Richest people lost billions this year, but who defied the odds?

Rough times in the market lately, right? Stocks tumbling. Fortunes shrinking. You might be thinking even the world’s richest are feeling the pinch. And you’d mostly be right.

Billions have vanished from the bank accounts of the mega-rich. Ouch! But there’s always an exception, isn’t there?

Meet the Oracle Who Bucked the Trend

Everyone else in the top ten of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index saw their wealth take a hit. But not Warren Buffett. Nope. The “Oracle of Omaha” actually gained money this year. How about that?

Buffett’s up $11. 5 billion. All thanks to some smart moves. He sold off Apple shares and built up his cash. Smart man.

Who’s Down in the Dumps?

Let’s just say some names you know haven’t had the best year.

Consider this:

• Mark Zuckerberg? Down $24. 5 billion.
• Elon Musk? A staggering $135 billion loss.
• Jeff Bezos? $42. 6 billion gone.

Why the losses? Mostly tied to their company stocks taking a nosedive. It happens.

The Billionaire Scorecard

Want a quick look at how the top 10 are doing? Here’s the rundown:

• Elon Musk: $298B (Down $135B)
• Jeff Bezos: $196B (Down $42. 6B)
• Mark Zuckerberg: $183B (Down $24. 5B)
• Warren Buffett: $154B (Up $11. 5B)
• Bernard Arnault: $150B (Down $26. 2B)
• Bill Gates: $149B (Down $9. 45B)
• Larry Ellison: $147B (Down $44. 9B)
• Larry Page: $134B (Down $34. 7B)
• Steve Ballmer: $126B (Down $20. 4B)
• Sergey Brin: $126B (Down $163M)

The Takeaway?

Markets go up, markets go down. Sometimes, even the richest folks feel the sting. Unless you’re Warren Buffett, apparently. He’s playing a different game.