The richest people in the United States have a combined net worth of more than $2.5 trillion in 2026. Tech billionaires lead the list, with Elon Musk at the top, followed by Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, and Google’s co-founders.
Most of America’s richest people did not inherit their wealth. They built it over many years by working hard, taking risks, and making smart business decisions. Their success comes from industries like electric vehicles, technology, and financial services.
This updated 2026 guide explains how the richest people in the U.S. made their money, where their wealth comes from today, and what has changed since last year. It also shows how the rankings are created and where other billionaires, like Tyler Perry and David Steward, stand.
Who Is the Richest Person in America in 2026?
Elon Musk is the richest person in the United States in 2026. Most of his wealth comes from Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. Larry Page and Sergey Brin are next on the list, followed by Jeff Bezos and Larry Ellison. Most of the top 10 richest Americans made their fortunes in the technology industry.
Top 10 Richest People in America: 2026 Table
| Rank | Name | Estimated Net Worth | Industry | Location | Wealth Type |
| 1 | Elon Musk | ~$688B | Technology | Texas | Self-made |
| 2 | Larry Page | $327B | Technology | California | Self-made |
| 3 | Sergey Brin | $304B | Technology | California | Self-made |
| 4 | Jeff Bezos | $285B | Technology / E-commerce | Florida | Self-made |
| 5 | Larry Ellison | $242B | Technology | California | Self-made |
| 6 | Mark Zuckerberg | $214B | Technology | California | Self-made |
| 7 | Warren Buffett | $145B | Finance / Investing | Nebraska | Self-made |
| 8 | Steve Ballmer | $144B | Technology | Washington | Self-made |
| 9 | Michael Bloomberg | $109B | Media & Financial Data | New York | Self-made |
| 10 | Bill Gates | $102B | Technology | Washington | Self-made |
Richest Americans by Industry
The 10 richest people in America mostly made their money in technology. However, many other billionaires became wealthy through different industries.
Retail billionaires
The Walton family inherited the Walmart fortune. Jim, Rob, and Alice Walton are each among the 15 richest people in the United States.
Real estate billionaires
While many of the top 10 became rich through technology, real estate is still one of the best ways to build wealth in the United States. Many successful people, including Tyler Perry, own valuable property. His Atlanta studio sits on 330 acres of land.
Media and entertainment billionaires
Michael Bloomberg leads the list with his media and financial data company. Tyler Perry is also among the richest, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion. He built his fortune by keeping ownership of his movies and TV shows instead of selling them to studios.
Finance billionaires
Warren Buffett leads this group through Berkshire Hathaway, while many other wealthy Americans in finance built their fortunes in hedge funds and private equity.
Richest Black Americans
David Steward, the founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, is the richest Black person in America. In 2026, his net worth is estimated at $12.4 billion. He started the company in 1990 with a $250,000 investment, and it now earns over $20 billion in annual revenue. Forbes also gave him a perfect self-made score.
Top 10 Richest People in America in 2026: Full Profiles
1. Elon Musk – ~$688 Billion
Elon Musk remains the richest person in America and the world in 2026. His fortune rests on three pillars.
Tesla is one of the world’s leading electric vehicle companies. SpaceX leads commercial space launches and continues to grow its Starlink satellite internet service. Musk has also combined his AI company, xAI, with X (formerly Twitter).
Elon Musk’s SpaceX shares now make up a large part of his wealth. As SpaceX’s value grows, his net worth can increase or decrease by billions of dollars in just a few days. That’s why real-time trackers like the Bloomberg Billionaires Index update his wealth regularly.
2. Larry Page – ~$327 Billion
Larry Page co-founded Google in 1998. In 2015, he helped create Alphabet Inc. to expand into AI, cloud computing, and healthcare. Although he no longer manages the company every day, his Alphabet shares have grown in value as Google continues to lead in Search, YouTube, and Google Cloud.
Larry Page stays out of the public spotlight. Even so, he remains one of the biggest individual shareholders in one of the world’s most valuable companies.
3. Sergey Brin – ~$304 Billion
Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder, has become even wealthier as Alphabet’s stock continued to grow in 2025 and 2026. In recent years, he has played a bigger role in the company’s AI projects. He has also invested in space tourism and real estate.
He is one of the biggest private donors to Parkinson’s disease research, a cause that is personal to his family.
4. Jeff Bezos – ~$285 Billion
Jeff Bezos made his fortune through Amazon. Even after stepping down as CEO, he still owns a large share of the company. Amazon’s online shopping and cloud services continue to earn billions of dollars.
Bezos now focuses mainly on Blue Origin, his space company. He also owns The Washington Post and invests in technology startups and real estate.
Jeff Bezos supports climate projects through the Bezos Earth Fund, one of the world’s largest climate charities.
5. Larry Ellison – ~$242 Billion
Larry Ellison, Oracle’s co-founder, has seen his wealth rise and fall sharply over the past year. Oracle’s stock price has changed a lot as the company invests heavily in cloud services and AI data centers.
In 2025, Larry Ellison briefly became the world’s richest person after Oracle’s stock surged. He continues to invest billions in Oracle’s cloud and AI business. He also owns a large stake in Tesla, linking his wealth to both the tech and electric vehicle industries.
6. Mark Zuckerberg – ~$214 Billion
Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth comes mainly from his ownership of Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meta is investing billions in AI, smart glasses, and virtual reality, which keeps its stock attracting investors.
Zuckerberg sees Meta’s AI and hardware spending as a long-term investment. Investors have supported this strategy during strong quarters, but the stock still moves up and down more than many other tech companies.
7. Warren Buffett – ~$145 Billion
Warren Buffett built his wealth through Berkshire Hathaway, the company he grew by investing in businesses like Apple, Coca-Cola, and American Express. Berkshire became the first non-tech U.S. company worth $1 trillion, showing Buffett’s unique and long-term investment approach compared to many tech billionaires.
Buffett has promised to give most of his wealth to charity. Every year, he donates billions of dollars in Berkshire stock to charitable organizations.
8. Steve Ballmer – ~$144 Billion
Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s former CEO, still owns many Microsoft shares. As the company grows through cloud computing and AI, the value of his shares continues to rise. He also earns millions of dollars each year in dividends from those shares.
Steve Ballmer bought the LA Clippers for $2 billion in 2014. Today, the team is worth more than twice what he paid.
9. Michael Bloomberg – ~$109 Billion
Michael Bloomberg built his wealth by starting Bloomberg LP in 1981 after leaving Wall Street. The company created the Bloomberg Terminal, a popular financial data platform, and he still owns about 88% of the business.
Bloomberg News does not include its founder in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index to avoid a conflict of interest. His net worth here is based on the Forbes Billionaires List.
Bloomberg is also one of the biggest charitable donors in the U.S. He has donated tens of billions of dollars during his lifetime.
10. Bill Gates – ~$102 Billion
Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft in 1975. Windows helped make him the world’s richest person for many years. After leaving as CEO, he invested his wealth in many businesses beyond Microsoft.
Today, Bill Gates invests in healthcare, clean energy, and technology through his personal investment company. He has also donated billions of dollars through the Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest charities.
Biggest Movers in 2026
Biggest gainers:
Elon Musk, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Jeff Bezos have added billions to their wealth in 2026. Their fortunes grew mainly because Tesla, SpaceX, and Alphabet stock prices increased.
Biggest losers:
Steve Ballmer, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates have lost billions this year. The main reason is the drop in Microsoft and Meta stock prices earlier in 2026.
New names to watch:
Jensen Huang and Michael Dell are now among the richest people in America. Their rise shows how AI and enterprise technology are creating new billionaires.
Who dropped out:
Bill Gates briefly dropped out of the world’s top 10 richest people for the first time since Bloomberg started its billionaire rankings. However, he is still one of the 10 richest people in the United States.
Conclusion
Technology has created most of the richest people in the U.S., with Elon Musk leading the list. Finance and media have also produced some of the country’s wealthiest people. While net worth changes every day, these fortunes were built through years of hard work, smart investments, and business growth.
FAQs
How many billionaires does America have in 2026?
The United States has close to 1,000 billionaires as of 2026, more than any other country. See our full breakdown of how many billionaires are in the world.
Who are the three richest people in America?
The three richest Americans in 2026 are Elon Musk, followed by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
