CUE Research · Study 1
The World’s Top 100 Billionaires
Life Paths, signs and birthdays of the Forbes 2025 top 100, at every level from the top 10 to the top 100.
The question: Do the world’s richest people share numbers or signs more often than chance would give?
Testing CUE’s claim
CUE teaches that 28 is the number of wealth.
The claim was stated before this data was examined, so each test asks one narrow question: how often would random birthdays from the same years give that value as many people, or as much wealth, as it really has?
Born on the 28th Strong evidence in this data
In the top 30, people with this birthday hold 20.0% of the net worth, against 3.3% expected. Random birthdays give that much about 1 in 714 times. Behind it: Elon Musk, Amancio Ortega, Bill Gates, Carlos Slim Helu & family.
| Group | People | Expected | Share of wealth | Expected | By luck (wealth) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 10 | 2 of 10 | 0.3 | 25.6% | 3.3% | about 1 in 112 |
| Top 20 | 4 of 20 | 0.7 | 23.4% | 3.3% | about 1 in 690 |
| Top 30 | 4 of 28 | 0.9 | 20.0% | 3.3% | about 1 in 714 |
| Top 50 | 5 of 46 | 1.5 | 17.3% | 3.3% | about 1 in 556 |
| Top 100 | 7 of 92 | 3.0 | 14.2% | 3.3% | about 1 in 426 |
Life Path 28 No evidence
Life Path 28 appears about as often as chance gives, and holds about its share of the wealth, in every group.
| Group | People | Expected | Share of wealth | Expected | By luck (wealth) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 10 | 0 of 10 | 0.7 | 0.0% | 6.6% | about 1 in 1 |
| Top 20 | 2 of 20 | 1.4 | 7.4% | 6.8% | about 1 in 3 |
| Top 30 | 2 of 28 | 1.9 | 6.3% | 6.8% | about 1 in 2 |
| Top 50 | 4 of 46 | 3.1 | 7.3% | 6.7% | about 1 in 3 |
| Top 100 | 6 of 92 | 6.3 | 6.6% | 6.9% | about 1 in 2 |
Read this honestly
- This is one list from one year, and the groups overlap: the top 20 is inside the top 100, so the rows are not separate confirmations.
- If CUE’s belief in 28 was first inspired by noticing wealthy people born on the 28th, this list cannot confirm it: a pattern cannot be tested on the data that suggested it. The clean test is new data, which is why this study will be re-run on Forbes’ 2026 list and on other wealth rankings.
- A strong result describes where the wealth sits; it does not show that a birthday causes wealth.
What stands out
No clear differences. Across every group of 50 or more and every measure, the numbers are within what chance produces.
Where the net worth is
- Worth watching · Day energy
Top 100: 1 day energy hold 26.5% of the net worth, against 13.1% of the calendar. Behind it: Elon Musk, Amancio Ortega, Bill Gates, Mukesh Ambani. Random birthdays give a slice this big about 1 in 50 times.
- Worth watching · Day of month
Top 100: people born on the 28th hold 14.2% of the net worth, against 3.3% of the calendar. Behind it: Elon Musk, Amancio Ortega, Bill Gates, Carlos Slim Helu & family. Random birthdays give a slice this big about 1 in 20 times.
Money patterns are tested again on the next published list. A pattern that holds on new data is evidence; one that does not was luck.
Worth watching, not enough to claim
- Day energy
Top 100: 1 day energy appears 22 times against about 12.1 expected (1.82×).
Top 100: every birth quarter is within normal variation of random birthdays from the same years.
Top 100 Expected, random birthdays 1928–1992 Clear difference Worth watching
See all 92 in “Top 100”
| # | Name | Born | Detail | Life Path | Sun | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elon Musk | 1971-06-28 | $342B · Tesla, SpaceX | 7 | Cancer | Pig |
| 2 | Mark Zuckerberg | 1984-05-14 | $216B · Facebook | 5 | Taurus | Rat |
| 3 | Jeff Bezos | 1964-01-12 | $215B · Amazon | 6 | Capricorn | Cat |
| 4 | Larry Ellison | 1944-08-17 | $192B · Oracle | 7 | Leo | Monkey |
| 5 | Bernard Arnault & family | 1949-03-05 | $178B · LVMH | 4 | Pisces | Ox |
| 6 | Warren Buffett | 1930-08-30 | $154B · Berkshire Hathaway | 6 | Virgo | Horse |
| 7 | Larry Page | 1973-03-26 | $144B · Google | 4 | Aries | Ox |
| 8 | Sergey Brin | 1973-08-21 | $138B · Google | 4 | Leo | Ox |
| 9 | Amancio Ortega | 1936-03-28 | $124B · Zara | 5 | Aries | Rat |
| 10 | Steve Ballmer | 1956-03-24 | $118B · Microsoft | 3 | Aries | Monkey |
| 11 | Rob Walton & family | 1944-10-27 | $110B · Walmart | 28/1 | Scorpio | Monkey |
| 12 | Jim Walton & family | 1948-06-07 | $109B · Walmart | 8 | Gemini | Rat |
| 13 | Bill Gates | 1955-10-28 | $108B · Microsoft | 4 | Scorpio | Goat |
| 14 | Michael Bloomberg | 1942-02-14 | $105B · Bloomberg LP | 5 | Aquarius | Snake |
| 15 | Alice Walton | 1949-10-07 | $101B · Walmart | 4 | Libra | Ox |
| 16 | Jensen Huang | 1963-02-17 | $98.7B · Semiconductors | 11 | Aquarius | Cat |
| 17 | Michael Dell | 1965-02-23 | $97.7B · Dell Technologies | 28/1 | Pisces | Snake |
| 18 | Mukesh Ambani | 1957-04-19 | $92.5B · Diversified | 9 | Aries | Rooster |
| 19 | Carlos Slim Helu & family | 1940-01-28 | $82.5B · Telecom | 7 | Aquarius | Cat |
| 20 | Francoise Bettencourt Meyers & family | 1953-07-10 | $81.6B · L'Oréal | 8 | Cancer | Snake |
| 21 | Julia Koch & family | 1962-04-12 | $74.2B · Koch, Inc. | 7 | Aries | Tiger |
| 22 | Charles Koch & family | 1935-11-01 | $67.5B · Koch, Inc. | 3 | Scorpio | Pig |
| 24 | Changpeng Zhao | 1977-09-10 | $62.9B · Cryptocurrency exchange | 7 | Virgo | Snake |
| 25 | Jeff Yass | 1958-07-17 | $59B · Trading, investments | 11 | Cancer | Dog |
| 27 | Thomas Peterffy | 1944-09-30 | $57.3B · Discount brokerage | 3 | Libra | Monkey |
| 28 | Gautam Adani | 1962-06-24 | $56.3B · Infrastructure, commodities | 3 | Cancer | Tiger |
| 29 | Ma Huateng | 1971-10-29 | $56.2B · Online games | 3 | Scorpio | Pig |
| 30 | Tadashi Yanai & family | 1949-02-07 | $45.1B · Fashion retail | 5 | Aquarius | Ox |
| 31 | Stephen Schwarzman | 1947-02-14 | $44.4B · Investments | 28/1 | Aquarius | Pig |
| 32 | Lei Jun | 1969-12-16 | $43.5B · Smartphones, automobiles | 8 | Sagittarius | Rooster |
| 33 | Jacqueline Mars | 1939-10-10 | $42.6B · Candy, pet food | 6 | Libra | Cat |
| 33 | John Mars | 1935-10-15 | $42.6B · Candy, pet food | 7 | Libra | Pig |
| 35 | Ken Griffin | 1968-10-15 | $42.3B · Hedge funds | 4 | Libra | Monkey |
| 35 | Colin Huang | 1980-04-16 | $42.3B · E-commerce | 11 | Aries | Monkey |
| 37 | Dieter Schwarz | 1939-09-24 | $41B · Retail | 1 | Libra | Cat |
| 38 | Mark Mateschitz | 1992-05-07 | $40.6B · Red Bull | 33 | Taurus | Monkey |
| 39 | Klaus-Michael Kuehne | 1937-06-02 | $39.6B · Shipping | 28/1 | Gemini | Ox |
| 40 | Li Ka-shing | 1928-06-13 | $38.9B · Diversified | 3 | Gemini | Dragon |
| 41 | Giovanni Ferrero | 1964-09-21 | $38.2B · Nutella, chocolates | 5 | Virgo | Dragon |
| 44 | Gianluigi Aponte | 1940-06-27 | $37.7B · Shipping | 11 | Cancer | Dragon |
| 44 | Rafaela Aponte-Diamant | 1945-03-26 | $37.7B · Shipping | 3 | Aries | Rooster |
| 46 | Alain Wertheimer | 1948-09-28 | $36B · Chanel | 5 | Libra | Rat |
| 46 | Gerard Wertheimer | 1951-11-09 | $36B · Chanel | 9 | Scorpio | Cat |
| 48 | Savitri Jindal & family | 1950-03-20 | $35.5B · Steel | 11 | Pisces | Tiger |
| 49 | Phil Knight & family | 1938-02-24 | $35.4B · Nike | 11 | Pisces | Tiger |
| 50 | Reinhold Wuerth & family | 1935-04-20 | $35.1B · Fasteners | 6 | Taurus | Pig |
| 51 | Shiv Nadar | 1945-07-14 | $34.5B · Software services | 4 | Cancer | Rooster |
| 51 | Eduardo Saverin | 1982-03-19 | $34.5B · Facebook | 33/6 | Pisces | Dog |
| 53 | Andrea Pignataro | 1970-06-10 | $34.2B · Financial software | 6 | Gemini | Dog |
| 54 | William Ding | 1971-10-01 | $33.3B · Online games | 11 | Libra | Pig |
| 55 | Abigail Johnson | 1961-12-19 | $32.7B · Fidelity | 3 | Sagittarius | Ox |
| 56 | Miriam Adelson & family | 1945-10-10 | $32.1B · Casinos | 3 | Libra | Rooster |
| 58 | Melinda French Gates | 1964-08-15 | $30.4B · Microsoft, investments | 7 | Leo | Dragon |
| 59 | Len Blavatnik | 1957-06-14 | $29.9B · Music, chemicals | 33/6 | Gemini | Rooster |
| 60 | Masayoshi Son | 1957-08-11 | $29.4B · Telecom, Investments | 5 | Leo | Rooster |
| 61 | Gina Rinehart | 1954-02-09 | $29.3B · Mining | 3 | Aquarius | Horse |
| 62 | Vagit Alekperov | 1950-09-01 | $28.7B · Oil | 7 | Virgo | Tiger |
| 63 | Germán Larrea Mota Velasco & family | 1953-10-26 | $28.6B · Mining | 9 | Scorpio | Snake |
| 63 | Jack Ma | 1964-09-10 | $28.6B · E-commerce | 3 | Virgo | Dragon |
| 63 | Alexey Mordashov & family | 1965-09-26 | $28.6B · Steel, investments | 11 | Libra | Snake |
| 66 | Leonid Mikhelson & family | 1955-08-11 | $28.4B · Gas, chemicals | 3 | Leo | Goat |
| 67 | Elaine Marshall & family | 1942-07-22 | $28.3B · Koch Inc. | 9 | Cancer | Horse |
| 68 | Eyal Ofer | 1950-06-02 | $28.2B · Real estate, shipping | 5 | Gemini | Tiger |
| 68 | MacKenzie Scott | 1970-04-07 | $28.2B · Amazon | 28/1 | Aries | Dog |
| 71 | Daniel Gilbert | 1962-01-17 | $27.8B · Rocket Mortgage | 9 | Capricorn | Ox |
| 72 | Low Tuck Kwong | 1948-04-17 | $27.3B · Coal | 7 | Aries | Rat |
| 73 | Thomas Frist, Jr. & family | 1938-08-12 | $27B · Hospitals | 5 | Leo | Tiger |
| 73 | He Xiangjian & family | 1942-10-05 | $27B · Home appliances | 22 | Libra | Horse |
| 75 | Vladimir Lisin | 1956-05-07 | $26.5B · Steel, transport | 33 | Taurus | Monkey |
| 76 | Wang Chuanfu | 1966-04-08 | $26.4B · Batteries, automobiles | 7 | Aries | Horse |
| 78 | Susanne Klatten | 1962-04-28 | $25.2B · BMW, pharmaceuticals | 5 | Taurus | Tiger |
| 79 | Dilip Shanghvi | 1955-10-01 | $24.9B · Pharmaceuticals | 22 | Libra | Goat |
| 80 | Emmanuel Besnier | 1970-09-18 | $24.5B · Cheese | 8 | Virgo | Dog |
| 81 | Vladimir Potanin | 1961-01-03 | $24.2B · Metals | 3 | Capricorn | Rat |
| 82 | Eric Schmidt | 1955-04-27 | $24B · Google | 33/6 | Taurus | Goat |
| 83 | Aliko Dangote | 1957-04-10 | $23.9B · Cement, sugar | 9 | Aries | Rooster |
| 84 | Stefan Quandt | 1966-05-09 | $23.8B · BMW | 9 | Taurus | Horse |
| 85 | Gennady Timchenko | 1952-11-09 | $23.2B · Oil, gas | 1 | Scorpio | Dragon |
| 86 | Cyrus Poonawalla | 1941-05-11 | $23.1B · Vaccines | 4 | Taurus | Snake |
| 87 | Rupert Murdoch & family | 1931-03-11 | $23B · Newspapers, TV network | 28/1 | Pisces | Goat |
| 88 | John Menard, Jr. | 1940-01-22 | $22.9B · Home improvement stores | 1 | Aquarius | Cat |
| 89 | Idan Ofer | 1955-10-02 | $22.5B · Shipping | 5 | Libra | Goat |
| 90 | Giancarlo Devasini | 1964-04-30 | $22.4B · Cryptocurrency | 9 | Taurus | Dragon |
| 90 | R. Budi Hartono | 1941-04-28 | $22.4B · Banking, tobacco | 11 | Taurus | Snake |
| 92 | Diane Hendricks | 1947-03-02 | $21.9B · Building supplies | 8 | Pisces | Pig |
| 93 | François Pinault & family | 1936-08-21 | $21.7B · Luxury goods | 3 | Leo | Rat |
| 94 | Michael Hartono | 1939-10-02 | $21.5B · Banking, tobacco | 7 | Libra | Cat |
| 95 | Steve Cohen | 1956-06-11 | $21.3B · Hedge funds | 11 | Gemini | Monkey |
| 95 | David Tepper | 1957-09-11 | $21.3B · Hedge funds | 6 | Virgo | Rooster |
| 97 | Kumar Birla | 1967-06-14 | $20.9B · Diversified | 7 | Gemini | Goat |
| 98 | Vicky Safra & family | 1952-07-01 | $20.7B · Banking | 7 | Cancer | Dragon |
| 99 | Prajogo Pangestu | 1944-05-13 | $20B · Petrochemicals, energy | 9 | Taurus | Monkey |
Context What explains it
With 100 people, only large differences can show up clearly. Most apparent patterns in a group this size are chance, and the study says so when that is the case.
Source The data
- Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2025. Retrieved 2026-09-27. View source
- Ranks and net worth as published by Forbes. Birth dates are used where Forbes and Wikidata agree to the day, or where CUE’s source review established an exact date. Where Forbes lists “& family”, the date is the named person’s.
- Verification: 92 of 100 included. A Forbes birth date is accepted only when Wikidata records the same date at day precision for the matched person. Matching: English label search, restricted to humans with a net-worth statement, then to humans with a business occupation. Manual source review by CUE of every top-100 record that failed the Forbes–Wikidata day match. An exact date is accepted with its confidence grade and basis; partial dates are kept to the month or year and not assigned a day; unresolved records are left out.
- Expected values: every day of the years each group was born in, weighted by how many people were born in each year, run through CUE’s engine. Weighting matters for Chinese signs and Life Paths, which depend on the year.
- A difference is called clear only in groups of 50 or more and at least three standard errors from expected. Because each study tests about a hundred values, a clear difference needs 3.5 standard errors; 2.5 to 3.5 is only “worth watching”.
Left out: 8 people whose exact birth date could not be confirmed
- #23 Zhang Yiming: Only April 1983 is established
- #26 Zhong Shanshan: Only December 1954 is established
- #42 Lukas Walton: Only 1986 is established
- #42 Robin Zeng: Only March 1968 is established
- #57 Marilyn Simons & family: Birthday not published; reported age places it between April 1950 and April 1951
- #70 Iris Fontbona & family: Has not publicly disclosed her birthday; records disagree on 1942 or 1943
- #77 Lyndal Stephens Greth & family: Only mid-1970s is established
- #99 Lu Xiangyang: Only December 1962 is established
Reproduce it: the raw data snapshots and build scripts are in CUE’s code repository (scripts/data and scripts/build-*-study.mts).
Further reading
- Forbes, The World’s Billionaires 2025