Plus: How Lapse Is Building A $42 Million Backed Social Media Startup In Today’s Cutthroat Environment |
This week, Forbes launched the 39th annual Billionaires list, highlighting the richest people in the world. At the top of the list is none other than Elon Musk, who built his $342 billion net-worth through Tesla, SpaceX and xAI, among more of the seven companies he’s cofounded. This list-topping comes even after Tesla stocks have seen a 34% drop this year.
A number of Under 30 alums appeared on this year’s list, too—proving that the businesses and brands they were building when we named them to Under 30 have only grown since then. Up first is Mark Zuckerberg. He comes in at no. 2, with a net worth of $216 billion (just $1 billion more than third place, Jeff Bezos). The now 40-year-old founder of Facebook and Meta initially was named a 30 Under 30 in our inaugural list in 2012—the same year he took Facebook public. He was later named to the 30 Under 30 Hall of Fame in 2022. And Under 30 Dustin Moskovitz, who helped number two Zuckerberg launch Facebook those years ago, sits at number 119 with $17 billion tied to his name.
Another Hall of Famer who’s a billionaire this year is Rihanna. Since making the 30 Under 30 list in 2013, she’s gone on to launch lingerie line Savage x Fenty and cosmetics company Fenty Beauty—the latter of which is a primary source for her $1.4 billion net worth today. Fellow musician Taylor Swift also graced the billionaires list this year, with a $1.6 billion net worth. She shot to the billionaire ranks in 2023 with the help of her Eras Tour earnings.
On the business side is ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming. no. 23 in the ranking, the 2013 Under 30 China alum and Hall of Famer is worth a whopping $65.5 billion thanks to the company that birthed TikTok. For more on the under 30 alumni, founders, executives, artists and others who are feeling like a billion bucks, check out the 2025 World’s Billionaires list here.
See you next week, Alex and Zoya |
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|  | | Alexandr Wang Illustration by Neil Jamieson for Forbes; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images |
| | The World’s Youngest Billionaires 2025 |
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21 youngsters—specifcally aged 30 or under—are billionaires. These are heirs to optometry empires and pharma conglomerates, and some are even self-made. Find out who’s basking in the riches here.
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-Butlr, a 2022 Under 30 Manufacturing & Industry company founded by Honghao Deng and Jiani Zeng, this week secured an additional $7 million in funding from Ricoh, Wistron, and Taiwan Global Angels, bringing its total funding to $75 million. The startup has patented AI sensors that provide anonymous insights into building occupancy and usage, helping build owners plan for space and energy efficiency. The sensors have since evolved into being implemented in places such as retail stores and even senior care homes, where they’re being used to monitor activity.
-Gen Z has experienced a number of social and economic challenges in their short lifetimes. From high living costs, cuts on education systems across the US, and the growth of the gig economy, Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe lister Jenk Oz published a report last month on how companies today can approach the most prevalent educational and employment changes. Along with Ogilvy, he reported on the top tools to learn workplace skills (Skillshare, Teachable and Masterclass are some), and how companies from Google to Under 30 alum Freja are enabling emerging talent. Read the full report here.
-Last month, Under 30 Europe Sports & Games lister Leon Xiao officially joined the City University of Hong Kong as a Presidential Assistant Professor in the School of Creative Media. After starting his career writing strategy for games, he went on to receive a Ph.D. in video game law, and focuses primarily on the regulation gambling mechanics in video games. His work has been cited by the Federal Trade Commission, and the BBC has replicated his research method to report on how many video game companies do not comply with regulations. Most recently, he secured $1.1 million in research funding to start a research group working on video game regulation and policy in Hong Kong. |
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-Two men amassed billions of dollars—on the backs of the financially troubled. An investigation conducted by Forbes reporters dives into how Credit One Bank has been offering credit cards to those with scores as low as 300, and then charging them fees after fees for things as minor as changing their name after marriage. All while the leaders in charge get rich. Get the who, why, what and how here. (Forbes)
-ChatGPT is thriving. The popular chatbot developed by OpenAI is reportedly generating at least $415 million in monthly revenue, according to The Information. With 20 million subscribers paying for the service, revenue has grown by 30% over the past three months, even with free versions still available. Is that proof there’s demand for AI-powered tools in both business and everyday life? (The Information)
-Not so great news for those of us who were overjoyed when TikTok returned from its short-lived U.S. ban: The social media app is still under threat of being removed from the U.S. app stores forever, unless it can find a non-Chinese buyer by April 5th. Amazon has reportedly made a bid to purchase the platform, as has a group spearheaded by the founder of OnlyFans, Tim Stokely. (Reuters) |
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The premier event for the next generation of leaders, the Forbes Under 30 Summit is the ultimate gathering of founders, creators and visionaries shaping the future. Join us in Columbus, from September 28 through October 1, for an experience designed to inspire and accelerate your next move. |
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