The world's first TRILLIONAIRE will emerge in the next two decades, analysts believe

  • Forbes released its billionaires list this week, raising questions over how far away the world's first trillionaire could be
  • Engineer Peter Diamandis has predicted the first trillionaire will emerge in the next two decades after making space discoveries
  • International investment bank Credit Suisse has said there will be 11 trillionaires within two generations

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: | Updated:

The world's first trillionaire - someone worth a staggering $1,000,000,000,000 - could emerge within just 20 years, analysts believe.

The predictions come as Forbes released its billionaires list this week with Bill Gates - who is widely expected to become the world's first trillionaire - at the top with a worth of $79.2 billion.

If the U.S. national wealth continues to grow at its current rate, Gates, who saw his fortune grow by $4.2 billion in the past year alone, could well reach the eye-watering figure in his old age.

Among those who believe a trillionaire is only years away, entrepreneur Peter Diamandis says he believes the wealth could be earned through space discoveries, the Washington Times reported.

Could he be the first? Microsoft's Bill Gates topped Forbes' billionaire list earlier this week and he could well be the first person to become a trillionaire. Analysts say the first trillionaire could be just 20 years away

Could he be the first? Microsoft's Bill Gates topped Forbes' billionaire list earlier this week and he could well be the first person to become a trillionaire. Analysts say the first trillionaire could be just 20 years away

A TRILLIONAIRE IN WAITING? THE WORLD'S RICHEST FIGURES

1. Bill Gates - Microsoft, $79.2 bn

2. Carlos Slim Helu -  telecoms, $77.1bn

3. Warren Buffet - investor, $72.7bn

4. Amancio Ortega - Zara, $64.5 bn

5. Larry Ellison - Oracle, $54.3 bn

6. Charles Koch - various, $42.9 bn

6. David Koch - various, $42.9 bn

8. Christy Walton -  Walmart, $41.7 bn

9. Jim Walton - Walmart, $40.6 bn

10. Liliane Bettencourt - L'Oreal, $40.1 bn

'I think the first trillionaire is going to be made in space,' he told Business Insider this week. 

Diamandis, an engineer and physician behind companies including Space Adventures Ltd., said individuals and firms finally have the capabilities to explore space for themselves, which could lead to lucrative discoveries.

Among Diamandis' own 17 companies, he has teams prospecting near-Earth asteroids, which he calls 'trillion dollar assets'.

They represent 'everything we hold of value on Earth, minerals, metals, real estate,' he said.

But he's not the only one who believes bank accounts are set to expand.

International investment bank Credit Suisse has previously said in an annual Global Wealth Report that there will be 11 trillionaires within two generations.

'Two generations ahead, future extrapolation of current wealth growth rates yields almost a billion millionaires, equivalent to 20 per cent of the total adult population,' the bank said in 2013.

Shooting for the stars: Entrepreneur Peter Diamandis, pictured last month, says he believes the first trillionaire could be made in space, where minerals and real estate are waiting to be claimed

Shooting for the stars: Entrepreneur Peter Diamandis, pictured last month, says he believes the first trillionaire could be made in space, where minerals and real estate are waiting to be claimed

'If this scenario unfolds, then billionaires will be commonplace, and there is likely to be a few trillionaires too, 11 according to our best estimate.'

In its list this week, Forbes identified a record 1,826 billionaires - up from 1,645 last year - with a combined net worth of $7.05 trillion.

Gates has topped the list for 16 of the last 21 years. In second place was telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu, who has a net worth of $77.1 billion.

Third was investor Warren Buffett, who moved up one slot this year with a net worth of $72.7 billion. 

They still have a way to go, but among the youngest billionaires, who could well have their eye on that trillion dollar mark, are Uber founder Travis Kalanik, worth $5.3 billion, Rockstar Energy drinks founder Russ Weiner, worth $2.1 billion, and Airbnb founder, Brian Chesky, worth $2 billion. 

YEARS LEFT TO MAKE THEIR TRILLIONS: THE WEALTHIEST UNDER 40

Billions: Beer heiress Tatiana Casiraghi

Billions: Beer heiress Tatiana Casiraghi

1. Mark Zuckerberg, 30 - Facebook, $33.4bn

2. Dustin Moskovitz, 30 - Facebook, $7.9bn

3. Elizabeth Holmes, 31 - blood-testing, $4.5bn

4. Tom Persson, 30 - H&M, $3bn

5. Julio Mario Santo Domingo, III, 29 - Bavaria beer, $2.2bn

6. Tatiana Casiraghi, 31 - Bavaria beer, $2.2bn

7. Nathan Blecharczyk, 31 - Airbnb, $1.9bn 

8. Anton Kathrein Jr, 30 - antennas, $1.7bn

9. Evan Spiegel, 24 - Snapchat, $1.5bn

10. Bobby Murphy, 25 - Snapchat, $1.5bn

Most watched News videos

Comments 127

Share what you think

  View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

  View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.