110B+
Mark Zuckerberg famously dropped out of Harvard to build Facebook. It started off as a dorm room project and is now one of the biggest tech companies in the world. Sure, he’s faced plenty of controversy, but with over $110 billion in his bank account, it’s clear his gamble to leave Harvard paid off.
Bill Gates: $110B+
Bill Gates is another Harvard dropout who’s made a massive fortune. He left Harvard early to build Microsoft, and basically helped put computers in every home in the world. For decades, he’s topped the richest-person lists and proved that dropping out doesn’t always mean failure.
Steve Ballmer: $120B+
Steve Ballmer studied at Harvard with Bill Gates and later went on to become the CEO of Microsoft. But he’s passionate about more than just computers, and even bought the LA Clippers basketball team. Today, he’s worth more than $120 billion thanks to his Microsoft stock.
Warren Buffett: $120B+
Warren Buffett is known as the “Oracle of Omaha.” He studied at the University of Nebraska and Columbia University before building Berkshire Hathaway. While he might be worth an eye-watering $120 billion, he lives a pretty simple life and invests in simple ventures that give big returns.
Michael Bloomberg: $96B+
Bloomberg LP founder Michael Bloomberg went to Johns Hopkins before making it big in finance and media. He’s also a former mayor of New York and has a fortune of around $96 billion. Today, he spends a lot of that money on charities and political campaigns.
Mukesh Ambani: $90B+
Mukesh Ambani studied chemical engineering in India before going to Stanford. He built Reliance Industries - one of India’s largest empires that covers everything from oil and gas to telecoms. Thanks to his $90 billion fortune, he lives in a skyscraper in Mumbai that’s so big it feels like a palace.
Charles Koch: $60B+
If you don’t know who Charles Koch is, you’ve been living under a rock. Koch studied engineering at MIT and used his skills to grow Koch Industries into the powerhouse it is today. He’s also just as well-known for his politics as he is for his massive profits.
David Koch: $60B+
David Koch also studied engineering at MIT and helped build Koch Industries with his brother Charles. But that’s not all he is known for, and he was also famous for his incredible philanthropy, where he donated millions to science, medicine, and the arts. David passed away in 2019.
Michael Dell: $60B+
Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell started small in his college dorm room at the University of Texas, where he sold PCs directly to customers. His idea later exploded into a company that’s now worth billions. It just goes to show that a student side hustle can easily become a computer empire.
Pony Ma: $35B+
Pony Ma might not be a name you’re familiar with until we mention his company, WeChat. He studied computer science at Shenzhen University before building Tencent. Today, his app is used by almost everyone in China, and he’s huge in gaming too.
Shiv Nadar: $30B+
Shiv Nadar studied electrical engineering at the PSG College of Technology in India before founding HCL Technologies. Now he’s worth $30 billion and gives massive amounts to education. It goes to show that one person’s vision can change industries and also help others reach their goals.
Jim Simons: $25B+
MIT and UC Berkeley alum Jim Simons was a math genius who worked as a code breaker before turning to finance. He built Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund that uses math to crush the market. With $25 billion in his bank account, he’s a legend who gives back to science.
Jack Ma: $25B+
Before founding Alibaba, Jack Ma studied English at Hangzhou University and worked as a teacher. But he dreamed of something bigger. Today, he’s worth $25 billion, and people love him because he’s the ultimate underdog who made it in life despite failing many times.
Ray Dalio: $20B+
Ray Dalio might not be a name you know right away, but you should. He studied economics at Long Island University and Harvard before later building Bridgwater Associates. Yes, he’s worth $20 billion, but he built his empire by balancing risk and keeping his cool in the crazy world of finance.
Eric Schmidt: $20B+
Eric Schmidt studied engineering at Princeton University and Berkeley, then became Google’s boss when it was just a tiny startup. Thanks to Eric, Google went from a search engine to a tech giant running half the internet. It’s safe to say he earned every penny of his $20 billion fortune.
Steve Cohen: $18B+
Steven Cohen made his fortune through his hedge fund powerhouse, Point 72. He studied economics at the University of Pennsylvania, and later went on to buy the New York Mets with his $18 billion fortune. Today, he’s known as the guy who turns billions into both business and fun.
Dustin Moskovitz: $18B+
Dustin Moskovitz left Harvard to help Mark Zuckerberg launch Facebook. He cashed out early and used his money to build Asana. Now he’s worth $18 billion, and donates huge sums of money to smaller start-ups. He’s low-key rich and a genuinely decent guy.
Eduardo Saverin: $10B+
Eduardo Saverin studied at Harvard, where he met Dustin Moskovitz and Mark Zuckerberg. The three created Facebook. Later, he moved to Singapore, doubled down on his investments, and grew even richer. Today, he’s worth $10 billion, but chooses to avoid the fame his Facebook co-founders chased.
Peter Thiel: $7B+
Stanford University alum Peter Thiel co-founded PayPal and was one of the first people to bet on Facebook. Today, he’s worth $7 billion and is known as the bold investor who backs risky startups. Some call him a visionary, while others call him controversial. You decide.
George Soros: $7B+
George Soros has been through a lot in his life. He escaped Nazi-occupied Hungary and studied at the London School of Economics before starting his company, DoubleEdge. Now worth $7B+, he’s just as famous for giving away billions to charities worldwide.
Jeff Skoll: $5B+
Jeff Skoll became the first president of eBay after studying business at Stanford University. After cashing out, he headed to Hollywood, where he produced movies with real impact. Today, he’s worth $5 billion and uses his money to push for social change through storytelling and making movies that matter.
Laurene Powell Jobs: $13B+
Laurene Jobs is more than just Steve Jobs’ wife. She studied at Penn and Stanford before marrying Steve and inheriting $13 billion of his fortune. Laurene put it to good use, though, and now runs Emerson Collective, where she funds education and environmental causes.
Reid Hoffman: $2B+
Reid Hoffman co-founded LinkedIn after studying at Stanford and Oxford. He’s also one of Silicon Valley’s best investors and invested early in Facebook and Airbnb. Now he’s worth $2 billion and spends his time mentoring people and backing the next wave of innovators.
Oprah Winfrey: $2.5B+
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey studied at Tennessee State University. She went on to become one of the most powerful media icons and built Harpo, her own empire. Her talk shows and network have bagged her an incredible $2.5 billion fortune.
Azim Premji: $10B+
Azim Premji is known as the Czar of Indian IT. He studied at Stanford and used his skills to turn Wipro into one of India’s biggest IT giants. Today, he’s legendary not just for his business skills, but also for giving away most of his $10 billion fortune.
