Meet The Richest Person On Each Continent

Here are the diverse faces of affluence from each corner of the world. Of the six billionaires listed, half have built their fortunes independently, earning them the label of self-made. Net worths are as of February 21, 2024, according to Forbes.

- JAMILA GANDHI

Europe 

Bernard Arnault & family

Net worth: $223.6 billion Citizenship: France 

At 74, Bernard Arnault heads the LVMH empire, which comprises 75 premier fashion and cosmetics brands like Louis Vuitton and Sephora. In 1984, he kickstarted his foray into luxury, using $15 million from his father’s construction fortune to acquire Christian Dior. Over the years, LVMH reached new heights, exemplified by the historic $15.8 billion acquisition of Tiffany & Co. in 2021, the largest luxury brand deal to date.

Arnault’s influence extends beyond fashion; his holding company, Agache, supports Aglaé Ventures, investing in tech giants such as Netflix and ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company. Arnault’s five children all work at LVMH. In January 2024, the billionaire nominated his sons Frédéric and Alexandre to sit on the company board in a move to secure long-term family control.

North America

Elon Musk

Net worth: $201.7 billion

Citizenship: U.S. Elon Musk, the world’s secondrichest person, has cofounded six enterprises, including Tesla, SpaceX, and the Boring Company. Holding around 21% of Tesla, the 52-year-old selfmade billionaire has pledged over half for personal loans up to $3.5 billion.

In 2023, SpaceX’s value skyrocketed to nearly $150 billion, experiencing a fivefold increase in four years. The Boring Company, which is dedicated to tackling traffic issues, achieved a $5.7 billion valuation after securing $675 million in April 2022.