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

The amount a mystery billionaire paid to assemble a 19-acre beachfront compound in Naples, Fla., across two secretive transactions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Edward Norton, “The Invite” “The favorite is Garfield, who plays tricky billionaire Sam Altman in ‘Artificial.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

I'm expecting her to say be president, or an astronaut, or a film star, or a billionaire CEO, or the queen of a tropical isle.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

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

In 1893, the San Francisco Examiner approached four California super millionaires — today’s billionaires — for advice on prospering in the state.

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

“Far more than a few high-profile billionaires on the coasts, these are the real rich in America.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 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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