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

If even a high-profile billionaire global philanthropist is in the dark, what does that mean for the billions of women with less than a fraction of her resources?

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026

Approval had been expected because President Trump — who has friendly ties with Ellison and his father, tech billionaire Larry Ellison — favors the deal.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026

But the billionaire Republican is also reveling in the macho side of an event that will see bare-knuckle fighters battle it out in a mesh-framed cage known as the "Octagon."

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

The Dubai-based luxury real estate developer—founded by billionaire Abbas Sajwani—said Thursday that it bought the 43-floor hotel from Mismak Asset Management.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

“I think most reporters are far more interested in movie stars and singers talking about the environment in front of fifty thousand kids than they are in some crackpot billionaire talking about making fake rain.”

From "City Spies" by James Ponti