How old 15 self-made billionaires were when they earned their first billion
AP/Jae C. Hong
Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel became a billionaire at age 25.
Bill Gates became the youngest billionaire ever in 1987 at age 31. In 2008, Mark Zuckerberg took that title when he reached billionaire status at 23.
Not all of today’s wealthiest entrepreneurs saw such success at a young age — Larry Ellison was 42 when he made his first million and 49 when his net worth reached the seven-figure mark.
Using an infographic from UK-based web platform Fleximize, we’ve broken out the age at which Gates, Zuckerberg, Ellison, and 12 other self-made billionaires made their first billion.
Mark Zuckerberg: 23
The Facebook cofounder and CEO became a billionaire in 2008 at age 23.
Facebook’s IPO made Zuckerberg the youngest self-made billionaire in history.
Today’s estimated net worth: $43.9 billion
Evan Spiegel: 25
The Snapchat cofounder and CEO became a billionaire in 2015 at age 25.
The value in Spiegel’s Snapchat shares reached $1 billion, making him one of the youngest self-made billionaires.
Today’s estimated net worth: $2.1 billion
Larry Page: 30
Google’s cofounder earned his first billion in 2004 at age 30, when the company’s IPO sent Page’s net worth over $1 billion for the first time.
Today’s estimated net worth: $35.1 billion
Bill Gates: 31
Microsoft’s cofounder became a self-made billionaire in 1987 at age 31.
When the value in Gates’ shares surpassed $1 billion, he became the youngest billionaire ever at the time. He finished 2015 as the richest man in the world.
Today’s estimated net worth: $74.7 billion
Jeff Bezos: 35
Amazon’s founder and CEO became a self-made billionaire in 1999 at age 35.
The value in Bezos’ Amazon shares sent him from millionaire status to billionaire status.
Today’s estimated net worth: $43.5 billion
Mark Cuban: 40
The “Shark Tank” investor and Dallas Mavericks owner became a self-made billionaire in 1998 at age 40.
Selling his first company, MicroSolutions, made Cuban a millionaire — selling his second company, Broadcast.com, made him a billionaire.
Today’s estimated net worth: $3 billion
Sara Blakely: 41
The founder of Spanx became a billionaire in 2012 at age 41.
It was Blakely’s 100% ownership of Spanx that made her the youngest self-made woman billionaire in the world.
Today’s estimated net worth: $1 billion
Elon Musk: 41
The cofounder of PayPal and Tesla Motors and founder of SpaceX reached self-made-billionaire status in 2012 at age 41.
The rise in the value of Tesla stock helped Musk make the leap from millionaire status to billionaire status.
Today’s estimated net worth: $10.8 billion
Sir Richard Branson: 41
Britain’s high-profile billionaire earned his first billion in 1991 at age 41.
The Virgin Group founder became a self-made-billionaire thanks to the success of his many companies — he has overseen approximately 500.
Today’s estimated net worth: $5.1 billion
Meg Whitman: 42
The former eBay CEO and current Hewlett-Packard CEO, became a self-made billionaire in 1998 at age 42.
Whitman’s net worth exceeded $1 billion after she took eBay public.
Today’s estimated net worth: $1.89 billion
Oprah Winfrey: 49
The media mogul and queen of daytime television became a self-made billionaire in 2003 at age 49.
Winfrey’s media empire led her to become the first black woman billionaire in history.
Today’s estimated net worth: $3 billion
Larry Ellison: 49
The founder and CEO of Oracle became a self-made billionaire in 1993 at age 49.
Ellison achieved billionaire status thanks to his stake in Oracle and the company’s rapid growth.
Today’s estimated net worth: $43.6 billion
Carlos Slim: 51
The Telecom magnate became a self-made billionaire in 1991 at age 51.
Real estate investments contributed to Slim’s fortune. He finished 2015 as the second-richest person in the world.
Today’s estimated net worth: $50.1 billion
George Lucas: 52
The creator of “Star Wars” and founder of production company Lucasfilm became a self-made billionaire in 1996 at age 52.
Lucas’ stake in Lucasfilm helped him make the jump from millionaire to billionaire.
Today’s estimated net worth: $4.5 billion
Warren Buffett: 56
The investing legend and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway became a self-made billionaire in 1986 at age 56.
His net worth passed $1 billion after Berkshire Hathaway sold class A shares for the first time. Buffett finished 2015 as the third-richest man in the world.
Today’s estimated net worth: $60.1 billion
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