If you’ve spent any time looking at the crazy wealth numbers floating around lately, you probably know that Elon Musk is currently in a league of his own. He isn't just winning; he’s basically playing a different game. But the battle for the silver medal? That’s where things get really interesting and, frankly, a bit chaotic.
So, who is the 2nd richest man in the world? As of mid-January 2026, that title belongs to Larry Page, the co-founder of Google.
Most people expect to see Jeff Bezos or maybe Bernard Arnault in this spot. They’ve been the "usual suspects" for years. But the landscape has shifted. Page’s net worth has exploded to roughly $263.8 billion, narrowly edging out the competition in a high-stakes game of stock market musical chairs.
The Larry Page Surge: How Google’s Quiet Founder Took the #2 Spot
Larry Page is the guy who famously doesn’t like the spotlight. You won't see him tweeting—or "X-ing"—at 3:00 AM or buying giant social media platforms just for the vibe. He’s been mostly "ghost" since stepping down as Alphabet’s CEO in 2019.
Yet, his bank account doesn't care about his privacy.
The main reason Page has climbed so high is the absolute tear Alphabet (Google’s parent company) has been on. In 2025 alone, Alphabet shares surged by over 60%. While everyone was talking about Nvidia and the "AI arms race," Google was quietly integrating its Gemini AI models into every corner of the internet.
Page still owns a massive chunk of the company. When Google wins, Page wins bigger. His wealth jumped from around $133 billion a year ago to over $260 billion today. That’s not just "doing well." That’s gaining the entire net worth of a smaller billionaire every few months.
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The "Larry vs. Larry" Rivalry
It’s almost funny that the person right on Page's heels is another Larry. Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle.
For a minute there, Ellison actually held the second spot. Oracle has become a backbone for AI startups that need massive cloud computing power. Because Ellison owns such a huge percentage of Oracle—and because he’s been aggressive about his "AI-first" strategy—his wealth has stayed consistently in the $240 billion to $250 billion range.
Currently, Ellison is sitting at roughly $241.5 billion, making him the 5th richest person, but he swaps places with Page and Bezos almost weekly.
Why Jeff Bezos isn’t Number Two Anymore
It feels weird to say someone with a quarter of a trillion dollars is "slipping," but Jeff Bezos is currently sitting at #3.
Bezos is worth about $251.9 billion. Honestly, it’s a coin flip between him and Page on any given Tuesday depending on how Amazon’s cloud business (AWS) is performing compared to Google’s search revenue.
Bezos has been busy. He’s been selling off Amazon stock to fund his Blue Origin space habit and his massive real estate acquisitions. While Amazon is still a titan, it hasn't seen the same "to the moon" stock trajectory as the pure AI plays over the last twelve months.
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The Top 5 Break-Down (January 2026)
If you look at the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list today, here is how the top of the mountain actually looks. Keep in mind these numbers move by billions based on a single bad earnings call.
- Elon Musk: ~$713.1 Billion (The undisputed heavyweight)
- Larry Page: ~$263.8 Billion (The new #2)
- Jeff Bezos: ~$251.9 Billion (The retail king)
- Sergey Brin: ~$243.4 Billion (The other Google guy)
- Larry Ellison: ~$241.5 Billion (The software vet)
Notice something? The gap between #1 and #2 is more than $400 billion. Elon Musk is worth nearly three Larry Pages. It’s a level of wealth concentration we’ve never seen in modern history.
What happened to Bernard Arnault?
If you were following this a year or two ago, Bernard Arnault—the king of luxury behind LVMH (Louis Vuitton, Moët, Hennessy)—was often the richest person on the planet.
Now? He’s down at #7, worth about $189 billion.
Luxury took a hit. High interest rates and a cooling economy in China meant people weren't buying $5,000 handbags as fast as they used to. While tech companies were riding the AI hype train, luxury brands were dealing with a "vibe shift" in consumer spending. Arnault is still doing fine—he’s not exactly clipping coupons—but the tech-heavy nature of the current market has pushed him out of the top three.
The Jensen Huang Factor: The One to Watch
The most dangerous man on this list isn't a Google founder or a retail giant. It’s Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia.
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Five years ago, most people didn't know his name. Now, he’s at #8 with $164.1 billion. If the AI boom continues at this pace, Jensen is the most likely candidate to crash the top three by the end of 2026. He’s gaining ground faster than almost anyone else in history.
What this means for the rest of us
Seeing these numbers can feel a bit surreal. What do you actually do with the knowledge that Larry Page is the 2nd richest man in the world?
It highlights where the world is heading. The wealth isn't in "selling things" anymore; it’s in "processing things." The top of the list is dominated by individuals who control the data and the infrastructure of the future.
If you're looking to track this yourself, don't just rely on a single news report. Use the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires tracker or the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. They update every day the stock market is open.
Understand that these aren't "cash in the bank" numbers. If the stock market crashes tomorrow, Larry Page could lose $50 billion in an afternoon. But for now, he’s the king of the "everybody else" category, safely behind the shadow of Elon Musk.
Actionable Insights for Tracking Wealth Trends
- Watch the Cloud: If you want to know who will be #2 next month, watch AWS vs. Google Cloud vs. Oracle Cloud earnings. That is where the wealth is being generated.
- Diversify your Perspective: Realize that "Net Worth" for these men is 99% stock. It’s a measure of company value, not necessarily personal spending power.
- Follow the AI: The current rankings are a direct reflection of which companies are winning the AI software war.
Keep an eye on the Tuesday morning market opens. That is usually when the "Who is the 2nd richest man in the world" title officially changes hands.