Men billionaires: about 2,944 of the world’s 3,401 billionaires are men, led by Elon Musk
About 2,944 of the world's 3,401 billionaires are men, worth part of $20.31 trillion. See the countries with the most male billionaires, how many are self-made and India's richest men.
About 2,944 of the world’s 3,401 billionaires are men, or families led by men, once the 457 women on Forbes’ real-time list are set aside, and together the list is worth $20.31 trillion. That is 86.6% of entries. The richest male billionaire is Elon Musk at $902.2 billion, and two-thirds of all billionaires, 2,291 of them, are self-made, according to Forbes’ real-time feed on 12 November 2026. 1
How many male billionaires are there?
Forbes’ real-time list tracked 3,401 billionaires on 12 November 2026, with a combined fortune of $20.31 trillion. Of these, 457 are women, so about 2,944 are men or families headed by men, by simple subtraction. On Forbes’ annual list, with prices from 1 March 2026, there were a record 3,428 billionaires worth $20.1 trillion, 400 more than in 2025, and the United States had 989 of them, including 15 of the top 20. 12
Which countries have the most billionaires?
| Country | Billionaires |
|---|---|
| United States | 1,007 |
| China | 510 |
| India | 237 |
| Germany | 207 |
| Russia | 149 |
| Italy | 85 |
| Canada | 82 |
| Hong Kong | 72 |
| Brazil | 66 |
| Taiwan | 63 |
Counts are from BillionaireTracker‘s version of Forbes’ real-time list on 12 November 2026. India is third with 237 billionaires, behind only the United States and China. 1
How do male billionaires make their money?
Finance and investments produce more billionaires than any other industry, with 517, according to the same list. Technology is next, and it produces the biggest fortunes: the ten richest men are worth about $2.85 trillion together, and eight of them built their wealth in technology. See our list of tech billionaires. 1
How many male billionaires are self-made?
Forbes classifies 2,291 billionaires, or 67%, as self-made. In the United States, Forbes counts about 700 self-made male billionaires worth a combined $6.7 trillion, against 43 self-made women worth $166.3 billion, according to Forbes data compiled by Imagine If. Our guide to the self-made billionaire covers how Forbes decides. 13
The richest male billionaires
The top five men are Elon Musk ($902.2 billion), Jeff Bezos ($387.1 billion), Larry Page ($248.7 billion), Sergey Brin ($229 billion) and Michael Dell ($220.4 billion). The full ranking is in our list of the wealthiest men in the world. 1
Male billionaires in India
| Name | Net worth | Net worth in rupees | Source of wealth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mukesh Ambani | $92.8 billion | ₹8.7 lakh crore | Reliance Industries |
| Gautam Adani | $84.4 billion | ₹7.9 lakh crore | Adani Group |
| Lakshmi Mittal | $31.1 billion | ₹2.9 lakh crore | Steel |
| Shiv Nadar | $30.9 billion | ₹2.9 lakh crore | HCLTech |
| Cyrus Poonawalla | $30.0 billion | ₹2.8 lakh crore | Serum Institute |
| Dilip Shanghvi | $27.1 billion | ₹2.5 lakh crore | Sun Pharma |
Rupee values use ₹94 to the dollar. 1
What happens next
The share of men on the list is slowly falling as more women’s fortunes cross $1 billion, but the largest fortunes remain overwhelmingly male. Forbes updates its list each March, and we refresh these numbers as its real-time data changes. For the other side of the count, read our guide to women billionaires.
Frequently asked questions
How many billionaires are men?
About 2,944 of 3,401 billionaires on Forbes’ real-time list on 12 November 2026, found by subtracting the 457 women. That is about 86.6%.
Which country has the most male billionaires?
The United States, with 1,007 billionaires, followed by China (510) and India (237).
Who is the richest male billionaire?
Elon Musk, with $902.2 billion on Forbes’ real-time list on 12 November 2026.
How many billionaires are self-made?
Forbes classifies 2,291 of 3,401 billionaires, or 67%, as self-made.