Forbes - The Youngest Billionaires In The World 2025 | Forbes
The majority of the world's billionaires are over the age of 50, with only 12% under 50. Achieving billionaire status by 30 is rare, with only 21 individuals on the Forbes list this year. Most young billionaires inherited their wealth, such as Johannes Von Bomach, the youngest billionaire at 19, who inherited a stake in Germany's largest privately-owned pharmaceutical company. Europe, particularly Germany, has the highest number of young billionaires, followed by Italy. Outside Europe, South Korea and Brazil have sibling pairs who inherited fortunes in online gaming and industrial machinery. Only two young billionaires are self-made: Ed Craven from Australia, co-founder of Stake.com, and Alexander Wang from the U.S., co-founder of Scale AI. Wang became a billionaire again after Scale AI's valuation increased to $13.8 billion in 2024.
Key Points:
- Most billionaires are over 50; only 12% are under 50.
- Young billionaires often inherit wealth; few are self-made.
- Johannes Von Bomach, 19, is the youngest billionaire, inheriting from a pharmaceutical company.
- Europe leads in young billionaires, with Germany having the most.
- Ed Craven and Alexander Wang are notable self-made young billionaires.
Details:
1. 🚀 The Age of Billionaires: A Demographic Breakdown
- 34% of the world's billionaires are between the ages of 50 and 79, indicating that a significant portion of wealth is concentrated in this age group. This suggests a potential wealth transfer opportunity as these individuals age.
- Only 12% of billionaires are under the age of 50, showing that younger individuals are less represented in this elite group, which might imply barriers to entry or a longer time to accumulate wealth.
2. 👶 Youngest Billionaires: The Inheritors
- There are currently 21 individuals under the age of 30 on the Forbes world billionaires list, highlighting the rarity of such achievement at a young age.
- All but two of these young billionaires inherited their wealth, underscoring the significant role of inheritance in reaching billionaire status at an early age.
- The two self-made billionaires exemplify the exceptional challenge of achieving such financial success without inheritance, setting them apart from their peers.
- For example, Kylie Jenner became a billionaire through her cosmetics company, and Austin Russell, founder of Luminar Technologies, reached billionaire status by revolutionizing automotive technology.
- The rarity of self-made billionaires under 30 provides insight into the economic and social dynamics of wealth accumulation among the youngest elite.
3. 🌍 Global Distribution: European Dominance
- Johannes Von bomach, at age 19, is a billionaire heir to Germany's Buringer Engelheim, the world's largest privately-owned pharmaceutical company.
- Johannes and his three siblings, aged 23, 25, and 27, each hold an estimated net worth of $5.4 billion due to their stakes in the drug maker.
- The majority of young billionaires, totaling 15, are from Europe, with Germany leading, followed by Italy.
- Outside Europe, there are billionaire sibling pairs in South Korea and Brazil.
- European dominance in the pharmaceutical industry highlights the region's economic influence and innovation capacity, impacting global market dynamics.
- The presence of non-European billionaires in South Korea and Brazil indicates a diversification in global wealth distribution, although Europe remains predominant.
4. 🏗️ Self-Made Success Stories: Rising Stars in Tech
- Ed Craven, age 29, co-founded stake.com, the world's largest crypto online casino, generating $4.7 billion in revenue in 2024. This success underscores the potential of cryptocurrency in revolutionizing traditional industries.
- Alexander Wang, age 28, co-founded Scale AI, an AI data annotation company, which reached a $7.3 billion valuation in 2021, making him a billionaire. Despite dropping off the Forbes list in 2023 due to declining private tech valuations, Scale AI's subsequent valuation of $13.8 billion reinstated his billionaire status. Wang's story illustrates the volatile nature of tech valuations and the resilience required to navigate this landscape.
- Both entrepreneurs exemplify the power of innovative thinking and strategic adaptation in achieving significant financial and industry success at a young age.