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The second inauguration of President Donald Trump earlier this year was a blunt reminder - if needed - of the way money and power are closely entwined.
Elon Musk may have been the highest profile billionaire to offer Trump his support, but sitting next to him at the ceremony were tech tycoons Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos.
They are three of the richest men in the world, who see their fortunes fluctuate by billions every 24 hours.
The mega-rich are less rare than they used to be, with Forbes magazine revealing last year that there were a record 2,781 billionaires in the world.
Famous faces making their first appearance in the list include fashion designer Christian Louboutin ($1.2 billion), NBA legend Magic Johnson ($1.2 billon), TV producer Dick Wolf ($1.2 billion) and pop star Taylor Swift ($1.1 billion).
They all have some way to go to catch up with the 13 richest people in the world in May 2025.
Here they are, and how much they are worth, according to the experts at Forbes.
5. Warren Buffett
94-year-old Warren Buffett is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and has become one of the best-known investors in the world. As a result of his success backing the right companies at the right time he's worth an estimated $160.1 billion. He's had a profitable few month, rising from 8th to 5th place on the billionaires rich list since the start of 2025. | Getty Images
6. Bernard Arnault and family
As recently as last year French luxury goods titan Bernard Arnault topped the world billionaires ranking but he's now dropped to sixth, with wealth of 'just' $156.9 billion. His money comes from the conglomerate LVMH which owns a host of global brands like Louis Vuitton and Sephora. | Getty Images
7. Larry Page
Larry Page has had a good few months, climbing from tenth to seventh in the rich list with wealth totalling $133.1 billion. He co-founded Google in 1998 and has watched the money roll in ever since. | AFP via Getty Images
8. Steve Ballmer
Another Microsoft billionare, Steve Ballmer ran the computer company from 2000-2014. The LA Clippers basketball team owner has a net worth of around $130.4 billion. | Getty Images