Forbes AI Billionaires List 2024: From Sam Altman To Charles Liang, Take A Look
A year and a half after ChatGPT became popular, bringing artificial intelligence into everyday conversations and making OpenAI CEO Sam Altman well-known, the AI industry is booming. Over the past year, the stock prices of many tech companies, both old and new, have soared, making their founders and CEOs even richer. This surge has led to the emergence of more than a dozen new AI billionaires on Forbes¡¯ World¡¯s Billionaires list.
AI Billionaires List 2024: A year and a half after ChatGPT became popular, bringing artificial intelligence into everyday conversations and making OpenAI CEO Sam Altman well-known, the AI industry is booming. Over the past year, the stock prices of many tech companies, both old and new, have soared, making their founders and CEOs even richer. This surge has led to the emergence of more than a dozen new AI billionaires on Forbes¡¯ World¡¯s Billionaires list 2024.
One notable example is Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang, whose company's stock price increased by nearly 300% over the past year. This growth landed Huang among the world¡¯s 20 richest people for the first time. Other companies, like Super Micro Computer, saw their stock prices rise even more, making their founders, Charles Liang and Sara Liu, new billionaires. Lisa Su, CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, also joined the billionaire ranks due to a significant increase in AMD¡¯s share price. Similarly, Cloudflare¡¯s chief operating officer, Michelle Zatlyn, became a billionaire as well.
The private AI sector has also seen significant growth, with AI-focused startups raising nearly $50 billion in funding last year. OpenAI, the largest among them, received a $10 billion investment from Microsoft. As a result, its CEO Sam Altman is estimated to be a billionaire. Other new billionaires include Ivan Zhao, co-founder and CEO of Notion, and Brett Adcock, founder and CEO of Figure.
Many of these investments have come from big tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet, who are competing in what has become an AI arms race. However, there are concerns that this AI boom may not last forever. Some signs of instability have already appeared, such as Inflection AI abandoning its chatbot project.
Here are nine new billionaires whose companies are tied to AI:
1. Charles Liang Net Worth
- - Net Worth: $6.1 Billion
- - Source of Wealth: Computer hardware
- - Country: U.S.
Co-founder of IT infrastructure firm Super Micro Computer in 1993. The company's servers and storage systems are highly sought after by AI and cloud computing firms. Revenues reached a record $7 billion in fiscal year 2023. Liang's wife, Sara Liu, is also a senior vice president at Super Micro and a new billionaire.
2. Kwak Dong Shin Net Worth
- - Net Worth: $2.9 Billion
- - Source of Wealth: Semiconductors
- - Country: South Korea
CEO of Hanmi Semiconductor, a company founded by his father in 1980. Hanmi manufactures equipment used in semiconductor packaging, a crucial stage in chip production. Business is booming due to the AI craze, with shares up more than 560% over the past year.
3. Shunsaku Sagami Net Worth
- - Net Worth: $1.9 Billion
- - Source of Wealth: M&A brokerage
- - Country: Japan
Founder of M&A Research Institute, which utilizes AI to match sellers of small-to-medium size businesses with potential buyers. The firm was listed in Tokyo in 2022.
4. Ivan Zhao Net Worth
- - Net Worth: $1.5 Billion
- - Source of Wealth: Notion
- - Country: U.S.
Co-founder and CEO of productivity startup Notion, which has embraced AI and is valued at around $5 billion.
5. Brett Adcock Net Worth
- - Net Worth: $1.4 Billion
- - Source of Wealth: Robots
- - Country: U.S.
Founder of Figure, working on AI-powered humanoid robots. Raised $675 million in funding and valued at $2.6 billion.
6. Lisa Su Net Worth
- - Net Worth: $1.3 Billion
- - Source of Wealth: Semiconductors
- - Country: U.S.
CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, credited with transforming the struggling semiconductor firm into an AI powerhouse.
7. Michelle Zatlyn Net Worth
- - Net Worth: $1.2 Billion
- - Source of Wealth: Cybersecurity
- - Country: Canada
Co-founder and COO of Cloudflare, utilizing AI for cybersecurity solutions. Owns about 2% of the company's shares.
8. Sam Altman Net Worth
- - Net Worth: $1 Billion
- - Source of Wealth: Investments
- - Country: U.S.
CEO of OpenAI, known for his investments and early bets on tech startups.
9. Harvey Jones Net Worth
- - Net Worth: $1 Billion
- - Source of Wealth: Nvidia
- - Country: U.S.
Founding board member of Nvidia and benefactor of the company's 300% stock increase fueled by AI.
The Billionaires Getting Rich From AI 2024
| Name | Net Worth | Source of Wealth | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Liang | $6.1 Billion | Computer hardware | U.S. |
| Kwak Dong Shin | $2.9 Billion | Semiconductors | South Korea |
| Shunsaku Sagami | $1.9 Billion | M&A brokerage | Japan |
| Ivan Zhao | $1.5 Billion | Notion | U.S. |
| Brett Adcock | $1.4 Billion | Robots | U.S. |
| Lisa Su | $1.3 Billion | Semiconductors | U.S. |
| Michelle Zatlyn | $1.2 Billion | Cybersecurity | Canada |
| Sam Altman | $1 Billion | Investments | U.S. |
| Harvey Jones | $1 Billion | Nvidia | U.S. |
Also Read: Forbes Richest List 2024: India Adds 25 New Billionaires, Check Full List Here
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