Top 500 Global Billionaires' Assets Increase by 1113 Trillion in H1... "Impact of Nasdaq Tech Stock Surge"

In the first half of this year, the rise in the US stock market increased the asset value of the world's top 500 billionaires by more than 110 trillion won. In particular, the surge in technology stocks driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom led to a sharp increase in the assets of IT company leaders such as Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms.

According to Bloomberg's billionaire index compiled on the 3rd (local time), the total asset value of the world's top 500 billionaires increased by $852 billion (approximately 1,112.71 trillion won) in the first half of the year. Calculating the average increase in asset value per person, they earned $14 million (approximately 1.83 billion won) daily over six months.

'World's richest person' Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Bloomberg reported, "This was the best half-year period since the second half of 2020, when the economy rebounded after the COVID-19 crisis." Especially, the AI boom led investments in technology stocks, with the S&P 500 index rising 16% and the Nasdaq 100 index soaring 39% during the first half of the year.

The world's richest billionaire, CEO Musk, recorded the largest increase among the top 500 billionaires, with his net worth rising by $96.6 billion (approximately 126 trillion won) over six months. CEO Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, ranked 9th among billionaires and recently hinting at a possible 'martial arts match,' saw Zuckerberg's net worth increase by $58.9 billion during the first half, following Musk's increase.

In terms of increase, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, ranked third with $47.4 billion, followed by Larry Ellison, chairman of Oracle, with $40.8 billion, and Bernard Arnault, chairman, with $38.2 billion.

On the other hand, the billionaire whose net worth decreased the most in the first half was Gautam Adani, chairman of India's Adani Group. His net worth fell by $60.2 billion over six months. In January, the US short-selling firm Hindenburg Research released a report accusing Adani Group of stock manipulation and accounting fraud, causing a sharp drop in asset value.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn's asset value also dropped significantly due to Hindenburg Research. In May, Hindenburg Research released a report alleging that Icahn's holding company, Icahn Enterprises LP, inflated its asset value, resulting in a $13.4 billion decrease in Icahn's net worth during the first half.

The asset values of two Korean billionaires included in Bloomberg's billionaire index also increased.

Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics and ranked 250th globally, currently has a net worth of $8.82 billion, up $2.3 billion from the beginning of the year. Kwon Hyuk-bin, founder of Smilegate Group, ranked 423rd, recorded a net worth of $5.89 billion, an increase of $525 million compared to the start of the year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.