The 10 richest people in the world have seen big changes in their wealth since the start of 2025, with most of them losing money.
Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has experienced a significant loss in wealth, shedding £27.8 billion since the start of 2025.
Despite maintaining his position at the top of the billionaire rankings, Musk’s net worth now stands at approximately £326.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index as of February 21.
The drop in his wealth is attributed to fluctuations in Tesla’s stock price and the ongoing challenges within his ventures like SpaceX and X.com, formerly Twitter, CNBC reports.
Decreasing demand and Musk’s ongoing controversial involvement in politics have reportedly contributed to the 27% drop in the stock.
The decline follows weaker demand for Tesla vehicles, including a 63% drop in registrations in France and 60% in Germany.
Musk’s controversial political interventions may have also impacted Tesla’s brand perception, further affecting investor confidence and consumer sales, particularly in Europe.
Gautam Adani is the second billionaire to have experienced the largest loss, with his wealth declining by £9.8 billion, bringing his net worth to about £54.7 billion.
Adani is an Indian billionaire industrialist and the chairman of the Adani Group, a multinational conglomerate with interests spanning various sectors, including energy, logistics, agriculture, real estate, and defence.
The decline forms part of a wider pattern affecting Adani’s various businesses, which have been subject to heightened scrutiny and face increasing challenges due to market instability and growing regulatory demands.
Michael Sabel is a businessman from the US, known primarily for his role in the energy sector. He has also experienced a substantial decrease in his wealth in 2025, bringing his net worth to £12.9 billion.
Other billionaires have seen significant wealth declines in 2025, including Robert Pender (-£6.5B), Prajogo Pangestu (-£5.6B), Shiv Nadar (-£3.5B), Ravi Jaipuria (-£3.3B), Abigail Johnson (-£3.1B), Savitri Jindal (-£3B), and Dilip Shanghvi (- £3B), due to various challenges in sectors like technology, food, finance, steel, and pharmaceuticals.
