To The Moon

On June 2, Forbes released its list of the world's ten wealthiest individuals for the month of June. Gains of 5% and 8% in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices during May helped push the combined net worth of the top ten to $2.9 trillion. As of midnight Eastern Time on June 1st, their total wealth had increased by $220 billion compared to a month earlier.

Elon Musk's fortune grew by $53 billion in May, the third-largest increase among the top ten. His current net worth is approximately $835 billion. While shares of his electric vehicle giant, Tesla Motors, rose 14% last month, investor attention was captivated by his rocket and satellite company, SpaceX. The company filed for an initial public offering (IPO) last month, setting the stage for what could be the largest IPO in history. SpaceX is reportedly targeting a valuation of $1.8 trillion, slightly below initial expectations but enough to surpass the record set by Saudi Aramco in 2019. This move could propel Musk's personal wealth beyond the trillion-dollar mark. Trading of the stock could begin as early as June 12th, suggesting June 2026 may be the month the world sees its first trillionaire.

Larry Ellison's wealth surged by $71 billion in May to approximately $276 billion, returning him to the top five. Ellison can thank booming artificial intelligence demand in his "acceptance speech." The software behemoth he co-founded and serves as Chairman and Chief Technology Officer for, Oracle, is constructing multiple gigawatt-scale data centers in the United States. On May 1st, it announced an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to deploy its AI tools on classified networks for combat operations, intelligence work, and government administration. Ellison owns about 40% of Oracle, whose shares soared 40% in May.

Close behind is Michael Dell. The ongoing AI boom continued to boost Dell Technologies Inc., adding $67 billion to his fortune and making him the month's second-biggest gainer. The tech giant reported stellar earnings on May 28th that far exceeded market expectations, with annual AI server revenue skyrocketing 757% year-over-year. This drove the stock price up 33% in a single day, marking its best trading day on record. For the entire month of May, Dell's stock rose over 100%.

Both Ellison and Dell surpassed Mark Zuckerberg of Meta Platforms, Inc. Zuckerberg's wealth increased by $7 billion, but as Meta's stock rose only 3% amid significant AI capital expenditures and workforce reductions, its performance lagged behind the broader market and his billionaire rivals, causing his rank to fall to seventh place.

The exit of members of the Walton family from the top ten made room for two others to return. French magnate Bernard Arnault, who fell out of the top ten in April for the first time in over three years, climbed to ninth place this month as shares of luxury conglomerate LVMH rebounded 4%. Steve Ballmer, who had been out of the top ten since February, returned to the list in tenth place, thanks to a 10% rise in shares of Microsoft.

Key Details

Elon Musk has maintained his position as the world's richest person since May 2024.

Larry Page, with a current net worth exceeding $300 billion, is the third person in history to achieve this milestone, following Musk and Larry Ellison.

Steve Ballmer jumped from 15th place in May to 10th place on June 1st, re-entering the top ten.

Bill Gates fell out of the global top ten in October 2024 after Forbes significantly revised his wealth estimate downward based on newly obtained information.

Nine out of the ten wealthiest individuals globally are American. The sole non-American on the list is France's Bernard Arnault.

As of June 1st, all ten of the world's wealthiest individuals are men, each with a minimum net worth of $141 billion, down from $147 billion the previous month.

The World's Richest Man

As of June 1, 2026, the world's richest man is Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, with a fortune of $835 billion. He overtook France's Bernard Arnault to claim the top spot on the global rich list at the end of May 2024.

The World's Richest Woman

The world's richest woman is Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. As of June 1, 2026, her net worth is approximately $123 billion, placing her 15th on the global rich list, down from 13th in May. Her wealth stems from Walmart shares inherited from her late father. Her brother, John Walton, passed away in 2005, and his widow, Christy Walton, and their son, Lukas Walton, inherited his shares; both mother and son are listed on the Forbes billionaires list.