• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026

2

Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup

3

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026

1

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026

2

Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup

3

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
Personal FinanceWarren Buffett

The best way to earn billionaire status is to follow in Warren Buffett’s footsteps: 15% of billionaires derive net worth from the finance industry

By
Sam Klebanov
Sam Klebanov
and
Morning Brew
Morning Brew
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Sam Klebanov
Sam Klebanov
and
Morning Brew
Morning Brew
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 20, 2025, 4:29 PM ET
The likeliest professional path to billionaire status is to follow in Warren Buffett’s footsteps, as 15% of billionaires derive their net worth from the finance and investment industry.
The likeliest professional path to billionaire status is to follow in Warren Buffett’s footsteps, as 15% of billionaires derive their net worth from the finance and investment industry.Getty Images—Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The number of people who may think a banana costs $10 has exploded in the last few decades. The US has 902 billionaires this year, up from 66 in 1990, when the economy was less than half of its current size and $410 million was equivalent to $1 billion in today’s dollars.

Recommended Video

US billionaires are collectively worth about $7.6 trillion, according to Forbes data analyzed by Americans for Tax Fairness. That accounts for ~4.5% of all wealth held by Americans, while making up just .0003% of the population.

Who (and where) are they?

The US leads the pack, home to almost one-third of the world’s 3,028 people with a $1+ billion net worth, followed by China (450), India (205), Germany (171), and Russia (140), per Forbes.

The folks for whom a Ferrari impulse buy is roughly the financial equivalent of your last-minute decision to Uber to the airport tend to cluster in cities. Forbes found that the leading billionaire hubs are New York City (home to 123 billionaires), Moscow, Hong Kong, London, and Beijing.

It’s a boys club, with women accounting for just 13% of the world’s billionaires, according to the Altrata Billionaire Census—though that number is growing.

Tracing the benjamins

Some routes are more likely than others to land you in the exclusive club that includes Bill Gates, Ronaldo, Selena Gomez, French fashion executives, and Russian oil tycoons:

  • The most common way to achieve billionairehood is to be born into a wealthy family or by marrying into wealth, with a third of billionaires having inherited much of their net worth.
  • The likeliest professional path to billionaire status is to follow in Warren Buffett’s footsteps, as 15% of billionaires derive their net worth from the finance and investment industry.
  • Tech minted 13% of billionaires, followed by manufacturing (11%), fashion and retail (10%), healthcare (7%), food and beverage (7%), real estate (7%), diversified industries (7%), media and entertainment (4%), and energy (4%).

Most can’t fully cash out: Billionaires typically aren’t able to build a castle out of hundred-dollar-bill stacks, since 66% of their net worth is tied up in stocks (often in a company they started), which they can’t sell easily, according to Altrata.—SK

This report was originally published by Morning Brew.

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Authors
By Sam Klebanov
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Morning Brew
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Personal Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Personal Finance

Current price of gold as of June 16, 2026
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of June 16, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 16, 2026
13 hours ago
george
Personal FinanceImmigration
No country for rich men: 6 out of 10 wealthy Americans want to pull a Clooney and pack their bags
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
13 hours ago
Top CD rates from major banks June 16, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on June 16, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJune 16, 2026
13 hours ago
Current price of Bitcoin for June 16, 2026
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Current price of Bitcoin for June 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 16, 2026
13 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for June 16, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for June 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 16, 2026
13 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
Personal FinanceOil
Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 16, 2026
14 hours ago

Most Popular

Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
2 days ago
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
Success
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
By Preston ForeJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 16, 2026
14 hours ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
2 days ago
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
AI
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 16, 2026
13 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.