Forbes: Russia adds 15 new billionaires in 2025, despite sanctions

Forbes USA has published its 39th annual global ranking of dollar billionaires, revealing that 15 Russians have joined the list for the first time this year, reports the publication.

The 2025 billionaires list includes a record 3,028 individuals worldwide, up from 2,781 in 2024. Russians continue to maintain a significant presence with 125 billionaires featured in the ranking despite sanctions, according to Forbes.

US sanctions were implemented against Russian oligarchs as well as the country’s oil and gas revenues as a reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, they found ways to circumvent these sanctions during this time.

Elon Musk reclaimed the top position in the ranking, a spot he had not occupied since 2022. The Tesla major shareholder was among 1,422 individuals whose fortunes increased over the past year.

Mark Zuckerberg, co-owner of Meta, which owns Facebook and is banned in Russia, took second place in the ranking. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos secured the third position, while Oracle founder Larry Ellison ranked fourth.

Bernard Arnault, President and CEO of luxury goods conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, dropped to fifth place after leading the ranking last year.

The report notes that 698 billionaires saw their wealth decrease, but not significantly enough to drop off the billionaires list.

Oracle, founded by fourth-ranked Ellison, counts the CIA as its first client in 1977, according to the Forbes report.

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