Technology
2016 Rich List: The Top 10 Billionaires in Tech
The fast-moving startup scene has captured the imaginations of many people around the world.
Part of the reason? The traditional art of fortune-building used to pay off only after decades of perseverance, focus, and patience. Today, however, the scalability of technology allows an aspiring entrepreneur to go from zero to hero in a few short years.
With a bright idea and skillful execution, a billion-dollar fortune can be made almost overnight.
The Top 10 Billionaires in Tech
The speed of technology is reflected in the following infographic from ERS Solutions, which covers the wealthiest 10 billionaires in tech.
The oldest person on the list is Larry Ellison at 72 years old.
The youngest? It’s Mark Zuckerberg, who is forty years his junior.
How fast do things change in tech?
Compare this year’s list with the top 10 billionaires in tech from 2006 and you will see clear differences.
Hasso Plattner, Paul Allen, and Pierre Omidyar all made the list ten years ago, but are nowhere to be seen on the 2016 edition. They were bumped off the list by new names like Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Jack Ma – entrepreneurs who were just getting things rolling in 2006.
Back then, Amazon’s stock price was $35 per share (today, it is $844) and Facebook had just started allowing signups from users outside of colleges and high schools. Meanwhile, Alibaba had measly revenues of $68 million per year, and had just took a $1 billion investment from Yahoo.
The criteria to make the list has also changed considerably over the last decade. The “poorest” person on the list had $6 billion in 2006. Ten years later, one would need at least a fortune of $20 billion to scrape it onto the list’s #10 spot.
Here’s the data from 2016 again in table-form:
Top 10 Billionaires in Tech
| Rank | Name | Source of Wealth | Age | Fortune |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Gates | Microsoft | 62 | $78 billion |
| 2 | Jeff Bezos | Amazon.com | 52 | $66.2 billion |
| 3 | Mark Zuckerberg | 32 | $54 billion | |
| 4 | Larry Ellison | Oracle | 72 | $51.7 billion |
| 5 | Larry Page | 43 | $39 billion | |
| 6 | Sergey Brin | 43 | $38.2 billion | |
| 7 | Steve Ballmer | Microsoft | 60 | $27.7 billion |
| 8 | Jack Ma | Alibaba | 52 | $25.8 billion |
| 9 | Ma Huateng | Tencent | 44 | $22 billion |
| 10 | Michael Dell | Dell | 51 | $20 billion |
Technology
All of the Grants Given by the U.S. CHIPS Act
Intel, TSMC, and more have received billions in subsidies from the U.S. CHIPS Act in 2024.
All of the Grants Given by the U.S. CHIPS Act
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
This visualization shows which companies are receiving grants from the U.S. CHIPS Act, as of April 25, 2024. The CHIPS Act is a federal statute signed into law by President Joe Biden that authorizes $280 billion in new funding to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors.
The grant amounts visualized in this graphic are intended to accelerate the production of semiconductor fabrication plants (fabs) across the United States.
Data and Company Highlights
The figures we used to create this graphic were collected from a variety of public news sources. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) also maintains a tracker for CHIPS Act recipients, though at the time of writing it does not have the latest details for Micron.
| Company | Federal Grant Amount | Anticipated Investment From Company |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 Intel | $8,500,000,000 | $100,000,000,000 |
| 🇹🇼 TSMC | $6,600,000,000 | $65,000,000,000 |
| 🇰🇷 Samsung | $6,400,000,000 | $45,000,000,000 |
| 🇺🇸 Micron | $6,100,000,000 | $50,000,000,000 |
| 🇺🇸 GlobalFoundries | $1,500,000,000 | $12,000,000,000 |
| 🇺🇸 Microchip | $162,000,000 | N/A |
| 🇬🇧 BAE Systems | $35,000,000 | N/A |
BAE Systems was not included in the graphic due to size limitations
Intel’s Massive Plans
Intel is receiving the largest share of the pie, with $8.5 billion in grants (plus an additional $11 billion in government loans). This grant accounts for 22% of the CHIPS Act’s total subsidies for chip production.
From Intel’s side, the company is expected to invest $100 billion to construct new fabs in Arizona and Ohio, while modernizing and/or expanding existing fabs in Oregon and New Mexico. Intel could also claim another $25 billion in credits through the U.S. Treasury Department’s Investment Tax Credit.
TSMC Expands its U.S. Presence
TSMC, the world’s largest semiconductor foundry company, is receiving a hefty $6.6 billion to construct a new chip plant with three fabs in Arizona. The Taiwanese chipmaker is expected to invest $65 billion into the project.
The plant’s first fab will be up and running in the first half of 2025, leveraging 4 nm (nanometer) technology. According to TrendForce, the other fabs will produce chips on more advanced 3 nm and 2 nm processes.
The Latest Grant Goes to Micron
Micron, the only U.S.-based manufacturer of memory chips, is set to receive $6.1 billion in grants to support its plans of investing $50 billion through 2030. This investment will be used to construct new fabs in Idaho and New York.
-
Education1 week agoHow Hard Is It to Get Into an Ivy League School?
-
Technology2 weeks agoRanked: Semiconductor Companies by Industry Revenue Share
-
Markets2 weeks agoRanked: The World’s Top Flight Routes, by Revenue
-
Demographics2 weeks agoPopulation Projections: The World’s 6 Largest Countries in 2075
-
Markets2 weeks agoThe Top 10 States by Real GDP Growth in 2023
-
Demographics2 weeks agoThe Smallest Gender Wage Gaps in OECD Countries
-
Economy2 weeks agoWhere U.S. Inflation Hit the Hardest in March 2024
-
Green2 weeks agoTop Countries By Forest Growth Since 2001