Mark Zuckerberg Soon to Replace Warren Buffett as World's Third-Richest Person Facebook co-founder gains $1.7 billion after Instagram television announcement.

By Madison Semarjian

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Chesnot | Getty Images

Despite a shaky year, Facebook CEO and co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg, is soon to snag Warren Buffett's spot as the third-richest person in the world.

Facebook stocks rose 2.3 percent after Instagram announced a new television feature on Wednesday, putting another $1.7 billion in Zuckerberg's pocket.

Buffett, who used to be the world's richest person, is now worth $81.6 billion. He has given a considerate amount of his fortune to charity over the last 12 years. Zuckerberg is currently only $725 million behind, not even half the amount of money he made yesterday.

Analysts predict Facebook Messenger's potential monetization to generate an extra $6 billion by 2020, which would put Zuckerberg far ahead of Buffett.

Only 34, Zuckerberg is the youngest person in the world's richest top ten. Instagram's new feature made Zuckerberg the title-holder for earning the most money in one day. Following Buffett's charitable suit, Zuckerberg pledges to donate 99 percent of Facebook stocks over the course of his lifetime.

Madison Semarjian

Founder of Mada

Madison Semarjian is the founder of Mada, an outfit curation app.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Says the 'Way to Get Ahead' at Amazon Isn't By Overseeing a 'Giant Team and Fiefdom'

Jassy spoke out in a leaked recording against having a heavy layer of middle management at Amazon.

Growing a Business

More Than a Quarter of Your Email List May Be Bad – Here Are 5 Ways to Clean It

At least 28% of your email list could have gone bad over the past year. Do these simple things to clean it up and stop sending emails into a void.

Leadership

W.A.I.T. Before You Speak — and Make Every Conversation More Impactful

When professionals embrace silence and intentional communication, they create space for innovation, trust and more meaningful conversations.