Forbes estimates that the total wealth of more than 2200 billionaires around the world increased by $1.9 trillion in 2020, of which the total wealth of Chinese mainland and more than 400 billionaires in Hong Kong increased by $810 billion, accounting for more than 40 percent.
Based on share prices as of Friday, the total worth of the world's billionaires is estimated at $11.4 trillion, up 20 per cent from $9.5 trillion at the end of last year.
The increase in the wealth of US billionaires is particularly remarkable, with the total wealth of more than 600 US billionaires reaching US $4 trillion, an increase of US $560 billion, or 16%, since the beginning of the year, mainly due to the rise in the stock market. Despite the stock market crash caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in March, it has rebounded sharply since then, with the S & P 500 still near record highs, up 13 per cent this year and 38 per cent on the Nasdaq.
TeslaCEO Musk is the fastest-growing billionaire this year, with a fortune of nearly $137 billion, up $110 billion from the start of the year and ranking third on the Forbes rich list.
AmazonThe wealth of CEO Jeff Bezos has risen by $67.5 billion this year to $182 billion, second only to Mr Musk.
However, China has more billionaires than the United States in terms of wealth growth. The total wealth of Chinese mainland's 400 billionaires has increased by $750 billion, or 60 per cent, so far this year to $2,000bn. That does not include 67 billionaires in Hong Kong, China, whose total wealth increased by $60 billion to $380 billion.
NONGFU SPRING CO., LTD. listed in Hong Kong in September, increasing the wealth of its founder, Zhong Fengyi, to $62.5 billion from $2 billion at the beginning of the year. Other big winners include PinduoduoFounder Huang Zheng, whose wealth has risen by $32.4 billion this year to $52 billion; BabaCo-founder Jack MaThe value of the company rose by $18.9 billion this year to $61.7 billion.
French billionaires ranked third in terms of wealth growth this year. The country's 40 super-rich are worth $500 billion, up $95 billion from the start of the year. More than half of the growth came from two big winners: Bernard Arnott, chairman of LVMH, and L'Or é al heiress Francois Bettencourt Meyers. LVMH's shares have risen 30 per cent this year, adding $35 billion to Mr Arnold's wealth. L'Or é al shares rose 25%, adding $14 billion to Bettencourt Meyers' wealth.