Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg becomes world’s 2nd richest person

Zuckerberg’s net worth rose $3.4 billion Friday to $206 billion, a new record for him, behind only electric car manufacturer Tesla’ CEO Elon Musk ($256 billion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Bezos came third at $205 billion with a $2.6 billion decline on the day.

Zuckerberg’s wealth has expanded by $78 billion this year, larger than any other billionaire on Bloomberg’s rich list. He owns a 13% stake in Meta.

Meta shares have jumped 68% since the beginning of the year as Zuckerberg’s bet on metaverse paid off. The stock closed Thursday at a new peak of $582.77.

The company, which posted better-than-expected sales in the second quarter, has been focusing on developing AI products. It also launched the Orion augmented reality glasses last month.