The world’s richest people, places and assets in 2026
INFOGRAPHIC/EYEWITNESS MEDIA.
By PATRICK MAYOYO
Wealth in 2026 is no longer simply a measure of money in the bank. It is a reflection of technological power, global business empires, political influence, royal heritage, sporting fame and ownership of some of the world’s most valuable assets.
From Silicon Valley to royal palaces, luxury estates and private islands, extraordinary fortunes continue to shape the way people live, invest and influence the world around them.
The ranks of the ultra-rich have also reached unprecedented levels. Forbes’ 2026 annual billionaires list counted 3,428 billionaires with a combined fortune of $20.1 trillion, with technology entrepreneurs dominating the upper reaches of the rankings.
At the top are familiar names such as Elon Musk, whose interests span electric vehicles, space exploration and artificial intelligence, alongside technology giants including Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang.
Their fortunes can fluctua...
COP17: AfDB backs Great Green Wall revival as Africa demands faster action
A session at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP-17) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. PHOTO/UNCCD.
By PATRICK MAYOYO
The African Development Bank has committed to work with partners to mobilise funds for the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) during the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP-17) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Ulaanbaatar.
The commitment came on 24 August as African ministers, development partners and international organisations participating in an event titled Scaling the Great Green Wall through Continental Integration and the AU GGWI Strategy (2024-2034) and co-organised by the African Union (AU), the African Development Bank and the UN, voiced calls to scale up GGWI.
Participants also welcomed the AU’s adoption in 2024 of the Great Green Wall Strategy and Ten-Year Implementation Framework (2024–2034), which provides a roadmap to expand the initiative into a continental platform for land restoration and ...