Global Billionaire Wealth Tops $15 Trillion as AI Boom Lifts Tech Stocks
AI is reshaping global wealth. As technology stocks soared, the number of billionaires worldwide rose more than 8% in a year, and their combined fortunes topped $15 trillion for the first time.
The world had 3,795 billionaires in 2025, up 8.2% from a year earlier, according to the Billionaire Census report released on the 4th by wealth intelligence firm Altrata. It was the steepest annual increase in five years. Their combined net worth climbed 12.8% to a record $15.1 trillion, or about 20,215 trillion won. Notably, wealth grew faster than the population of billionaires itself.
Behind the surge is the rush of investment into artificial intelligence. Expectations for the AI industry have driven up valuations at related technology companies, lifting the value of holdings owned by founders and major shareholders. Wealth accumulated even faster among the very richest, who benefited most directly from AI.
Twenty-nine people were counted as “super billionaires” with net worth above $50 billion. Accounting for just 0.8% of all billionaires, they held a combined $4.1 trillion, or 27% of total billionaire wealth. In 2017, there were only 10 such individuals, holding 7.2% of the total. In eight years, more than a quarter of all billionaire wealth has concentrated in the hands of that 0.8%.
By region, North America had the most billionaires at 1,337 and posted the largest increase worldwide at 11.6%. Europe had 1,081, up 7.9%, while Asia had 881, up 6.5%.
Whether that expansion continues is uncertain. The report warned that much of the wealth held by the top billionaires is concentrated in technology stocks, leaving their fortunes vulnerable to swings in AI-linked equity markets. The wealth created by AI moves with the volatility of the AI market itself.
