New Billionaires 2023: LeBron James, Jimmy Buffett And 148 Others Join The Ranks | Forbes

Bear markets, interest hikes and flailing tech stocks have put the skids on the pandemic-fueled era of record billionaire wealth. This year, Forbes counted 2,640 people on the annual World’s Billionaires List–28 fewer than last year and 115 fewer than in 2021. But it wasn’t a bad year for everyone. In fact, Forbes found 150 new members that joined the ten-figure ranks this year.

Together, these 150 markets-defying new billionaires are worth $344 billion. They got rich in everything from finance and fitness gear to Formula 1 and fashion.

The most famous newcomers include some of the world’s most famous faces. Musician Jimmy Buffett has made a $1 billion fortune turning his carefree, island vibe into a lucrative branding business that has stamped the Margaritaville name on restaurants, hotels and casinos. Tom Ford joined the list after selling his clothing, fragrance, cosmetics and skin care business to Estée Lauder for $2.8 billion in November. And Tiger Woods (net worth: $1.1 billion) and LeBron James ($1 billion) have joined the ranks as the only two active athletes who are billionaires after turning their massive sports earnings and endorsement income into ten-digit fortunes through savvy business moves.

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