Forbes releases 2026 billionaire list with record 3,428 ultra-wealthy individuals globally

Forbes released its annual billionaire ranking Tuesday, identifying 3,428 individuals with billion-dollar fortunes worldwide, according to the publication. The list represents nearly 400 new billionaires added over the past 12 months—more than one per day—bringing combined wealth to a record $20.1 trillion.

Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla, owner of social media platform X and aerospace company SpaceX, leads the global ranking. His fortune reached $800 billion in February, up from $700 billion in December and $500 billion in October 2025. Year-over-year, Musk's wealth increased by approximately $497 billion.

In Brazil, the Forbes ranking identified 70 billionaires. Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook, now Meta, topped the Brazilian list for the third consecutive year with a fortune of $35.9 billion, equivalent to 184.3 billion Brazilian reais. Saverin's wealth rose from $34.5 billion in 2025, an increase of roughly 4 percent. Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg were classmates at Harvard University in 2004 when they founded Facebook alongside three other individuals.

Among Brazil's ten wealthiest billionaires, seven work in banking and investment sectors. The list includes members of the Moreira Salles family, founders of Unibanco and now part of Itaú; André Esteves of BTG Pactual; and Jorge Paulo Lemann and Carlos Alberto Sicupira.

Forbes compiled the ranking using stock prices traded on exchanges as of March 1, along with valuations of real estate and artwork holdings.

In Argentina, Paolo Rocca leads the country's billionaire rankings, though Forbes US lists him under Italian nationality due to his birthplace and corporate headquarters locations. Marcos Galperin and Eduardo Eurnekian also appear among Argentina's wealthiest individuals in the 2026 edition.