'100 Billion Dollar Ultra Super Rich' Record High... First Woman Emerges

Boom in AI and Luxury Goods Businesses Results

It has been revealed that there are a total of 15 so-called '100 billion dollar club' super-rich individuals worldwide, each possessing personal assets exceeding 100 billion dollars (approximately 135 trillion won). This is a record high. The boom in artificial intelligence (AI) and luxury goods businesses has contributed to this outcome.

Fran?oise Bettencourt Meyers (left), granddaughter of the founder of L'Or?al, and Bernard Arnault, chairman of Louis Vuitton Mo?t Hennessy (LVMH).
[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index on the 16th (local time), the total assets of the '100 billion dollar club' super-rich amount to 2.2 trillion dollars (approximately 2,970 trillion won). This represents a 13% increase compared to last year, surpassing inflation and stock market growth rates.

Notably, this is the first time that the number of members in the 100 billion dollar club has reached 15. Their combined wealth accounts for one-quarter of the assets of the world's top 500 billionaires.

The billionaires who joined the 100 billion dollar club this year include ▲ Fran?oise Bettencourt Meyers (70), granddaughter of the founder of L'Or?al ▲ Michael Dell (59), founder of Dell Technologies ▲ Carlos Slim (84), lifetime chairman of Mexican telecommunications conglomerate Grupo Carso.

In particular, Bettencourt Meyers became the first and only woman to join the 100 billion dollar club in December last year as L'Or?al's stock price soared. Her net worth is 101 billion dollars (approximately 137 trillion won), ranking 14th worldwide. Meyers has held the title of the world's richest woman selected by Forbes for three consecutive years.

Michael Dell is a beneficiary of the AI business. Due to increased demand for related equipment, Dell Technologies' stock price reached an all-time high, pushing his assets beyond 100 billion dollars. He currently holds assets worth 113 billion dollars (approximately 153 trillion won), ranking 11th among all billionaires.

The individual ranked first in assets in this survey is Bernard Arnault (75), founder and chairman of Louis Vuitton Mo?t Hennessy (LVMH). He is confirmed to have a net worth of 222 billion dollars (approximately 297 trillion won). Jeff Bezos (60), founder of the world's largest online company Amazon.com, follows with a net worth of 208 billion dollars. These two are the only individuals whose assets exceed 200 billion dollars.

Elon Musk (52), CEO of the U.S. electric vehicle company Tesla, who has long held the title of the world's richest person, saw his net worth decrease by more than 40 billion dollars this year alone, placing him third with a total of 187 billion dollars.