U.S. Billionaires Climb To 1,135 In 2024, Worth $5.7 Trillion

Billionaires in the U.S. are expanding in number and geography, according to The Wall Street Journal. There are 1,135 individuals worth at least $1 billion as of 2024, up from 927 in 2020, according to wealth-intelligence firm Altrata. Collectively, U.S. billionaires hold about $5.7 trillion, with the 100 richest accounting for nearly $3.86 trillion. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg together hold nearly $1 trillion in wealth. Tech fortunes dominate headlines, but most wealth comes from banking, finance, real estate, and inheritance. A third of billionaires inherited wealth, with five family dynasties controlling about $830 billion. Some billionaires pledged to give away fortunes, but about a quarter donated less than $1 million in the past decade.