The recent inauguration of President Donald Trump was a blunt reminder - if needed - of the way money and power are closely entwined.
Elon Musk may have been the highest profile billionaire to offer Trump his support, but sitting next to him at the ceremony were tech tycoons Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos.
They are three of the richest men in the world, who see their fortunes fluctuate by billions every 24 hours.
The mega-rich are less rare than they used to be, with Forbes magazine revealing last year that there were a record 2,781 billionaires in the world.
Famous faces making their first appearance in the list include fashion designer Christian Louboutin ($1.2 billion), NBA legend Magic Johnson ($1.2 billon), TV producer Dick Wolf ($1.2 billion) and pop star Taylor Swift ($1.1 billion).
Here are the 10 richest people in the world in 2025 according to the experts at Forbes.
5. Bernard Arnault and family
As recently as last year French luxury goods titan Bernard Arnault topped the world billionaires ranking but he's now dropped to fifth, with wealth of 'just' $195.1 billion. His money comes from the conglomerate LVMH which owns a host of global brands like Louis Vuitton and Sephora. | AFP via Getty Images
6. Larry Page
Larry Page has had a good few months, climbing from tenth to sixth in the rich list with wealth totalling $162.9 billion. He co-founded Google in 1998 and has watched the money roll in ever since. | Getty Images
7. Sergey Brin
Fellow Google founder Sergey Brin is pipped by his colleague when it comes to bank balances, with an estimated worth of $155.4 billion. Last year he wasnt even in the top 10. | Getty Images for Breakthrough Pr
8. Warren Buffett
94-year-old Warren Buffett is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and has become one of the best-known investors in the world. As a result of his success backing the right companies at the right time he's worth an estimated $143.4 billion. | Getty Images