Amazon founder and chairman Jeff Bezos, with an estimated net worth of $199.6 billion, reclaimed the title of second-wealthiest person in the world on Thursday, surpassing Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has an estimated net worth of $197.4 billion. This marks the second change of positions this week for the battling billionaires, who have been competing closely for the title more than a dozen times in March.
Bezos took the lead on Thursday after losing his position as the wealthiest person in the U.S. to Musk earlier in the week. A surge in Tesla’s stock boosted Musk’s net worth by about $25 billion in just six days, propelling him above Bezos. However, on Thursday, Bezos’ estimated net worth increased by about $2.5 billion, while Musk’s fortune dropped by about $276 million, according to the Forbes Real-Time Billionaire List.
Despite the back-and-forth between Bezos and Musk, the wealthiest person in the world remains LVMH’s Bernard Arnault, with an estimated net worth of $206.9 billion as of Thursday morning. Amazon’s stock saw a 1.84% increase at noon EDT on Thursday, while Tesla’s share price was up about 0.08%.
The two billionaires have been trading places for the title of second wealthiest person in the world for months, with at least 13 changes in March alone. Musk had consistently held the first or second positions on the list before March, with March 6 being the first time since August 19, 2021, that he fell out of the top two rankings. Bezos experienced a resurgence of wealth earlier this year, while Musk’s fortunes fluctuated as Tesla faced challenges, including recent job cuts.
Overall, the ongoing competition between Bezos and Musk for the title of the second-wealthiest person in the world continues to make headlines, with their net worths closely followed and analyzed by financial experts and observers.