Steve Ballmer, the American businessman and investor who is best known as being the CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014, has surpassed Bill Gates, who co-founded the Windows maker alongside childhood friend Paul Allen in 1975, in wealth, according to the latest updates on Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. Ballmer, who owns the Los Angeles Clippers, is in sixth place now with $158 billion, while Gates is trailing with $157 billion.
The world’s top billionaires include:
- Elon Musk: $241 billion
- Jeff Bezos: $222 billion
- Bernard Arnault: $199 billion
- Mark Zuckerberg: $181 billion
- Larry Page: $164 billion
- Steve Ballmer: $158 billion
- Bill Gates: $157 billion
From a report:
- “More than 90% of Ballmer’s $157.2 billion net worth is in Microsoft shares, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.”
- “Gates, meanwhile, has diversified his $156.7 billion fortune: About half his wealth is held through Cascade Investment, which was created with the proceeds of Microsoft stock sales and dividends.”
- “He also owns a $21 billion stake in waste-management company Republic Services Inc. through Cascade.”
- “Ballmer retired in 2014 and became Microsoft’s largest shareholder that same year. He bought the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion in 2014, an investment that is estimated to be worth $4.6 billion today.”
A visual of Gates and Ballmer’s net worth over time:
One of Ballmer’s famous appearances:
Bloomberg added:
The move came as Microsoft shares rose to a fresh record, bringing their total gain this year to 21%. The company, through its partnership with OpenAI, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the artificial intelligence rally that has powered the US stock market higher.