Who is the richest in 2026? Musk, Walton and Ambani lead, with links to every ranking
The richest person in the world is Elon Musk at $902.2 billion, the richest woman is Alice Walton and the richest Indian is Mukesh Ambani. Quick answers and links to every ranking.
The richest person in the world is Elon Musk at $902.2 billion, the richest woman is Alice Walton at $134.5 billion, and the richest person in India is Mukesh Ambani at $92.8 billion on Forbes’ live list, according to Forbes’ real-time list in the week of 12 November 2026. This guide answers the most common questions about who is richest in 2026 and links to our full rankings for each group. 12
Who is the richest in the world? Quick answers
| Question | Answer | Net worth | Full ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richest person in the world | Elon Musk | $902.2 billion (₹84.8 lakh crore) | Top 50 richest people |
| Richest man in the world | Elon Musk | $902.2 billion | Richest man |
| Richest woman in the world | Alice Walton | $134.5 billion (₹12.6 lakh crore) | Richest woman |
| Richest person in India | Mukesh Ambani (Forbes live); Adani and family (Hurun) | $92.8 billion (₹8.7 lakh crore) | Richest man in India |
| Richest self-made woman | Rafaela Aponte-Diamant | $43.9 billion | Women billionaires |
Rupee values use ₹94 to the dollar. Forbes’ real-time list is updated through the trading day, so the figures above move daily. 12
All our richest-people rankings
- Richest people in the world right now: the top 10 as of 1 November, with rupee values.
- 10 top billionaires: how the top 10 changed this month.
- Top 50 richest people in the world: the full ranking.
- Wealthiest men in the world: the top 25.
- Wealthiest women in the world: the top 20.
- Men billionaires and women billionaires: the numbers behind the gender gap.
- Tech billionaires and self-made billionaires: who built their own fortunes.
India’s richest: our rankings
- Richest man in India and top 10 richest people in India.
- Richest woman in India and youngest billionaire in India.
- Billionaires in India and the Hurun India Rich List 2026.
- Tech billionaires in India and self-made billionaires in India.
How many billionaires are there?
Forbes’ real-time list tracked 3,401 billionaires on 12 November 2026, with a combined fortune of $20.31 trillion. Its annual list, with prices from 1 March, counted a record 3,428 billionaires worth $20.1 trillion, and the United States had 989 of them. Of the people on the real-time list, 457 are women and 2,291 are self-made. 13
Where do the richest people live?
The United States has 1,007 billionaires, China has 510 and India has 237, according to the same real-time list, with Germany (207) and Russia (149) next. Hurun counts a record 391 dollar billionaires in India. Twenty-five of the 50 richest people are American, and India has three in the top 50: Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani and Savitri Jindal. 1
What does richest mean? Forbes and Bloomberg
The two main lists rank people by net worth, which is the value of their assets minus their debts, using stock prices and estimates for private companies. They use different methods and often disagree: after the 5 November tech sell-off, Bloomberg’s index showed Elon Musk at $785 billion, while Forbes showed $902.2 billion on 12 November. We name the list and the date for every figure. Our explainer on Forbes vs Bloomberg net worth covers the gap. 12
Who are the richest people in India?
After Mukesh Ambani ($92.8 billion), the richest Indians on Forbes’ list are Gautam Adani ($84.4 billion), Savitri Jindal and family ($41.3 billion), Lakshmi Mittal ($31.1 billion) and Shiv Nadar ($30.9 billion), on 12 November. See also our reports on Reliance Industries and the Adani Group. 1
What happens next
The next big update is Forbes’ annual list in March 2027. Until then the order moves with markets, and Nvidia’s results on 17 November could shift the tech billionaires again. We update the linked rankings as the numbers change.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the richest person in the world?
Elon Musk, with $902.2 billion (about ₹84.8 lakh crore) on Forbes’ real-time list on 12 November 2026.
Who is the richest person in India?
Mukesh Ambani, with $92.8 billion (about ₹8.7 lakh crore), is richest on Forbes’ real-time list; Gautam Adani and family lead the Hurun India Rich List 2026.
How many billionaires are there in the world?
Forbes’ real-time list tracked 3,401 billionaires on 12 November 2026, worth $20.31 trillion in total.
Why do Forbes and Bloomberg rank the richest differently?
Forbes and Bloomberg value stocks at different times and use different estimates for private companies and restricted shares, so their rankings differ.