How Much Money the Richest 20 Americans Have ‘Made’ During COVID-19
Here’s how the 3-comma club fared during the worst of times.
As millions of families struggled and stressed out over expiring unemployment benefits and eviction moratoriums while the COVID-19 crisis raged, the richest of the rich did what they’ve always been so good at doing. They got richer — way, way richer. According to Statista, America’s billionaires padded their net worths by a combined $1 trillion between March and November last year. In all, the three-comma club went from owning $2.95 trillion in wealth at the start of the pandemic to $3.96 trillion as 2020 drew to a close.
While no one is immune from the virus, enormous wealth and clout, it turns out, can go a long way to inoculating you from the economic fallout that came with it. Using data from Forbes, GOBankingRates listed the 20 wealthiest Americans in ascending order from least rich to richest and outlined how their finances fared through the gauntlet of 2020.
Last updated: Feb. 24, 2021

Len Blavatnik
- Age: 64
- Overall wealth rank: 42
- Source of wealth: Music, chemicals
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $17,000,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $31,700,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $14,700,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 86.47%
Read: 31 Dumb Things That Are Keeping You From Becoming Wealthy

Michael Dell
- Age: 56
- Overall wealth rank: 31
- Source of wealth: Dell Computers
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $22,900,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $41,800,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $18,900,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 82.53%
Find Out: Surprising Ways Gen X and Millennials Are Worlds Apart Financially

Daniel Gilbert
- Age: 59
- Overall wealth rank: 30
- Source of wealth: Quicken Loans
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $6,500,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $42,300,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $35,800,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 550.77%

Charles Koch
- Age: 86
- Overall wealth rank: 25
- Source of wealth: Koch Industries
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $38,200,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $44,900,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $6,700,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 17.54%
What the Wealthy Buy: 65 Splurges of the Filthy Rich

Julia Koch
- Age: 59
- Overall wealth rank: 25
- Source of wealth: Koch Industries
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $38,200,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $44,900,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $6,700,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 17.54%

Phil Knight
- Age: 83
- Overall wealth rank: 24
- Source of wealth: Nike
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $29,500,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $53,000,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $23,500,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 79.66%
Travis Kelce Talks About His Wild Spending: Nikes and a Rolex, and Why He Suggests a Financial Advisor

Michael Bloomberg
- Age: 79
- Overall wealth rank: 23
- Source of wealth: Bloomberg LP
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $48,000,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $54,900,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $6,900,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 14.38%
Be Careful: 50 Ways You’re Throwing Money Away

MacKenzie Scott
- Age: 51
- Overall wealth rank: 22
- Source of wealth: Amazon
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $36,000,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $58,300,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $22,300,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 61.94%
In the News: Bezos Would Pay $2 Billion in Taxes Under New Law in Washington State

Rob Walton
- Age: 77
- Overall wealth rank: 17
- Source of wealth: Walmart
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $54,100,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $67,200,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $13,100,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 24.21%
Did You Know: Cutting Out These 25 Expenses Will Save You $16,142.08 a Year

Jim Walton
- Age: 73
- Overall wealth rank: 16
- Source of wealth: Walmart
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $54,600,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $67,500,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $12,900,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 23.63%
Read More: 13 Toxic Investments You Should Avoid

Alice Walton
- Age: 72
- Overall wealth rank: 15
- Source of wealth: Walmart
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $54,400,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $67,700,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $13,300,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 24.45%

Steve Ballmer
- Age: 65
- Overall wealth rank: 12
- Source of wealth: Microsoft
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $52,700,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $75,900,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $23,200,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 44.02%
Read: Jaw-Dropping Stats About the State of Retirement in America

Sergey Brin
- Age: 48
- Overall wealth rank: 11
- Source of wealth: Google
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $49,100,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $80,200,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $31,100,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 63.34%
Find Out: How Rich Are These Top CEOs?

Larry Page
- Age: 48
- Overall wealth rank: 9
- Source of wealth: Google
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $50,900,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $82,600,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $31,700,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 62.28%

Larry Ellison
- Age: 77
- Overall wealth rank: 8
- Source of wealth: Software
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $59,000,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $86,500,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $27,500,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 46.61%
Find Out: 26 Smartest Ways To Invest Your Money During the Pandemic

Warren Buffett
- Age: 91
- Overall wealth rank: 7
- Source of wealth: Berkshire Hathaway
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $67,500,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $89,100,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $21,600,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 32.00%
Read More: 11 Ways Warren Buffett Lives Frugally

Mark Zuckerberg
- Age: 37
- Overall wealth rank: 5
- Source of wealth: Facebook
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $54,700,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $99,800,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $45,100,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 82.45%
Did You Know: 17 Companies Facebook Famously Purchased — and How They’re Doing Now

Bill Gates
- Age: 66
- Overall wealth rank: 4
- Source of wealth: Microsoft
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $98,000,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $121,600,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $23,600,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 24.08%
Find Out: What Bill Gates’ Favorite Tweets Can Teach Us About Life

Elon Musk
- Age: 50
- Overall wealth rank: 2
- Source of wealth: Tesla/SpaceX
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $24,600,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $182,900,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $158,300,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 643.50%
Read More: Elon Musk’s Biggest Bets That Paid Off

Jeff Bezos
- Age: 57
- Overall wealth rank: 1
- Source of wealth: Amazon
- Net worth as of March 18, 2020: $113,000,000,000
- Net worth as of Jan. 21, 2021: $192,300,000,000
- Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: $79,300,000,000
- % Change in net worth from March 18, 2020-Jan. 21, 2021: 70.18%
More From GOBankingRates
- Here’s the Average IRS Tax Refund Amount by State
- PenFed Auto Loan Review: Competitive Rates for Buying and Refinancing
- 27 Ugly Truths About Retirement
- 30 Biggest Do’s and Don’ts When Buying a Car
Methodology: In order to find out how much the richest 20 Americans “made” during COVID, GOBankingRates first found the 20 richest Americans in terms of (1) net worth as of January 21, 2021, after trading had ended at 5 pm EST as sourced from Forbes’ “Real-Time Billionaire” tracker. GOBankingRates then found each of those 20 American’s (2) net worth as of 03/18/2020, as sourced from Forbes’ “2020 Billionaire List.” From there, GOBankingRates was able to calculate (3) the change in net worth (dollar amount) from March 18, 2020, to Jan. 21, 2021, and (4) the percent change in net worth from March 18, 2020, to Jan. 21, 2021, for each billionaire. GOBankingRates also found the (5) age; (6) overall wealth rank as of Jan. 21, 2021; and (7) source of wealth for all 20 richest Americans, all sourced from Forbes’ “Real-Time Billionaire” tracker. All data were collected on and up to date as of Jan. 21, 2021.