America’s billionaire club

America had 1,135 billionaires in 2024, 927 more than in 2020, according to Altrata, a firm that tracks wealth across the United States. The Wall Street Journal reports that those billionaires are worth about $5.7 trillion, and that the worth of just three men — Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg — equals nearly a combined $1 trillion. Interestingly, only one-third of billionaires inherited their wealth. About 300 came from banking and finance; roughly 110 came from the tech sector; and 75 came from real estate. “The billionaire border can be fuzzy,” the publication reports. “Markets fluctuate, the value of private companies can be uncertain and big donations dent fortunes, meaning dozens of individuals — even stars such as LeBron James and Beyoncé — can move on or off the list.”