Warren Buffett becomes world's 10th richest after Ortega
Warren Buffett becomes world's 10th richest person after his fortune hit about $142 billion on Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires list, edging past Zara founder Amancio Ortega. A nearly $500 million bump for Buffett and a $1.8 billion drop for Ortega flipped the ranking on Thursday.
The shift, reported by VnExpress International citing Forbes, underscores how daily stock moves can reorder the global ultra-wealthy. For more coverage of fortunes and rankings, see our Net Worth & Wealth hub.
Key Takeaways
- Buffett's estimated net worth rose to about $142 billion, moving him to No. 10 on Forbes' real-time list.
- Amancio Ortega fell to roughly $140.1 billion after Inditex shares dropped 1.6%.
- Inditex stock has lost about 7.7% over the past month amid the slide.
- Buffett recently left the Berkshire Hathaway chair role; he remains a director and chairman emeritus.
- He has pledged to give away more than 99% of his fortune and has already donated over $72 billion.
Why did Warren Buffett move past Amancio Ortega?
Buffett climbed one place after his fortune rose by nearly $500 million from the previous market close, according to Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires tracking cited by VnExpress.
Ortega, the Spanish billionaire behind Inditex—the parent of Zara, Massimo Dutti, Stradivarius and Pull&Bear—saw his wealth fall by $1.8 billion to $140.1 billion as Inditex shares declined 1.6%. That monthly slide of about 7.7% helped tip the comparison.
You can follow the latest rankings on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list.
How much of Berkshire Hathaway does Buffett still own?
A July 2026 company filing showed Buffett owning about 37.2% of Berkshire Hathaway's Class A shares and less than 0.001% of its Class B shares.
Berkshire, with a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion, holds major stakes in firms including Apple, American Express, Coca-Cola, Google and Bank of America. Its Class A stock has risen by more than 80% over the last five years, though it was slightly lower so far this year.
Last month Buffett stepped down as Berkshire's chairman after more than six decades leading the business. His oldest son, Howard, took over as non-executive chairman. Buffett remains a director and the firm's chairman emeritus.
What has Buffett pledged about his fortune?
Buffett has committed to giving away more than 99% of his fortune after his death. He had already donated more than $72 billion, mostly in Berkshire shares.
Bloomberg earlier estimated that shares he donated over two decades would have been worth about $230 billion as of May 2026. Had he kept them, his fortune could have approached $400 billion—enough to rank ahead of Elon Musk at that time.
Musk's wealth has since climbed past $900 billion, keeping him at the top of the global billionaire rankings even as Warren Buffett becomes world's No. 10 on the real-time tally.