The United States is home to about 989 billionaires, led by Elon Musk, whose net worth reached roughly $839 billion in 2026 from Tesla and SpaceX. How many billionaires are in the United States, and who is the richest? This guide ranks the nation's wealthiest and the cities where they live.
The United States has the highest concentration of ultra-wealthy individuals worldwide. New York leads with 103 billionaires, followed by San Francisco and Los Angeles. The wealth sources range from technology and automotive industries to finance and investments. As of 2026, Elon Musk, with a net worth of about $839 billion from Tesla and SpaceX, exemplifies the innovative spirit driving American billionaires, highlighting the country’s pivotal role in global economic leadership.
How many billionaires are in United States?
The United States is home to roughly 989 billionaires as of 2026. New York has the most with 103, followed by San Francisco with 40, Los Angeles with 36, Palm Beach with 23, and Dallas with 22. Other cities with a notable number of billionaires include Atlanta with 18, Palo Alto with 17, Chicago with 15, Houston and Austin with 15 and 13 respectively, Atherton and Beverly Hills with 12, and Las Vegas with 12. Miami and Boston both have 11 billionaires, while Greenwich and Fort Worth have 10 and 9 respectively. Other cities with notable numbers of billionaires include Naples with 8, Seattle and St. Louis with 7, Denver, Los Altos and Phoenix with 6, and Woodside with 5.
Top 5 Billionaires in United States (2026)
Who has the highest net worth in United States?
1. Elon Musk
Elon Musk, born in 1971, is a self-made male billionaire who is ranked first in terms of wealth worldwide. As of 2026, his net worth is approximately 839 billion U.S. dollars. His primary source of wealth is Tesla and SpaceX in the Automotive and aerospace industries, although he has business interests in other sectors such as artificial intelligence and renewable energy. Recently, Musk has been actively involved in developing neural interface technologies through Neuralink, aiming to revolutionize brain-computer interaction.
2. Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos, born in 1964, is a self-made male billionaire whose net worth, as of 2026, is approximately 224 billion U.S. dollars, ranking him among the four wealthiest people worldwide. His business operates in the technology sector and his source of wealth is Amazon. Bezos has expanded his focus to space exploration through his company Blue Origin, which continues to develop reusable rocket technologies and compete in the burgeoning commercial spaceflight market.
3. Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison was born in 1944 and is a self-made male billionaire. As of 2026, his net worth is estimated at approximately 190 billion U.S. dollars, ranking him among the ten wealthiest people in the world. His wealth is primarily sourced from Oracle, a technology company which he founded and of which he is the chairman and chief technology officer. Ellison has recently invested heavily in biotechnology startups and continues to be a major player in cloud computing innovations.
4. Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett, born in 1930, is a self-made male billionaire whose net worth, as of 2026, is approximately 149 billion U.S. dollars, ranking him among the ten wealthiest people worldwide. His business operates in the category of Finance & Investments, and his source of wealth is Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett remains active in philanthropy through the Giving Pledge and has recently increased investments in sustainable energy companies.
5. Bill Gates
Bill Gates, born in 1955, is a self-made male billionaire whose net worth, as of 2026, is approximately 108 billion U.S. dollars, keeping him among the world’s wealthiest individuals. His wealth is largely derived from Microsoft, the technology company he founded, but he also has interests in other technology-related industries. Gates is notably active in global health initiatives through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on disease eradication and climate change mitigation.
Sources:
Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2026
Bloomberg Billionaires Index
Last updated: June 19, 2026
Leave a Reply