billionaire

American  

[bil-yuh-nair, bil-yuh-nair] / ˌbɪl jəˈnɛər, ˈbɪl jəˌnɛər /

noun

• billionaires
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• billionaires
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of billionaire

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

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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

See Examples For:

billionaire billionaires

"It's hard to admit when you've really screwed up," the billionaire, 85, wrote on Instagram after she deleted a photo of herself in ripped jeans, a torn sweater and a dirtied face.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

She later became a billionaire, albeit briefly, when her media empire Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia was floated on the stock market in 1999.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Swiss billionaire André Hoffmann have been co-chairing the forum jointly since its embattled founder Klaus Schwab resigned last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

Only the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, co-founded by billionaire Gary K. Michelson, would qualify under the proposed criteria, according to No on 38, the campaign against the proposition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

The hover ladder gently lowered the happy billionaire to the floor.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

One option Lagarde is considering is heading the World Economic Forum, the institution known for drawing billionaires, heads of states and CEOs to Davos, the small resort town in the Swiss Alps, each January.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

But there is another ballot measure that also would tax California’s wealthiest citizens that is getting far less attention — and has even garnered support from some billionaires who oppose Proposition 40.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

Nan Ransohoff of payments firm Stripe has described the moment as a "third wave" of American philanthropy, after the industrial fortunes of the late 19th century and the internet billionaires of recent decades.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

Facebook creator and Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg was among the California billionaires Sanders name-checked in his remarks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026

As you can see, it includes queens and kings and pharaohs from centuries past, as well as contemporary billionaires, such as Warren Buffett and Carlos Slim.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

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