China reclaims billionaire crown from US: Hurun

China has retaken its position as the world’s billionaire capital, surpassing the United States for the first time in years, according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2026, released Thursday — a landmark 15th edition that counted more than 4,000 billionaires globally for the first time in history. The report tallied 4,020 billionaires worldwide, up 17% or 578 from 2025, with their combined wealth rising 28%. Two new billionaires were minted every single day of the past year, a new world record. China led with 1,110 billionaires, adding 287 over the year — more than recouping all losses of the previous three years. The U.S. followed with 1,000, up 130, while India ranked third with 308, up 24. Why 90% of China’s billionaires are self-made — and what it signals The country comparison data underscores just how dominant China’s entrepreneurial engine has become. China produced 318 new entrants this year against 148 from the U.S., and 90% of Chinese billionaires are self-made, compared to 72% in the U.S. and 56% in India. Industrial Products was China’s standout sector with 187 billionaires, followed by Consumer Goods with 112 and Healthcare with 98. “China has overtaken the USA to reclaim the title of the world's Billionaire Capital,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of Hurun Report. “Seventy-five percent of China’s billionaires today were not on the list 10 years ago, showing how wealth has changed.” New York stays on top, but Shenzhen is closing in fast By city, New York retained the top spot globally with 146 billionaires, up 17. Shenzhen surged into second place, adding 47 to reach 132, with Shanghai third at 120 and Beijing fourth at 107. At the summit of the global ranking, Elon Musk reclaimed the title of the world’s wealthiest person for the fifth time in six years. His net worth soared 89% to $792 billion — making him the first person in history to surpass $700 billion — driven by a surge in Tesla and SpaceX valuations. Jeff Bezos held second place at $300 billion, while Larry Page of Alphabet broke into the top three for the first time with $271 billion following a 65% wealth surge. For luxury market watchers, LVMH’s Bernard Arnault remained the sole non-American in the top 10, ranked seventh at $178 billion, up 13%, after personally repurchasing a significant stake to signal confidence following a prolonged period of weakness in Chinese luxury demand. AI proved the single largest source of new billionaire creation globally, minting 114 billionaires including 46 first-time entrants, while the seven co-founders of Anthropic debuted simultaneously at $3.7 billion each.

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China reclaims billionaire crown from US: Hurun