The United States now has the highest number of billionaires in the world, with a record 989 individuals whose combined wealth totals roughly $8.4 trillion, according to the latest global billionaire rankings.
The data comes from Forbes’ newest World’s Billionaires list, which found that the number of billionaires worldwide has reached a historic high. A total of 3,428 billionaires now live across 80 countries and territories, collectively holding an estimated $20.1 trillion in wealth.
The report attributes the surge in billionaire wealth to several factors, including strong financial markets, the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies, and economic policies that have supported investment growth.
“There has never been a better time to be a billionaire,” Forbes noted in its analysis. “Thanks to AI’s explosion, sizzling markets and favorable fiscal policies, a record 3,428 entrepreneurs, investors and heirs made this year’s World’s Billionaires list.”
The United States remains the dominant hub for billionaire wealth globally. More than half of the world’s billionaires live in just three countries: the United States, China, and India.
China, including Hong Kong, ranks second with 610 billionaires, while India holds third place with 229 billionaires.
Texas alone accounts for 88 billionaires, including the world’s richest individual, Elon Musk. Musk tops the global list with an estimated net worth of $839 billion, largely driven by the success of Tesla and SpaceX.
Following Musk among the wealthiest Texans is Michael Dell, founder of Dell Technologies, with an estimated net worth of $141 billion.
Several members of the Walton family also appear among the wealthiest Texans. Walmart heiress Alice Walton ranks among the richest in the state with a fortune estimated at $134 billion, while Ann Walton Kroenke holds a net worth of about $14.6 billion.
Other prominent Texans on the list include Elaine Marshall and her family, whose $30.9 billion fortune stems from Koch Inc., and Lundal Stephens Greth and family, whose wealth is estimated at $30 billion from oil and natural gas investments.
Sports and real estate investor Stanley Kroenke also appears among the wealthiest Texans, with an estimated net worth of $22.2 billion. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his family follow with approximately $20.3 billion.
Investment manager Ken Fisher ranks ninth among Texans on the list with a fortune estimated at $13.2 billion, while Richard Kinder rounds out the top ten with about $13 billion tied to his pipeline company Kinder Morgan.
Other notable Texans include Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who ranks 268th globally with a net worth of approximately $11.7 billion.
Charles Butt, the owner of grocery chain H-E-B, ranks 289th with an estimated fortune of $11.1 billion. His sister Eleanor Butt Crook also appears on the list, along with nephews Howard Butt III and Stephen Butt.
Texas native Beyoncé also appears among the world’s billionaires, ranking 3,332 with a net worth slightly above $1 billion.
Despite Texas’ large number of billionaires, the state ranks fourth nationally in billionaire population, behind California, New York, and Florida.
Globally, the United States also dominates the upper ranks of wealth. Fifteen of the world’s 20 richest individuals reside in the United States.
Among them are technology leaders and business giants such as Larry Page and Sergey Brin of Google, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Larry Ellison of Oracle, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia.
Other top names include Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, Steve Ballmer of Microsoft, Michael Bloomberg of Bloomberg LP, and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
The rankings are based on stock prices and currency exchange rates as of March 1, 2026.
