World's Richest Soar in 2025: AI Fuels Trillions in Wealth Gains

• Ultra-rich fortunes surged in 2025, driven by global equity markets and significant AI investments.
• 18 individuals with over $100 billion wealth collectively added more than $745 billion; 14 are US-based.
• Elon Musk became the first to cross $600 billion, gaining nearly 50% to $645 billion from Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI.
• Alphabet co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page saw over 57% gains, reaching $252B and $280B respectively, fueled by Google's AI advancements.
• Bill Gates was the sole exception, with his net worth declining 26% to $118 billion due to philanthropic pledges.

Why It Matters: AI investments and strong markets propelled the world's wealthiest to unprecedented gains in 2025.