NEW YORK ¨C 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.
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