AI Boom Pushes Global Billionaire Wealth to Record $15.1 Trillion in 2025

New Delhi — The world’s billionaire population reached a record high in 2025, with the artificial intelligence boom and strong gains in technology stocks fueling a sharp increase in both the number and wealth of the world’s richest individuals, according to a report by wealth intelligence firm Altrata.

The global billionaire population rose 8.2 per cent to 3,795 during the year, marking the largest annual increase in five years. Their combined wealth surged 12.8 per cent to $15.1 trillion, underscoring the growing role of technology and AI-related investments in creating and expanding enormous fortunes.

Altrata said the AI boom was a major factor behind the increase in billionaire wealth, while strong technology stock performance provided an additional boost. At the same time, the report cautioned that the growing concentration of billionaire wealth in technology and AI-related assets could leave fortunes increasingly vulnerable to volatility in those markets.

AI investments deliver a market advantage

The report identified 150 publicly listed companies that made a significant contribution to billionaire wealth.

Companies that invested at least $30 million in AI over the previous five years recorded market capitalisation growth that was 23 per cent higher between 2024 and 2025 than companies that had not made comparable investments.

The findings highlight how rapidly AI has moved from an emerging technology into a major driver of corporate valuations—and, increasingly, personal wealth.

As investment pours into artificial intelligence, the fortunes of entrepreneurs, founders and investors with substantial exposure to the technology sector have grown alongside the companies driving the AI revolution.

Billionaire wealth becomes more concentrated

The gains, however, have not been evenly distributed even within the billionaire class.

Altrata identified 29 individuals with fortunes exceeding $50 billion, describing them as “superbillionaires.” Together, they controlled approximately $4.1 trillion, or around 27 per cent of total global billionaire wealth.

That concentration has increased dramatically over the past decade.

In 2017, only 10 individuals had fortunes above $50 billion, and their combined wealth accounted for just 7.2 per cent of the world’s total billionaire wealth.

Maya Imberg, head of thought leadership and analytics at Altrata, said the trend could increasingly tie the fortunes of the world’s wealthiest individuals to developments in artificial intelligence.

As AI becomes more deeply integrated into the global economy, billionaire fortunes with significant technology exposure could increasingly move in tandem with the performance and expectations surrounding the sector.

North America leads the billionaire boom

North America remained the world’s leading region for billionaires in 2025, with its billionaire population rising 11.6 per cent to 1,337.

The region’s strong technology ecosystem, particularly the United States’ dominance in both private and publicly traded technology companies, contributed significantly to its position.

Europe followed with 1,081 billionaires, an increase of 7.9 per cent during the year.

Asia was home to 881 billionaires, after its billionaire population grew 6.5 per cent.

The figures also highlight the increasingly international nature of wealth in major global financial and technology centers.

Foreign-born individuals account for nearly 60 per cent of billionaires in London, 48 per cent across the UK, 41 per cent in San Francisco and 19 per cent in New York.

The latest figures point to a global billionaire class that is not only growing in size but becoming increasingly concentrated around technology, artificial intelligence and major financial centers.

As AI investment continues to reshape markets and corporate valuations, the technology boom is also reshaping the map—and scale—of global billionaire wealth. (Source: IANS)