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

Oracle co-founder, billionaire and conservative donor Larry Ellison is an old friend of the president’s.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Similar to fellow billionaire Musk's Starlink, the Amazon Leo constellation aims to provide a reliable internet connection for customers in areas without an existing network.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Such an arrangement could appeal to the president’s brand as the ultimate deal maker and billionaire businessman.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

The billionaire said that OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman wasn’t honest about nonprofit mission.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Georgie scanned the room, probably searching for the tech billionaire, who was nowhere in sight.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty