There are few clubs in the world as exclusive as The Forbes 400, and in 2025, the cost of entry has climbed higher than ever.
To secure a place among the wealthiest individuals now requires a minimum net worth of $3.8 billion, an increase of $500 million from last year, reflecting buoyant equity markets and a surge in asset values.
Despite the steep threshold, more than 90% of last year’s billionaires successfully retained their positions.
Still, over 10 new names managed to muscle their way into the elite club, reflecting both entrepreneurial agility and the market’s shifting opportunities. Their fortunes span industries as varied as coffee retail, cancer diagnostics, and the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence sector.
For the sake of this article, we will look at only 10 of these individuals. Cumulatively, these newcomers are valued at $96 billion. About three of them command individual fortunes above $10 billion, a sign that new wealth creation is accelerating at the very top of the pyramid.
The data also highlights how innovation-led industries, particularly AI, are increasingly shaping global wealth dynamics. For perspective, the combined wealth of these new entrants alone surpasses the GDP of several African economies.
- Net worth: $3.9 billion
- Source of wealth: Coffee
Travis Boersma, 54, is the cofounder and executive chairman of Dutch Bros, the Oregon-based drive-through coffee chain that has become one of the fastest-growing players in the U.S. beverage market. Shares of Dutch Bros Coffee are piping hot, with thirsty customers and investors helping push the stock up more than 100% since last year’s Forbes list.
Boersma, who still owns nearly 60 million shares, retains significant control after taking the company public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, raising $484 million in one of that year’s standout restaurant IPOs.
He and his late brother, Dane, started the business in 1992 from a pushcart in Grants Pass, Oregon, after leaving the family dairy farm. By 1994, they opened their first drive-through stand, setting the model for what would become the brand’s defining feature. Today, Dutch Bros has more than 1,000 locations across 19 states, supported by a loyal customer base and a culture embodied by its energetic “broistas.”
Despite Dane’s death in 2009, Boersma continued to scale the company while keeping its community focus intact. Dutch Bros has evolved into a national competitor to Starbucks and Dunkin’, pairing rapid expansion with a quirky, culture-driven identity.
