Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has overtaken Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to become the world’s second richest person. As of Friday, Zuckerberg’s net worth reached $206 billion, marking a personal record. Tesla CEO Elon Musk remains the wealthiest with $256 billion, while Bezos, now in third place, saw his fortune drop by $2.6 billion to $205 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Meta’s stock surged by 23% since the company reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings and progress in AI technology, closing at a record high of $582.77 on Thursday. Zuckerberg’s investments in data centers and computing infrastructure, along with developments like the Orion augmented reality glasses, have positioned Meta at the forefront of the competitive AI race.
Zuckerberg, who holds a 13% stake in Meta, has seen his wealth grow by $78 billion in 2024, the largest increase among the 500 richest people tracked by Bloomberg. The 40-year-old tech mogul has climbed four spots in the wealth rankings this year.