Billionaires

1

T'Challa (Black Panther)

$507.4 Billion

T'Challa, the Black Panther, is not just a superhero – he's a king whose nation's resources make him the richest character in fiction. T'Challa is the ruler of Wakanda in Marvel Comics and films, portrayed by Chadwick Boseman in the MCU. As king, he controls Wakanda's vast reserves of vibranium, an incredibly valuable fictional metal. In the MCU, Wakanda's store of 10,000 tons of vibranium has been valued around $90 trillion, but even a fraction of that makes T'Challa extraordinarily wealthy. Forbes and others estimate T'Challa's personal net worth (distinct from Wakanda's GDP) to be about $500 billion– topping this list. This valuation considers Wakanda's advanced technology, the market value of vibranium, and T'Challa's royal assets. In-universe, he uses his wealth to fund scientific research, education, and global humanitarian efforts, all while secretly financing the high-tech suit and gadgetry that empower his Black Panther persona.

Source of Wealth: Vibranium reserves, Royal assets, Advanced technology

2

Mina Tepes

$295.4 Billion

Mina Tepes is the Vampire Queen from the manga/anime Dance in the Vampire Bund. Being an immortal vampire, she has had centuries to compound her wealth through investments and interest. Her net worth is estimated at $295.4 billion. This eye-popping figure comes in part from one dramatic expenditure: Mina outright paid off Japan's national debt (about 40 trillion yen, or $292 billion) to secure an artificial island where she establishes a vampire state. That feat alone pegs her fortune in the high eleven figures. In-universe, her money comes from old-world assets and businesses accumulated over long lifespans, giving her a treasure trove that, when adjusted to modern value, places her among fiction's wealthiest.

Source of Wealth: Centuries of investments, Old-world assets, Compound interest

3

Molly Novak

$110.3 Billion

Molly Novak is a character from the TV comedy Loot (portrayed by Maya Rudolph) who suddenly becomes one of the richest women in the world. She is the ex-wife of a tech billionaire, and upon divorcing him without a prenup, she walks away with $110.3 billion. This sum is clearly inspired by real-life high-profile divorces (think MacKenzie Scott's multi-billion dollar split from Jeff Bezos). Molly's fortune comes entirely from the divorce settlement – essentially inheriting half of her ex-husband's stake in a sprawling tech empire. The show follows her journey as she pivots from a life of luxury to philanthropy, attempting to use those billions for good causes. The valuation of her wealth is straightforward, based on the tech company's market value (analogous to real companies like Google or Amazon) that made her ex so rich.

Source of Wealth: Divorce settlement, Tech company shares

4

Tony Stark (Iron Man)

$80.9 Billion

Tony Stark – Marvel's genius inventor and the man behind Iron Man – boasts an estimated net worth of $80.9 billion. Stark inherited Stark Industries, a defense and technology conglomerate founded by his father, and grew it into a juggernaut. His company's profits from advanced weaponry, cutting-edge tech, and even clean energy (via the Arc Reactor) underpin his fortune. In the comics and films, Stark is often compared to real-world tech moguls; one analysis even imagined Stark Industries having the monopoly on Arc Reactor clean energy plus being a top arms supplier, yielding a company valuation near $400 billion. Tony's personal wealth stems from his majority shareholding of that company. Forbes' fictional rich lists historically placed Stark's net worth around $9–12 billion, but newer estimates bump it far higher to reflect his tech empire's true scale. Either way, Stark is easily one of fiction's richest, funding everything from luxurious Malibu estates to the Avengers' high-tech gear.

Source of Wealth: Stark Industries, Defense contracts, Arc Reactor technology

5

Lex Luthor

$75.9 Billion

Lex Luthor, Superman's archenemy, has a fortune as vast as his ego – built on tech, real estate, and a relentless drive to dominate. Lex Luthor has an estimated net worth of $75.9 billion. Luthor is the owner of LexCorp, a massive conglomerate with interests in defense, technology, real estate, and biotech. Much like Stark, Luthor's wealth is often compared to real-world industrialists; he's essentially a dark mirror of a Silicon Valley or defense industry titan. His LexCorp Tower dominates Metropolis's skyline, and he's been President of the United States in some storylines – showing the extent of his influence. The bulk of his fortune comes from weapons development contracts, cutting-edge scientific research (sometimes veering into the unethical), and corporate acquisitions. Despite using a façade of philanthropy and business acumen, Lex funnels resources into secret projects (like trying to defeat Superman).

Source of Wealth: LexCorp, Defense contracts, Real estate, Biotech

6

Scrooge McDuck

$65.4 Billion

Scrooge McDuck literally swimming in money – his iconic Money Bin contains a fortune earned through mining, treasure hunts, and savvy business deals. Scrooge McDuck – Disney's famous miser from DuckTales and Carl Barks' comics – has become the poster-duck for fictional wealth. Forbes in 2013 estimated Scrooge's net worth at $65.4 billion, primarily sourced from "mining and treasure hunting." Indeed, Scrooge's backstory includes prospecting during the Klondike Gold Rush and countless global treasure expeditions. Most famously, he keeps his wealth in a giant "Money Bin" filled with coins and gold that he joyously swims in. Over years of adventures, Scrooge accumulated rare artifacts, stakes in businesses across Duckburg, and even mining operations – all adding to his fortune.

Source of Wealth: Mining, Treasure hunting, Business investments

7

Smaug

$54.1 - $62 Billion

The dragon Smaug from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit may be the only entry on this list who isn't human (or humanoid) – and he's certainly the only one who literally sleeps on a pile of gold. Smaug seized the entire treasure hoard of the Dwarf-kingdom of Erebor, and by the time of The Hobbit, that heap of gems, gold, and mithril is enormous. Forbes calculated Smaug's treasure to be around $54 billion in 2013, and another earlier analysis put it at about $62 billion, using the estimated size of the treasure chamber and prevailing gold prices. His wealth source is simply listed as "marauding"– he stole it by force. The hoard included countless gold coins, jeweled armor (like the Arkenstone and mithril coat), and all the accumulated riches of the Dwarves of Erebor and the men of Dale.

Source of Wealth: Marauding, Stolen treasures, Dwarf kingdom gold

8

Flintheart Glomgold

$51.9 Billion

Flintheart Glomgold, another Disney duck, is Scrooge McDuck's arch-rival and often vying for the title of "World's Richest Duck." Forbes' fictional rankings placed Glomgold's net worth at $51.9 billion, just a hair behind Scrooge's in many stories. Glomgold earns his fortune through mining and theft– essentially a less ethical version of Scrooge's endeavors. Hailing from South Africa (in the comics), he owns diamond mines and has no qualms about swindling or stealing to get richer. In one tale referenced by Forbes, Flintheart temporarily won a round-the-world race against Scrooge, claiming a prize that left Scrooge penniless and Flintheart's fortune soaring. Glomgold's wealth calculation comes from similar metrics as Scrooge's – the guy has his own money bin too.

Source of Wealth: Mining, Theft, Diamond mines

9

Carlisle Cullen

$46 Billion

Carlisle Cullen, the patriarch of the Cullen vampire clan in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series, is not only immortal but also immensely wealthy. His net worth is estimated around $46 billion. Unlike many on this list, Carlisle didn't found a company or steal a treasure; instead, his wealth comes from centuries of savvy investments and compound interest. Born in the 1640s, Carlisle has had over three centuries to grow his fortune. The novels mention that Edward's "sister" Alice used her precognitive powers to play the stock market brilliantly on Carlisle's behalf. By quietly investing in businesses, stock markets, and real estate over time (and never having to spend on food or aging!), the Cullens amassed a gigantic portfolio.

Source of Wealth: Centuries of investments, Stock market (with precognitive powers), Real estate

10

Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks

$36.7 Billion

Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, as portrayed in film, exemplifies the classic capitalist baron – an arms and industrial magnate softened by adopting Little Orphan Annie. Daddy Warbucks from the Little Orphan Annie comics, radio shows, and films is a symbol of pre-war industrial wealth. His net worth is about $36.7 billion in today's dollars. Warbucks earned his fortune through investments in sectors like aerospace, defense manufacturing, and munitions – his very name alludes to profit from war. In the comics, Warbucks was a billionaire by the 1930s (back when a billion was truly astronomical). He is often depicted as an arms manufacturer during WWI who continued to expand his business empire into peacetime industries.

Source of Wealth: Arms manufacturing, Defense contracts, Aerospace

11

Logan Roy

$18.2 Billion

Logan Roy, portrayed by Brian Cox on HBO's Succession, is the ruthless media mogul and patriarch of the Roy family. He presides over Waystar Royco, a global media and entertainment conglomerate (think News Corp or Disney) that includes news networks, theme parks, and studios. Logan's estimated net worth is $18.2 billion. This figure is derived from the market value of Waystar Royco and his majority stake in it. In the show, Logan's wealth and power are often compared to real-life tycoons like Rupert Murdoch.

Source of Wealth: Media conglomerate (Waystar Royco)

12

Mom (Carolyn Purdy)

$17.7 Billion

In the 31st century of Futurama, the wealthiest person is known simply as "Mom." Carol Miller, a.k.a. Mom, is the owner of MomCorp, a monolithic conglomerate that dominates the robot manufacturing industry and much more. Her net worth is about $17.7 billion in today's dollars. MomCorp effectively has a monopoly on robotics, weapons, and various consumer goods in the Futurama universe. Mom earned it by being utterly ruthless in business - price-gouging Earth's robots on oil, engaging in shady deals, and occasionally attempting world domination.

Source of Wealth: MomCorp (robotics, weapons, consumer goods)

13

Charles Foster Kane

$11.2 Billion

Charles Foster Kane, from Orson Welles' classic film Citizen Kane, is a newspaper magnate often compared to real-life publishing titan William Randolph Hearst. Kane's fortune in modern terms is around $11.2 billion. In the film, Kane builds a media empire spanning newspapers, radio stations, and more. He was born into wealth (the Colorado Lode mine), but it was his expansion into media that made him one of the richest men of his era. His famous line, "If I hadn't been very rich, I might have been a really great man," hints at the dark side of his wealth.

Source of Wealth: Media empire, mining inheritance

14

Jed Clampett

$9.8 Billion

Jed Clampett of The Beverly Hillbillies exemplifies the classic "rags to riches" trope. A poor mountaineer who "struck oil" on his land, Jed finds himself an overnight billionaire. Adjusted to today, Jed Clampett's net worth is about $9.8 billion. In the 1960s TV show, one shot from Jed's rifle causes an oil gusher to spring from the swamp, and he sells the rights to that black gold, instantly making him wealthy. He moves his family to a mansion in Beverly Hills, but comedically retains his country ways.

Source of Wealth: Oil discovery (Clampett Oil)

15

Bruce Wayne (Batman)

$9.2 Billion

Bruce Wayne, the wealthy socialite who fights crime as Batman in DC Comics, has an estimated net worth of $9.2 billion. Orphaned young, Bruce inherited Wayne Enterprises, a vast global company with interests from technology and defense to real estate. Under Bruce's guidance, Wayne Enterprises continues to thrive, funding both his luxurious lifestyle and his costly crime-fighting gadgets. His wealth comes from old money (the Wayne family has been wealthy for generations in Gotham) and corporate profits.

Source of Wealth: Wayne Enterprises (inherited)

16

Richie Rich

$8.9 Billion

Richie Rich, the "poor little rich boy" of Harvey Comics fame, is perhaps the most literal embodiment of a wealthy child. Richie's net worth has been estimated at $8.9 billion. As the heir to the Rich family fortune, Richie was essentially born billionaire royalty. His parents own Rich Industries, a conglomerate so large that Forbes once valued it at $163.4B! In the comics and cartoons, his wealth is portrayed in over-the-top ways - he has a private money vault, a mansion with everything gold-plated, and a personal staff to cater to his every whim.

Source of Wealth: Rich Industries (inherited)

17

Jabba the Hutt

$8.5 Billion

In the Star Wars galaxy, Jabba the Hutt amassed an estimated $8.5 billion fortune through his illicit empire. He is the wealthiest alien in Star Wars and earns money via smuggling, spice dealing, slave trading, gambling rackets, and piracy. Essentially, if there's a crime to make money from, Jabba is involved. He controls a large chunk of the Outer Rim's underworld economy - the luxuries in his palace (from Han Solo frozen in valuable carbonite to a rank of henchmen on payroll) hint at great wealth.

Source of Wealth: Organized crime (smuggling, slavery, gambling)

18

Forrest Gump

$5.7 Billion

Forrest Gump quietly became extremely wealthy by the end of his story. Forrest is known for stumbling into historic events - and one of those events was investing in Apple Inc. In the film, Forrest's Bubba Gump shrimp money is partially invested by Lieutenant Dan in "some kind of fruit company." It turns out to be Apple Computer. Given that Forrest invested in Apple's early days, Forbes calculated that his stake would be worth $5.7 billion by 2012. Forrest himself doesn't pay much attention to the money - he famously says, "We got more money than Davy Crockett."

Source of Wealth: Apple stock investment, shrimping business

19

Bobby Axelrod

$5 Billion

Bobby "Axe" Axelrod is the protagonist of the TV series Billions, a hedge fund manager whose aggressive tactics and street-smarts build him an empire on Wall Street. Axelrod's net worth in the show eventually hits around $5 billion, putting him on par with real-world hedge fund billionaires. He is the CEO of Axe Capital, and his wealth comes from high-risk, high-reward investments, trading, and occasionally illegal insider deals. The series mirrors real financial scandals and larger-than-life financiers.

Source of Wealth: Hedge funds (Axe Capital)

20

Christian Grey

$2.5 Billion

Christian Grey, from E. L. James's Fifty Shades of Grey series, is a young business magnate with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion. In the novels, Christian is the CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc., a vaguely defined but highly successful conglomerate. His wealth comes from investments and manufacturing, including ventures in telecommunications and eco-friendly technologies. By his late twenties, he's a self-made billionaire - prodigiously talented in business. With that fortune, Christian enjoys penthouses, a private jet, and lavish properties.

Source of Wealth: Grey Enterprises Holdings

21

Rich Uncle Pennybags

$2.5 Billion

The mustached, top-hatted character from the board game Monopoly, commonly known as Rich Uncle Pennybags, is a personification of wealth. Forbes once assigned Mr. Monopoly a net worth of about $2.5 billion. How do you calculate a board game mascot's wealth? Forbes treated Monopoly's Atlantic City properties as real and added them up. Owning entire neighborhoods, railroads, and utility companies - and charging rents constantly - would make anyone a billionaire. Mr. Monopoly's sources of wealth are real estate and rent collection.

Source of Wealth: Real estate (Monopoly properties)

22

Lisbeth Salander

$2.4 Billion

Lisbeth Salander, the pierced and tattooed hacker heroine of Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, is an unexpected name on a richest-list. Yet by the end of the first novel, Lisbeth secretly acquires a fortune of $2.4 billion. How? Computer hacking and a heist. Lisbeth uncovers that antagonist Hans-Erik Wennerström is a massive fraud. Using her hacking skills, she steals about 3 billion Swedish kronor from his offshore accounts, transferring them to her own (under aliases).

Source of Wealth: Hacking and financial theft

23

Tywin Lannister

$2.1 Billion

Tywin Lannister, the cunning Lord of Casterly Rock from Game of Thrones, is by far the richest man in Westeros. Converting his wealth to modern terms isn't straightforward, but an estimate puts House Lannister's fortune around $2.1 billion. The Lannisters' slogan "A Lannister Always Pays His Debts" speaks to their vast resources. Their wealth comes from extensive gold mines under Casterly Rock and the Golden Tooth - in the books, these mines have run for generations, funding the crown and making the Lannisters the richest family in the Seven Kingdoms.

Source of Wealth: Gold mines, feudal holdings

24

C. Montgomery Burns

$1.3 Billion

Mr. Burns, Homer Simpson's tyrannical boss on The Simpsons, is Springfield's premier billionaire. His full name is Charles Montgomery Burns, and his estimated net worth hovers around $1.3 billion. Burns built his fortune as the owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, which provides energy to the town - and perhaps cuts safety corners to save money. He also inherited wealth from his family. Mr. Burns' wealth in the show is portrayed inconsistently - sometimes he's rich enough to block out the sun with a giant disk or to purchase priceless artifacts.

Source of Wealth: Nuclear power plant, inherited wealth

25

Cruella de Vil

$1.3 Billion

Cruella de Vil, the villainess of Disney's 101 Dalmatians, might not initially come to mind as a billionaire - but an analysis pegs her net worth at $1.3 billion. Cruella's wealth comes from her fashion empire, focused on fur couture. In the Cruella live-action film and original animations, she's depicted as a London heiress and designer with extravagant tastes (cars, clothes, mansions). Her plan to make a coat from Dalmatian puppy fur was more about obsession than money, but it implied she already had the means to finance such a cruel caper.

Source of Wealth: Fashion empire, inherited wealth

26

Walden Schmidt

$1.3 Billion

Walden Schmidt entered Two and a Half Men in later seasons as a replacement for Charlie Sheen's character, and he came with a hefty bank account. Walden, played by Ashton Kutcher, is a young Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur who sold his startup to Microsoft as a teenager. His net worth is about $1.3 billion. With that money, Walden buys Charlie Harper's Malibu beach house and joins the show's shenanigans. Walden's wealth source is clearly technology - he developed a website in high school that he sold for hundreds of millions.

Source of Wealth: Tech startup sale

27

Lara Croft

$1.3 Billion

Lara Croft, the protagonist of the Tomb Raider video games and films, is more famous for raiding tombs than managing a stock portfolio. Yet Lady Croft is an heiress with an estate valued around $1.3 billion. She inherited the Croft family fortune (and the title of Countess of Abbingdon) after the death of her aristocratic parents. That fortune includes the sprawling Croft Manor in England (massive property value), and whatever wealth the Croft aristocracy accumulated (likely centuries of assets, land, and investments).

Source of Wealth: Inheritance, treasure hunting

28

Mary Crawley

$1.1 Billion

Fans of Downton Abbey will recall Lady Mary Crawley as the poised, sharp-witted eldest daughter of the Earl of Grantham. Through the series, Mary experiences the transitions of the English aristocracy in the early 20th century. By the end, after inheriting and marrying, Lady Mary (now Mary Talbot) effectively controls the estate. Her net worth can be approximated at $1.1 billion in today's money. Forbes arrived at that number by considering the Crawley family's vast assets: Downton Abbey itself (a grand Yorkshire estate with hundreds of rooms and thousands of acres of land).

Source of Wealth: Inheritance, aristocratic holdings

29

Jay Gatsby

$1.0 Billion

Jay Gatsby, from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, personifies the roaring '20s self-made millionaire. While in the novel Gatsby's fortune is hinted to be in the millions, a modern estimation puts him at about $1 billion. Gatsby earned his money through bootlegging and organized crime during Prohibition. Working with figures like Meyer Wolfsheim, he built an illicit empire in a short time. By 1920s standards, he's extravagantly rich - his Long Island mansion is modeled on real palatial estates of that era, and he drives a Rolls-Royce.

Source of Wealth: Bootlegging, organized crime

30

Jo Bennett

$1.0 Billion

Jo Bennett is a character from the US version of The Office. As CEO of the printer company Sabre, which acquires Dunder Mifflin in later seasons, she's depicted as a tough-as-nails self-made billionaire Southern lady (portrayed by Kathy Bates). Jo Bennett's net worth is about $1.0 billion. She made her fortune by founding Sabre (an electronics and office equipment manufacturer) and growing it into an industry leader. By the time she enters The Office storyline, she has multiple homes, a cadre of Great Dane dogs, and a private jet.

Source of Wealth: Sabre (electronics manufacturing)

World's Top Billionaires

T'Challa (Black Panther)

Mina Tepes

Molly Novak

Tony Stark (Iron Man)

Lex Luthor

Scrooge McDuck

Smaug

Flintheart Glomgold

Carlisle Cullen

Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks

Logan Roy

Mom (Carolyn Purdy)

Charles Foster Kane

Jed Clampett

Bruce Wayne (Batman)

Richie Rich

Jabba the Hutt

Forrest Gump

Bobby Axelrod

Christian Grey

Rich Uncle Pennybags

Lisbeth Salander

Tywin Lannister

C. Montgomery Burns

Cruella de Vil

Walden Schmidt

Lara Croft

Mary Crawley

Jay Gatsby

Jo Bennett

Wealthiest Fictional Empires

House Lannister

Wayne Enterprises

Stark Industries

LexCorp

Rich Industries

Warbucks Industries

MomCorp

CHOAM

Tyrell Corporation

Weyland-Yutani

Gringotts

Clampett Oil