The richest person in the world is Elon Musk of the United States, but nearly every country has its own wealthiest resident — from India’s Mukesh Ambani and Mexico’s Carlos Slim to Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote. Here is the richest person in 24 major economies, as of 2026.
The richest person in every major country (2026)
Wealth is concentrated in different industries around the world — technology in the US and China, luxury in France, telecoms in Mexico, cement and energy in Africa. The table below lists the wealthiest person in 24 leading economies, with figures from the Forbes 2026 list (via secondary sources). All net worths are approximate and change with markets.
| Country | Richest person | Net worth | Source of wealth |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Elon Musk | ~$839B | Tesla, SpaceX |
| France | Bernard Arnault | ~$148B | LVMH (luxury) |
| Spain | Amancio Ortega | ~$148B | Zara (Inditex) |
| Mexico | Carlos Slim | ~$125B | América Móvil (telecom) |
| India | Mukesh Ambani | ~$99.7B | Reliance Industries |
| China | Zhang Yiming | ~$69.3B | ByteDance (TikTok) |
| Japan | Tadashi Yanai | ~$61.8B | Fast Retailing (Uniqlo) |
| Italy | Giovanni Ferrero | ~$48.8B | Ferrero (Nutella) |
| Hong Kong | Li Ka-shing | ~$45.1B | CK Hutchison |
| Germany | Dieter Schwarz | ~$41B | Schwarz Group (Lidl) |
| Brazil | Eduardo Saverin | ~$33B | Meta (Facebook) cofounder |
| Nigeria | Aliko Dangote | ~$28.5B | Cement, refining |
| Russia | Leonid Mikhelson | ~$28.3B | Novatek (gas) |
| South Korea | Jay Y. Lee | ~$27B | Samsung |
| Indonesia | Budi Hartono | ~$21.6B | Djarum, Bank Central Asia |
| Saudi Arabia | Alwaleed bin Talal | ~$19.9B | Kingdom Holding |
| Thailand | Dhanin Chearavanont | ~$19.9B | CP Group |
| South Africa | Johann Rupert | ~$16.1B | Richemont (Cartier) |
| UK | Michael Platt | ~$16B | BlueCrest (hedge fund) |
| UAE | Hussain Sajwani | ~$15.3B | DAMAC (property) |
| Turkey | Hamdi Ulukaya | ~$13.5B | Chobani (yogurt) |
| Egypt | Nassef Sawiris | ~$9.6B | OCI (fertilisers) |
| Canada | David Thomson & family | ~$60B | Thomson Reuters (media, data) |
| Australia | Gina Rinehart | ~A$39B | Hancock Prospecting (iron ore) |
Net worths as of the Forbes 2026 list, approximate; the Australia figure is in Australian dollars. Some titles change with share and currency moves.
Patterns in global wealth
A few themes stand out. The United States is far ahead of everyone: Elon Musk alone is worth more than the five next-richest people combined, and by mid-2026 some trackers had pushed his fortune past $1 trillion. Luxury drives Europe’s biggest fortunes (Arnault and Ortega), while telecoms and industry dominate the emerging world. In India the title is contested — Gautam Adani overtook Mukesh Ambani in real-time rankings during 2026. And some “richest” titles are volatile: in Canada, the long-standing leaders are the Thomson family, though the crypto founder Changpeng Zhao has been ranked higher on contested, fast-moving valuations.
Key takeaways
- Elon Musk (US) is the richest person in the world and in any single country.
- Europe’s richest made their money in luxury (Arnault, Ortega).
- Aliko Dangote (Nigeria) and Johann Rupert (South Africa) lead in Africa.
- The United States has the most billionaires of any country (989).
Frequently asked questions
Who is the richest person in the world in 2026?
Elon Musk of the United States, worth about $839 billion on the Forbes 2026 list — the largest fortune ever recorded. By mid-2026, some real-time trackers had valued him above $1 trillion.
Which country has the most billionaires?
The United States, with a record 989 billionaires in 2026, ahead of China (610, including Hong Kong) and India (229) (Forbes). Together these three countries hold most of the world’s billionaire wealth.
Who is the richest person in Africa?
Aliko Dangote of Nigeria, worth about $28.5 billion, from cement, sugar and oil refining. He has been Africa’s richest person every year since 2013, ahead of South Africa’s Johann Rupert.
Sources
- Forbes, 2026 Billionaires facts and figures — retrieved 2026-07-05 — forbes.com
- Forbes, The richest billionaire in each country 2026 — retrieved 2026-07-05 — forbes.com
- Vanguard, Dangote leads Africa (Forbes 2026) — retrieved 2026-07-05 — vanguardngr.com
Last updated: July 4, 2026
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