The net worth of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, topped $200 billion in August. The trillion-dollar question now is: When will see the world’s first trillionaire?
Roughly half of America thinks it will happen sometime in their lifetime, according to a recent YouGov poll. While 52 percent say it’s somewhat or very likely someone will reach 13 figures in their lifetime, another 27 percent think it’s somewhat or very unlikely. About one in five (21%) aren’t sure.
The polling data suggests those in a lower income bracket, under $40,000, are less likely to think we’ll see a trillionaire in their lifetime, compared to those making between $40,000 and $80,000 (52%) and those making more than $80,000 (59%).
Bezos’s net worth rocketed to new heights during the first half-year of the COVID-19 pandemic, as tech companies saw massive profits and ballooning stock prices. The United States is now home to four trillion-dollar companies: Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, all of which have benefited from our mass migration to a digital, socially distanced world.
The likelihood Bezos will be the person to reach trillionaire status is up for debate, but one estimate projects he could do so by 2026.
Methodology: The survey question, “How likely or unlikely do you think it is someone will become a trillionaire within your lifetime?” was asked of 8,084 US adults ages 18 and over. Interviews were conducted online August 26 – 27, 2020. Results are weighted to be nationally representative.
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