billionaire

American  

[bil-yuh-nair, bil-yuh-nair] / ˌbɪl yəˈnɛər, ˈbɪl yəˌnɛər /

noun

1. a person who has assets worth a billion or more dollars, euros, etc.

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billionaire British  

/ ˌbɪljəˈnɛə /

noun

1. a person whose assets are worth over a billion of the monetary units of his country

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Etymology

Origin of billionaire

First recorded in 1855–60, billion + -aire, on the model of millionaire

Explanation

Someone who lives in the U.S. and has money, property, and investments worth at least a billion dollars is a billionaire. Being a billionaire is dependent on a country's currency; in Europe, a net worth of a billion Euros makes someone a billionaire. There are around 2,500 Americans in this category, each possessing at least $1 billion — or a thousand million dollars. During the pandemic, U.S. billionaires increased their wealth by than $1.7 trillion dollars. The French billion was originally defined as "a million million," from bi-, "two," and million, but that was altered to "a thousand million."

Example Sentences

More than a third of assets were deemed affiliated at Security Benefit Life, which is owned by billionaire sports investor Todd Boehly alongside private asset manager, Eldridge.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

The team will be co-owned by billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who also owns the Los Angeles Times and is a minority owner of the Lakers.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

The billionaire Republican says 4,500 people will be able to watch on the lawn itself, with up to 100,000 people able to watch free on screens just outside the White House grounds.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

The project was founded by entrepreneurs Aron D'Souza and Maximilian Martin in 2023 and has attracted backing from prominent investors including billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Russell Pickett, the billionaire chairman and founder of Pickett Engineering, shocked the black-tie audience at last night’s Indianapolis Prize by announcing that his entire estate would be left to his pet tuatara.

From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green