The rich loose billions in a single trading day as markets around the globe went into full meltdown mode.
Donald Trump’s surprise tariff blitz sent shockwaves through Wall Street and beyond on Thursday, wiping out more than $200 billion in wealth from the planet’s most elite wallets.
According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, the top 13 richest people lost a combined $208 billion in one brutal session.
The average billionaire saw their fortune shrink by more than 3%.
Meta’s Zuckerberg Leads the Fall
No one got slammed harder than Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Shares of the social media giant nosedived 9%, slicing $17.9 billion from his net worth.
Even after the loss, Zuckerberg remains third on Bloomberg’s rich list. His fortune now sits at $189 billion.
But Thursday’s drop was his biggest one-day wealth loss since 2022.
Musk and Bezos Bleed Billions
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos didn’t escape the carnage. His wealth plunged by $15.9 billion.
Tesla boss Elon Musk lost $11 billion. His overall losses in 2025 have now crossed the $110 billion mark.
The electric car mogul, who started the year as the world’s richest man, continues to slide down the rankings.
Tech Billionaires Crushed in One Day
Just a month ago, tech billionaires saw similar total losses—but over an entire month.
This time, that same amount vanished in a single day.
The drop shows how fragile even the richest fortunes can be when policy shocks hit the market.
Investors reacted swiftly to Trump’s latest round of tariffs. The levies target imports into the U.S. and triggered a massive sell-off across sectors.
Global Billionaires Feel the Heat Too
It wasn’t just American moguls who suffered.
Shopify’s Tobias Lütke, LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, and Huali Industrial’s Zhang Congyuan also took big hits.
Arnault, often Europe’s richest man, saw $6 billion vanish in a single session. The luxury market took a hit as fears over global trade tensions spiked.
Zhang and Lütke both posted multi-billion-dollar drops as their companies struggled in the international fallout.
Bill Gates Escapes with a Scratch
Not every billionaire got slammed equally. Microsoft founder Bill Gates had the mildest day among the top 10.
He lost just $291 million—a rounding error compared to the $17 billion hits taken by others.
Still, Gates remains cautious, as tech and cloud stocks face growing pressure from investors bracing for more economic turbulence.
Carlos Slim Defies the Trend
Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim was the outlier.
While the rich loose billions globally, Slim actually added to his fortune.
His $85 billion empire grew thanks to Mexico being spared from Trump’s latest tariffs. A favorable shift in currency markets also worked in his favor.
He now ranks 18th on Bloomberg’s list and may climb even higher if the market chaos continues.
Tariffs Trigger Wealth Wipeout
Trump’s new trade policy was the spark.
He announced sweeping import tariffs Wednesday night, and markets immediately recoiled. Stocks plunged across the board.
Tech, luxury, and manufacturing sectors took the worst of it. These sectors are where most billionaires hold large positions.
Wall Street feared the new tariffs would ignite a prolonged trade war—and investors ran for the exits.
More Losses Loom as Selloff Continues
Unfortunately for the world’s richest, Thursday may not have been the bottom.
Markets were down again Friday as traders continued to digest the potential fallout from Trump’s aggressive move.
Businesses are warning that production costs will rise. Supply chains could tighten. Consumer prices might spike.
If those forecasts play out, equity markets could sink even lower—and more billions could vanish.
The Rich Loose Billions, But More Could Follow
Thursday’s wealth destruction may be just the beginning. Analysts expect the volatility to last for weeks as markets adjust to new global trade dynamics.
Many ultra-wealthy investors are now scrambling to reposition portfolios, dump riskier stocks, and hedge against more chaos.
As one hedge fund manager told Bloomberg, “You don’t get $200 billion losses in one day unless people are seriously spooked.”
The rich loose billions fast—but the political storm shows no signs of slowing.
