NEW YORK –
Tadashi Yanai, chair and CEO of Uniqlo clothing chain operator Fast Retailing, was the richest Japanese on the Forbes’ 2026 ranking of the world’s richest people.
Yanai, with a net worth of $61.8 billion, ranked 32nd on the U.S. business magazine’s list. He came in 30th in 2025.
Among Japanese figures, Yanai was followed by Masayoshi Son, chair and CEO of technology investor SoftBank Group, with $51.5 billion, who ranked 36th in the world, up from 60th.
The third-richest Japanese was Takemitsu Takizaki, the founder of sensor maker Keyence, with $20.3 billion, who ranked 128th overall, down from 102nd.
U.S. entrepreneur Elon Musk ranked top of the overall list for the second consecutive year as his net worth more than doubled to $839 billion. He became the first person with a net worth of $800 billion or more.
The surge in Musk’s net worth reflected higher stock prices of electric vehicle maker Tesla and increased corporate value of SpaceX, both of which are led by him.
AloJapan.com