Some created new riches, some inherited old ones. But many on the list have something in common: They made their fortunes in the world of finance–or inherited such wealth. This year, the industry with the most billionaires is finance and investments, with 393 billionaires, nearly 15% of the list.
Coming in at the top is engineering - which might surprise you, but the scope of engineering is huge and widening all of the time. 22% of the world's top 100 billionaires studied some kind of engineering. Mexican entrepreneur Carlos Slim, who is worth around $52 billion, studied Civil Engineering.
Think you need to be a doctor or a lawyer to make $1 million? Think again. A wide variety of jobs can put you on track to becoming a millionaire, including familiar jobs like actuary and airline pilot, and less-familiar ones, like reservoir engineer.
As such, to build wealth, learn these valuable skills: Accounting , Investing , Marketing , Law , Sales , Copywriting , and Public Relations . To help with those and any other future skills, learn to Get to Action , Become Adaptable , and Learn to Learn .
The stock market is one of the primary sources of income for the rich. Many wealthy individuals invest in stocks and bonds as a way to generate passive income. According to one of the largest studies of millionaires ever conducted, millionaires did not build a net worth of a million dollars or more through inheritance.
But if you do want to be a young millionaire, it is possible. It will take a lot of hard work and sacrifice, but the rewards may be worth it for you. And even if you miss the goal of 25, I'd venture you'd be on a great track financially.
How much money do you need to be considered rich? According to Schwab's 2022 Modern Wealth Survey (opens in new tab), Americans believe it takes an average net worth of $2.2 million to qualify a person as being wealthy. (Net worth is the sum of your assets minus your liabilities.)
