Who are the 8 people who have 50% of the world's wealth?

The Few Who Hold Half the World’s Wealth

It’s staggering to think that just a handful of individuals control an outsized share of the planet’s riches. While the exact number fluctuates slightly year to year, names like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Carlos Slim Helú consistently appear near the top of global wealth rankings. These eight individuals—hailing from tech, retail, and finance—have built empires that span continents and industries, accumulating fortunes that, combined, equal the net worth of half the world’s population.

Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, remains a dominant figure with a net worth of around $75 billion, thanks in part to savvy investments and enduring influence in the tech world. Spanish fashion magnate Amancio Ortega, founder of Zara’s parent company Inditex, built a quiet but massive fortune through fast fashion and global retail expansion. Buffett, the legendary CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has turned sound investing principles into over $60 billion, proving that patience and value pay off. Meanwhile, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú, with stakes in telecommunications and construction through Grupo Carso, has long been a powerhouse in Latin America’s economy.

While these figures represent extraordinary success, their collective wealth underscores growing economic inequality. As of recent reports, the richest 1% own nearly half of the world’s assets, and this small group of ultra-wealthy individuals sits at the very peak. Their stories are often celebrated as rags-to-riches tales, but they also raise pressing questions about opportunity, access, and fairness in a global system where wealth concentrates so heavily at the top.