Educational Qualification of Top Ten Richest People on Earth

The richest people on earth have attained their massive wealth through innovation, business acumen, and leadership. Their educational backgrounds vary widely, from engineering and computer science to law and literature, reflecting the diverse paths to success.

1. Elon Musk

Age: 53
Residence: United States
Co-founder and CEO: Tesla
Net Worth: $269 billion
Tesla Ownership Stake: 13% ($106 billion)
X Ownership Stake: 79% ($5.62 billion)
Other Assets: Space Exploration Technologies ($82.2 billion private asset), The Boring Company ($3.33 billion private asset), Neuralink ($2.07 billion private asset), xAI ($13.3 billion private asset)
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Science in Economics and Bachelor of Arts in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Elon Musk‘s educational background in economics and physics has been instrumental in his creation of multiple cutting-edge companies, driving innovation in space travel, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence.

2. Jeff Bezos

Age: 60
Residence: United States
Founder and Executive Chair: Amazon (AMZN)
Net Worth: $208 billion
Amazon Ownership Stake: 9% ($172 billion)
Other Assets: Blue Origin ($15 billion private asset), The Washington Post ($250 million private asset), Koru ($500 million private asset), and $20.7 billion in cash
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University.
Jeff Bezos used his technical education as the foundation for Amazon’s rise to global dominance, revolutionizing the e-commerce industry and expanding into cloud computing, space exploration, and media.

3. Mark Zuckerberg

Age: 40
Residence: United States
CEO and Chair: Meta Platforms (META)
Net Worth: $204 billion
Meta Platforms Ownership Stake: 13% ($199 billion)
Other Assets: $5.50 billion in cash
Educational Qualification: Attended Harvard University (did not graduate).
Mark Zuckerberg’s background in computer science at Harvard played a key role in his development of Facebook, which has evolved into the global social media giant Meta, pushing the boundaries of communication and virtual reality.

4. Bernard Arnault

Age: 75
Residence: France
CEO and Chair: LVMH (LVMUY)
Net Worth: $195 billion
LVMH Ownership Stake: 48% ($177 billion)
Other Assets: $19.1 billion in cash
Educational Qualification: Graduated from École Polytechnique, France’s leading engineering school.
Bernard Arnault’s engineering education provided him with the analytical and strategic skills needed to grow LVMH into the world’s largest luxury goods conglomerate, encompassing brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Moët & Chandon.

5. Larry Ellison

Age: 80
Residence: United States
Co-founder, Chair, and CTO: Oracle (ORCL)
Net Worth: $180 billion
Oracle Ownership Stake: 42%+ ($140 billion)
Other Assets: Tesla equity ($11.6 billion public asset), $28 billion in cash
Educational Qualification: Attended the University of Chicago (did not graduate).
Larry Ellison’s brief exposure to computer science at the University of Chicago led him to found Oracle, a database management company that revolutionized enterprise technology and remains a global leader in software solutions.

6. Bill Gates

Age: 68
Residence: United States
Co-founder: Microsoft (MSFT)
Net Worth: $163 billion
Microsoft Ownership Stake: 1% ($27.2 billion)
Other Assets: Billions in multiple other companies held through a holding company, Cascade Investment, and $79.8 billion in cash
Educational Qualification: Attended Harvard University (did not graduate).
Bill Gates’ time at Harvard exposed him to programming and sparked the idea for Microsoft, which went on to become the world’s leading software company, shaping the PC revolution and beyond.

7. Larry Page

Age: 51
Residence: United States
Co-founder and Board Member: Alphabet (GOOG)
Net Worth: $151 billion
Alphabet Ownership Stake: 6% ($130.7 billion)
Other Assets: $20.3 billion in cash
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan; Master of Science in Computer Science from Stanford University.
Larry Page’s engineering background and graduate studies in computer science at Stanford led to the creation of Google, the world’s most used search engine and now part of Alphabet, shaping the internet age.

8. Steve Ballmer

Age: 68
Residence: United States
Owner: Los Angeles Clippers
Net Worth: $146 billion
Microsoft Ownership Stake: 4% ($134 billion)
Other Assets: Los Angeles Clippers ($4.56 billion private asset), The Forum ($400 million private asset), Intuit Dome ($2 billion private asset), $4.83 billion in cash
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Harvard University.
Steve Ballmer’s analytical skills developed through his math and economics degree at Harvard helped him steer Microsoft as its CEO, and now he is applying his business acumen to his ownership of the LA Clippers.

9. Warren Buffett

Age: 94
Residence: United States
CEO: Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Net Worth: $144 billion
Berkshire Hathaway Ownership Stake: 15% ($142 billion)
Other Assets: $1.58 billion in cash
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska; Master of Science in Economics from Columbia Business School.
Warren Buffett’s formal education in economics and business laid the foundation for his legendary investment strategy, making Berkshire Hathaway one of the largest and most successful investment companies in the world.

10. Sergey Brin

Age: 51
Residence: United States
Co-founder and Board Member: Alphabet (GOOG)
Net Worth: $142 billion
Alphabet Ownership Stake: 6% ($121.9 billion)
Other Assets: $20.4 billion in cash
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Maryland; Master of Science in Computer Science from Stanford University.
Sergey Brin’s academic work in computer science and mathematics led to the co-founding of Google, where his research-focused approach helped shape the company’s early success in search algorithms and machine learning.