Forbes has published its\u00a0third annual Richest In Tech list, documenting the 100 richest people shaping the world of technology in 2017.<\/p>\n
For the first time, self-made tech billionaires are worth more than $1 trillion. Their combined net worth of $1.08 trillion is up 21% from last year, buoyed by a rise in stock prices at companies like Facebook, Amazon.com and Chinese social media behemoth Tencent, Forbes said.<\/p>\n
Half of the $189 billion increase came from the 10 richest tech billionaires. More than three-quarters of the list\u2019s billionaires have bigger fortunes than a year ago. The cut-off to make this year\u2019s Richest In Tech list was $2.6 billion, up from $2.2 billion last year, Forbes said.<\/p>\n
Microsoft founder Bill Gates maintains his spot as the richest person in tech – and the richest person in the world, despite Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos surpassing Gates for a single morning in late July.<\/p>\n
Gates’ net worth is up $6.5 billion in the past year, despite the fact that he gave $4.6 billion worth of Microsoft stock this summer to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He now owns just 1.3% of Microsoft\u2019s outstanding shares.<\/p>\n
Read: Meet South Africa\u2019s tech billionaires<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The biggest dollar gainer this year is the third richest tech billionaire, Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He\u2019s one of only 16 billionaires on the list under the age of 40 and is the fifth youngest overall.<\/p>\n Zuckerberg is $15.6 billion richer than a year ago, as Facebook stock has climbed 34% in the past 12 months. Bezos gained nearly as much as Zuckerberg; his fortune surged $15.5 billion as Amazon stock rose 25%, Forbes said.<\/p>\n Eleven of the 100 richest tech billionaires got poorer over the past year. Of those, some their fortune shrink by more than $1 billion. The biggest dollar loser on the list is China\u2019s Lei Jun, whose net worth dropped $2.9 billion to $6.9 billion, as his smartphone maker Xaiomi lost market share in China amidst stiff competition.<\/p>\n Uber cofounders Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp also saw their net worth decline.<\/p>\n There are seven newcomers on the list and two more who returned after falling off in 2016.<\/p>\n Snap CEO Evan Spiegel returns to the list with a $3.2 billion fortune and is joined for the first time by his co-founder Bobby Murphy – despite Snap shares diving 40% since its IPO in March 2017.<\/p>\n Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang is also a newcomer with a $4 billion fortune, joining the list after Nvidia stock climbed an astounding 117% in the past year.<\/p>\n
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