Think Bill Gates Is Rich Now? Here's How He Could Become a Trillionaire
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Just how rich can Bill Gates get?
According to a new analysis by CNBC using data from Oxfam, the Microsoft founder could become America's first-ever trillionaire.
That's 12 zeroes.
Gates, 61, is currently worth more than $84 billion, according to Forbes. Since 2009, the average net worth of ultra-rich individuals has grown at 11 percent per year since 2009, according to Oxfam.
If this rate stays constant, by age 86, Gates will have surpassed the $1,000,000,000,000 mark.
In the current environment, Oxfam says, "If you are already rich, you have to try hard not to keep getting a lot richer."
Here's the age at which the other top 5 world billionaires could become trillionaires at Oxfam's 11% average rate.
- Warren Buffett: 111 (current net worth $73 billion, current age 86)
- Jeff Bezos: 78 (current net worth $72 billion, current age 53)
- Amancio Ortega: 105 (current net worth $72 billion, current age 80)
- Mark Zuckerberg: 59 (current net worth $56 billion, current age 32)
Of course, Bill Gates wouldn't be the world's first-ever trillionaire, as historians have estimated various historical figures to have amassed holdings worth well in excess of 12 figures. And no one really knows how much Vladimir Putin is worth, but there are hints he could beat Gates to the mark.
Still, it would be a good list to join.