The 10 Most Popular Industries For Billionaires 2025
Want to join the three-comma-club? There are countless ways to get there, be it bubble tea, comedy, or bringing back the woolly mammoth. But working in finance was still the most common route onto Forbes' World's Billionaires list in 2025.
The most common route, for the 11th-straight year? Finance and investments. The industry has the most billionaires of all, with 464, or 15% of the list. And they posted another strong annual return, adding 41 new members, and some $400 billion in wealth, since last year. In all, these money masters are worth $2.6 trillion in all. Newcomers include venture capitalist Theresia Gouw (estimated net worth: $1.1 billion), private equity mogul Adebayo Ogunlesi ($2.2 billion) and George Raymond Zage III ($1.2 billion), who took LGBTQ social networking app Grindr public through a blank-check company in 2022. Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old Oracle Of Omaha, is still the sector's richest person by far, with an estimated $154 billion fortune (up $21 billion since last year amid yet another rise in Berkshire Hathaway stock).
Then there's the tech industry, which ranks second, with 401 billionaires, accounting for 13% of this year's list. That includes Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, who is worth an estimated $216 billion (up $39 billion since last year) and ranks as the list's runner-up for the first time ever, trailing only Tesla's Elon Musk ($342 billion), who Forbes classifies as primarily an automotive billionaire. Awash in VC money and investor delirium for all things AI, no group has gotten richer (adding $600 billion) or gained more billionaires (46) than the planet's tech moguls. As a group, they're the wealthiest of all, worth a collective $3.2 trillion. Newcomers include Severin Hacker ($1.1 billion), cofounder and CTO of language learning app Duolingo; Marissa Mayer ($1 billion), the first female engineer at Google and former Yahoo CEO; and the world's youngest self-made billionaire, 28-year-old Scale AI cofounder and CEO Alexandr Wang ($2 billion).
Manufacturing comes in third, with 342 billionaires, accounting for 11% of this year's ranking. The group is worth $1.1 trillion (up $100 million since last year), and the sector's richest person is still Germany's Reinhold Wuerth, with an estimated $35.1 billion fortune from fasteners and screws. No one from the industry gained more than Nigerian cement and sugar mogul Aliko Dangote, who is worth $23.9 billion (up $10.5 billion since last year). Among the sector's 33 newcomers: Chinese vaping mogul Zhang Shengwei ($2.2 billion) and Swiss hearing aid tycoon Hans-Ueli Rihs ($1.8 billion).
Rounding out the top four is fashion and retail, where 297 individuals made their billions, accounting for 10% of this year's list. Altogether, they're worth $2 trillion, up $100 million from last year. That's despite the industry's richest person, LVMH's Bernard Arnault of France ($178 billion), losing $55 billion in wealth amid what his luxury goods giant has called 'a challenging economic and geopolitical environment' for the sector. Even with these headwinds, 16 newcomers from the industry still found their way onto this year's list, including Danny Harris and Marco DeGeorge ($4.7 billion each), the cofounders of clothing brand Alo Yoga; Chinese gold and jewelry mogul Xu Gaoming ($8.2 billion); and Saudi grocery store and mall tycoon Abdullah Al Othaim ($2.5 billion).
Richest: Vagit Alekperov ($28.7 billion), founder of Russian oil giant Lukoil.
Richest: Rupert Murdoch & family ($23 billion), founder and chairman emeritus of News Corp., one of the world's largest media conglomerates.
Richest: Harry Triguboff ($19.1 billion), founder, owner and managing director of Meriton, Australia's largest apartment developer.
Richest: Mukesh Ambani ($92.5 billion), chairman of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, which holds interests in petrochemicals, oil and gas, retail, telecommunications, media and financial services.
Richest: Zhong Shanshan ($57.7 billion), founder and chairman of Chinese bottled water company Nongfu Spring.
Richest: Thomas Frist Jr. & family ($27 billion), cofounder and chairman emeritus HCA Healthcare, which operates the largest hospital network by capacity in the U.S.
Richest: Bernard Arnault & family ($178 billion), chairman and CEO of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH.
Richest: Reinhold Wuerth & family ($35.1 billion), honorary chairman of screw and fastener maker Wuerth Group.
Richest: Mark Zuckerberg ($216 billion), cofounder and CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook).
Richest: Warren Buffett ($154 billion), chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
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29 minutes ago
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Merdeka Center poll: 73pc of Malaysians say economy is top issue, Anwar gets 55pc approval rating
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Yahoo
30 minutes ago
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2025 International Supply Chain Conference of Chinese Cuisine Concludes Successfully, Accelerating the Globalization of Chinese Cuisine
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He emphasized that while the global expansion of Chinese cuisine presents unprecedented opportunities, it also faces significant challenges. These include insufficient integration across supply chains, leading to unstable ingredient supply and persistently high costs. Additionally, substantial differences in food standards, regulations, and cultural norms across countries and regions have made the international rollout of Chinese cuisine both complex and demanding. He further emphasized, "For the Chinese cuisine supply chain to succeed globally, we must first master the fundamentals and adopt a long-term mindset." According to relevant data, the overseas Chinese cuisine market reached RMB 3 trillion in 2024. Over the past three years, the global Chinese dining sector has grown at an average annual rate of 11%, and it is projected to exceed USD 1.2 trillion this year. Currently, there are approximately 700,000 Chinese restaurants operating overseas, with more than 6,000 new establishments added in the first half of 2025 alone. These figures clearly underscore the unprecedented growth opportunities emerging for Chinese cuisine in international markets. "Why is Chinese cuisine able to thrive sustainably? Because it is a fusion of tradition and innovation," said Steven Johnsons Tjan, CEO of Indonesian restaurant chain PT Petarung Semeja Sejati. He noted that Chinese cuisine enjoys widespread popularity in international markets. His restaurant group, for example, offers a variety of fusion dishes inspired by Chinese cuisine. By innovating flavors and adopting localized strategies, they have successfully attracted diners from around the world. In March 2024, China's Ministry of Commerce, together with eight other government departments, jointly issued the Guidelines on Promoting High-Quality Development of the Catering Industry, which explicitly called for accelerating the global expansion of Chinese cuisine. This policy-level support has created strong momentum for Chinese food to "go global." However, taking Chinese cuisine abroad is far more complex than simply "sending well-made dumplings overseas." At its core, a robust supply chain is essential-not only to ensure quality, but also to drive the standardization, internationalization, and scalability of Chinese cuisine. "Chinese cuisine is entering a golden era of global expansion, and the supply chain is its foundation and soul," said Zhou Wen, Secretary-General of the Ingredient Supply Chain Subcommittee of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-products. He emphasized that the stability and adaptability of the food ingredient supply chain are the driving forces enabling Chinese cuisine to shift from simply "going global" to achieving sustainable and long-term international success. Wu Li, Vice President of the World Federation of Chinese Catering Industry, emphasized that the international expansion of pre-prepared and pre-packaged Chinese foods, such as ready-made meals, is a key achievement of China's food industry revolution and will not be hindered by outdated perceptions. "Guangdong is a place where miracles happen. It was the first to enact legislation supporting the development of the pre-prepared food industry," Wu noted. As the birthplace of China's pre-prepared food sector, Guangdong has taken the national lead in systematically building out the industrial chain, firmly positioning itself as an industry front-runner. 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Addressing the challenge of cultural adaptation, Li Qiuguang, General Manager of Zhaoqing Evergreen Aquatic Product Science & Technology Co., Ltd., stressed the importance of adapting to local conditions. "Different countries have different food standards," Li noted during a roundtable discussion. "For example, some markets prohibit additives derived from animal products. That means flavor enhancers like chicken essence or lard can't be used in international versions of our products." He also highlighted the importance of aligning branding with local culture. "For instance, when developing fish fillet products for overseas foodservice clients, we created a boneless product line to better resonate with local consumer preferences. These localized adaptations help drive stronger market acceptance." Overcoming the "Three Major Challenges" Doesn't Guarantee a Smooth Landing Successfully navigating the "three major hurdles" does not mean the journey is complete-far from it. According to He Guifen, Head of the Compliance Services Center at FoodPartnerNet, regulatory compliance remains a significant challenge for Chinese food companies going global. For example, product compliance is a key concern: in markets such as Indonesia and Malaysia, Halal certification is required for many food products. In terms of compliance within the broader food-related supply chain, the United States does not require mandatory certification for food contact materials, but companies must still provide declarations of conformity to ensure product compliance. "From another perspective," He added, "regulatory compliance shouldn't be feared. While it may represent a substantial upfront cost for going global, overcoming these challenges ultimately becomes a source of long-term competitive advantage." 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"Ingredient localization and direct resource connection are critical to the global expansion of Chinese cuisine," said Zhu Dong, Vice President of Liangzhilong Group and General Manager of its International Business Division. He pointed out that the key challenges currently facing Chinese cuisine going global include localized integration, supply chain bottlenecks, and brand awareness. Zhu emphasized that these challenges can be effectively addressed through measures such as localized ingredient sourcing, establishing local manufacturing facilities, and developing overseas warehouses, all of which support the integration of Chinese cuisine into local supply chains. "Standardized management is essential for scaling and strengthening the Chinese cuisine supply chain," added Li Qiuguang. He shared that Evergreen began implementing standardized processes early on while undertaking the Egypt Fisheries Industrial Park project. This included standardizing parameters for aquaculture techniques and production formulations. The company sent Chinese technical experts to provide on-site guidance and hands-on training for local staff. Through continuous fieldwork and collaboration, the project successfully achieved full standardization in management and operations. In Terms of International Marketing, AI Is Becoming a Strategic Enabler Li Liaoyuan, Founder of Future Island AI, highlighted the importance of an AI-driven internationalization strategy, emphasizing a two-step approach: first exporting the brand, then exporting the product. He explained that brand globalization can be accelerated by leveraging AI tools to increase brand visibility. This includes launching localized marketing initiatives and building new media accounts tailored to international audiences. Once brand awareness is established, the focus can shift to product globalization, which also relies on AI technologies for market adaptation and operational efficiency. Xu Dandan, Head of Merchant Development for the Southern Guangdong Region at Alibaba International, echoed this perspective. She noted that companies are using AI-powered business assistants to automatically respond to inquiries from overseas buyers, enabling real-time, multilingual communication. This ensures that merchants capture high-quality leads and drive efficient, high-value international expansion. Zhong Tianjiao, Founder of 41Caijing, emphasized that the global expansion of Chinese cuisine requires more than just product standardization and supply chain support-it urgently needs the establishment of an international communication system built on multilingual cultural translation, localized content co-creation, and visual storytelling. She pointed out that media relations are one of the core driving forces behind Chinese cuisine going global. Effective media engagement helps Chinese culinary brands build trustworthy, narrative-rich, and widely shareable brand assets-transforming "flavor" into a story of people and culture. This shift enables Chinese cuisine to move beyond simply exporting dishes toward exporting values and culture, facilitating genuine global integration and elevating brand positioning on the world stage. Digitalization: A Key Trend in Chinese Cuisine's Global Expansion The importance of digital management in the global push was also highlighted. Yao Yang, Rotating CEO of Technology at Pagoda Group (Shenzhen Pagoda Industrial Group Co., Ltd.), shared that the company has adopted a fully digitized supply chain management system, enabling highly efficient operations and minimal waste throughout the entire value chain. By leveraging precise sales forecasting, logistics coordination, and a trusted handover system, Pagoda has significantly improved delivery efficiency while reducing operational costs. Additionally, the company uses big data for risk control and innovation planning, creating a closed-loop management model that links sales planning with harvest scheduling. This approach enhances both the integrity and quality of the product chain, offering valuable real-world insights for the digital management of food exports. Contact:Ms. Wang Juewangjue@ To view the source version of this press release, please visit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Newsweek
43 minutes ago
- Newsweek
How 'Groundbreaking' Chinese Satellite Compares With Starlink
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A "groundbreaking" Chinese satellite has managed to transmit data five times faster than Elon Musk's Starlink using a laser no more powerful than a nightlight. From 36,000 kilometers above Earth, the satellite achieved a 1 gigabit per second data rate, overcoming signal disruptions that have limited the space-based laser communication of other industry leaders. Why It Matters SpaceX's Starlink uses a dense network of low-orbit satellites to compensate for lower altitude and limited per-satellite capacity. The success of the Chinese satellite at a much higher orbit suggests that alternative methods to Starlink are possible, though they have yet to be expanded to the same level as SpaceX. What To Know A Chinese research team, led by Professor Wu Jian of Peking University and Liu Chao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, employed a new method for a series of tests that were published on June 3 in the Acta Optica Sinica journal. The process, known as AO-MDR synergy, stabilized the laser signal against distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere. It counters one of the major challenges of using satellite laser downlinks—atmospheric turbulence, which distorts and weakens signals. The test used only a 2-watt beam, which is orders of magnitude less than conventional optical systems. The result was a sustained transmission rate of 1 Gbps, eclipsing Starlink's real-world rates of 100 to 250 Mbps. A full rotation precision radio telescope is seen on June 5, 2024, in Russia. A full rotation precision radio telescope is seen on June 5, 2024, in Russia. Getty Images How Does Starlink Compare? Starlink operates a constellation of more than 7,000 satellites at roughly 550 kilometers above Earth. Its primary advantage is low latency, benefiting users who need fast response times. However, Starlink's architecture requires constant satellite replacements and complex tracking systems to maintain performance. The Chinese satellite's orbit, more than 60 times higher, naturally introduces more latency, but it offers consistent global coverage from a single orbital slot. While Starlink uses radio frequency, which is less sensitive to cloud cover, the laser-based Chinese system is limited in adverse weather but provides higher bandwidth potential. Starlink's network is optimized for consumer access and mobile deployment, while the Chinese satellite, if scaled, appears aimed at high-bandwidth commercial or government uses where throughput outweighs minimal latency. What People Are Saying Professor Wu Jian of Peking University and Liu Chao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences described the test as "groundbreaking", writing in their paper published in the Chinese-language journal Acta Optica Sinica: "This method effectively prevents communication quality degradation caused by extremely low signal power." What Happens Next? Whether China can scale this system for broad use remains to be seen. A single demonstration from geostationary orbit doesn't yet replace the dense coverage of networks like Starlink.
