In 2025, the world’s billionaires became much richer. Their total wealth reached a record $15.1 trillion, according to a report called Altrata’s Billionaire Census 2026. The number of billionaires also went up to 3,795, which is the biggest increase in five years. Many of these people made more money because the value of major technology companies grew quickly.

The main reason for this growth was the boom in artificial intelligence, known as AI. Many large companies invested heavily in AI technology, which led to a rise in their share prices. As the companies became more valuable, their founders and biggest shareholders, who are often billionaires, saw their fortunes increase as well.

Because of this, billionaire wealth became more concentrated. A small group of only 29 people called 'superbillionaires' each had more than $50 billion. They now control about 27% of all billionaire wealth worldwide.