The world’s billionaires are riding high, with Forbes finding a record 2,781 of them around the globe this year, worth a record $14.2 trillion altogether. With many markets up, the surge in wealth has made 265 people billionaires over the past year, up from 150 newcomers in 2023.

These fresh faces include a fashion legend, an NBA hall-of-famer and one very famous popstar. They collectively command $510 billion in wealth, or $1.9 billion on average, and hail from 32 countries.

Once again, the United States leads the pack, with 67 Americans joining the ranks. The wealthiest among them is Todd Graves, the founder of fast-food chain Raising Cane's, whose net worth stands at an estimated $9.1 billion. China maintains the second spot, nearly doubling its number of new billionaires from last year, to 31, despite troubles in the Asian nation. The richest are Maggie Gu, Molly Miao and Ren Xiaoqing (worth an estimated $4.2 billion each), who cofounded the Gen Z fast-fashion giant Shein. India, meanwhile, added 25 new billionaires, including Renuka Jagtiani ($4.8 billion), the chief executive of e-commerce conglomerate Landmark Group, which was founded by her late husband Micky Jagtiani, who died in May 2023.

The richest women to join the ranks this year: Sofia Högberg Schörling and her sister Märta Schörling Andreen. The two daughters of Swedish investing tycoon Melker Schörling, who died in late 2023, have estimated net worths of $5.6 billion each. They are among 46 women to become billionaires over the past year.

The most famous newcomer is, of course, Taylor Swift, whose record-breaking, five-continent Eras Tour is the first to surpass $1 billion in revenue. The 34-year-old pop star amassed an estimated $1.1 billion fortune, based on earnings from the blockbuster tour, the value of her music catalog and her real estate portfolio. Swift is the first musician to hit ten-figure status solely based on her songs and performances.

Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/segunolakoyenikan/2024/04/02/new-billionaires-2024-taylor-swift-magic-johnson-and-263-others-join-the-ranks-this-year/

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