Has the number of U.S. billionaires risen from fewer than 80 in 1990 to over 900? | Fact brief

The number of U.S. billionaires has risen from fewer than 80 in 1990 to more than 900 today, as claimed by Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner.

Forbes reported that its 1990 Forbes 400 list included 66 billionaires, while Forbes’ 2026 World’s Billionaires List puts the U.S. total at 989, the most of any country. Forbes counted 3,428 billionaires worldwide in 2026.

The increase reflects the growth of huge fortunes, especially in technology, finance and sectors tied to rising asset values. Swiss investment bank UBS says billionaire wealth reached a record $15.8 trillion globally in 2025, aided by rising tech shares and financial asset prices.

The top five billionaires on Forbes’ 2026 list were Elon Musk, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. (Forbes counts all five as U.S. billionaires, though Musk was born in South Africa and Brin in the former Soviet Union.)