The richest person on each continent, ranked – Elon Musk stole Jeff Bezos’ title in North America while Mukesh Ambani tops Asia, but what about billionaires elsewhere across the globe?

Nov 14 , 2021

Mukesh Ambani, Elon Musk and Bernard Arnault are the richest people on their respective continents. Photos: @mukesh.ambaniii/Instagram, AP, Bloomberg

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the richest man on Earth with his US$278.7 billion wealth, with LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault a close third with US$198 billion

But 82 of the world’s richest are all in North America, Europe and Asia, with Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart at No 83 – food for thought?

Tech entrepreneur and multi-billionaire Elon Musk recently made global headlines when his personal net worth surpassed the US$300 million mark. This is the first time in history that an individual’s fortune has reached such a massive figure. This record-shattering achievement meant that the eccentric tech billionaire usurped Jeff Bezos to become the wealthiest person on the planet.

And while Musk currently holds the distinction of being both the world’s wealthiest man, as well as the wealthiest person in North America, many may wonder who the richest people in other parts of the world are.

STYLE has got your back with the answer to that very question. The following list features the wealthiest person on each continent, ranked by their individual estimated net worth as reported by Forbes.

1. North America: Elon Musk, 49, US$278.7 billion

Elon Musk has built a fortune in California that’s valued at about US$180 billion at the time of writing, the largest ever seen in the state. Photo: TNS

The tech billionaire and CEO achieved international acclaim through his professional endeavours, including Tesla and SpaceX. Over recent years, and particularly over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, Musk saw his personal net wealth balloon by several hundred billion dollars. In fact, his personal net wealth is currently so staggering it exceeds the GDP of the entrepreneur’s birth country, South Africa.

Since reports about his personal net worth surpassing the US$300 million mark, Musk has lost about US$50 billion after Tesla shares plunged. But he still remains the wealthiest person in the world by a large margin, with about US$78 billion more than Jeff Bezos.

2. Europe: Bernard Arnault, 72, US$196 billion

Bernard Arnault, the head of French multinational corporation LVMH, attends a ceremony marking the reopening of Paris’ iconic department store La Samaritaine after 16 years of closure, in June. Photo: AFP

Bernard Arnault is the chairman and CEO of LVMH, the luxury goods conglomerate that includes such famous high-end designer labels as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Moët & Chandon, TAG Heuer and Tiffany & Co.