billionaire

From billion +‎ -aire.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌbɪl.i.əˈnɛə(ɹ)/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌbɪl.jəˈnɛɚ/

billionaire (plural billionaires)

1. Somebody whose wealth is at least one billion (10⁹) currency units.

   Synonym: (rare) milliardaire

   • 2013 June 22, “Engineers of a different kind”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 70:

     Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. […] Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. Clever financial ploys are what have made billionaires of the industry’s veterans. “Operational improvement” in a portfolio company has often meant little more than promising colossal bonuses to sitting chief executives if they meet ambitious growth targets. That model is still prevalent today.

   • 2025 January 19, Tami Luhby, “Get ready for the world’s first trillionaires”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     The ranks of the billionaire class last year grew by just over 200 to nearly 2,770 people. Their wealth skyrocketed by $2.1 trillion — three times faster than the year before — to a total of $15 trillion. In the United States alone, where 816 billionaires reside, the net worth of this group soared by $1.4 trillion.

• millionaire
• trillionaire