With the expansion of BRICS, the group has become not only an important center of economic and diplomatic influence but also home to some of the world’s wealthiest businesspeople and billionaires. During the 2026 BRICS Summit in India, attention once again turned to the richest individuals in different BRICS countries and the estimated size of their fortunes.
The most important point to understand is that a billionaire’s net worth is not fixed. It can change frequently due to stock-market movements, currency exchange rates, and changes in company valuations. Therefore, the figures mentioned below should be treated as estimates based on Forbes and other reliable sources available at the relevant time.
The Richest Billionaires in the Original Five BRICS Countries
BRICS originally began as BRIC — Brazil, Russia, India, and China. South Africa later joined the group, giving it the name BRICS. By 2026, the group had expanded further and included a total of 11 member countries.
Looking at the richest individuals from the original five BRICS countries, the picture is as follows:
🇮🇳 India Mukesh Ambani Around $86.3 billion Reliance Industries
🇨🇳 China Zhang Yiming Around $84 billion ByteDance
🇷🇺 Russia Alexey Mordashov Around $36.9 billion Severstal, Investments
🇧🇷 Brazil Eduardo Saverin Around $36 billion Meta, B Capital
🇿🇦 South Africa Johann Rupert & Family Around $16.4 billion Richemont, Investments
These are approximate figures based on recent Forbes Real-Time estimates and reports available on September 13, 2026. Net worth can change with market movements.
1. India — Mukesh Ambani
Mukesh Ambani has long been one of India’s richest individuals. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries. A significant portion of his wealth is linked to his stake in Reliance Industries.
According to a September 13, 2026, LiveMint report citing Forbes, his net worth was approximately $86.3 billion. Reliance operates across several sectors, including petrochemicals, energy, telecommunications, retail and other businesses.
Compared with billionaires from the other original BRICS countries, Ambani is considerably ahead based on the available figures. Therefore, according to the available data, Mukesh Ambani is the richest billionaire among the original five BRICS countries.
2. China — Zhang Yiming
Zhang Yiming is one of China’s wealthiest individuals. He is a co-founder of ByteDance, the company behind TikTok.
However, an important correction is necessary here. Viral posts and older reports may mention his wealth as $69.3 billion. But Forbes’ Real-Time figures showed his net worth at approximately $84 billion on September 11, 2026.
The $69.3 billion figure was associated with Forbes’ 2025 China Rich List and should not automatically be treated as his current September 2026 net worth.
Therefore, when writing about his wealth in the September 2026 context, the older $69.3 billion figure should not be presented as his current net worth.
3. Russia — Alexey Mordashov
Alexey Mordashov is among Russia’s wealthiest businessmen. According to Forbes Real-Time figures available on September 11, 2026, his estimated wealth, including family wealth, was approximately $36.9 billion.
A major source of Mordashov’s wealth is the Russian steel company Severstal. According to Forbes, he is the company’s majority shareholder and served as its CEO for many years. His stake in the company has been reported at around 77%.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western sanctions affected several of his business interests. Despite these challenges, he has remained one of Russia’s wealthiest businesspeople.
4. Brazil — Eduardo Saverin
Eduardo Saverin is one of Brazil’s wealthiest individuals. He is one of the co-founders of Facebook, which is now part of Meta Platforms.
According to Forbes Real-Time figures available on September 13, 2026, Saverin’s estimated wealth was approximately $36 billion. A substantial portion of his wealth is connected to his stake in Meta.
He also co-founded B Capital, a venture capital firm focused on investments in technology and other high-growth businesses.
The $36 billion figure shown in the viral image is therefore broadly consistent with the available Forbes estimate, although his net worth can change regularly with market movements.
5. South Africa — Johann Rupert
Johann Rupert and his family are among the wealthiest people in South Africa. Forbes Real-Time figures available on September 11, 2026, estimated his wealth at approximately $16.4 billion.
Rupert’s main business interests are associated with the Swiss luxury-goods company Compagnie Financière Richemont. Richemont’s portfolio includes globally recognized luxury brands such as Cartier and Montblanc.
He is also associated with the investment company Remgro.
Which Figures in the Viral Image Are Correct and Which Are Outdated?
The image you shared mainly presents five billionaires and their estimated net worth. While several figures are broadly consistent with available data, they should not all be treated as current September 2026 figures without checking their dates and sources.
In particular:
Mukesh Ambani — $86.3 billion: This figure was reported on September 13 in a report citing Forbes.
Eduardo Saverin — $36 billion: This is broadly consistent with the available Forbes Real-Time estimate.
Alexey Mordashov — $36.9 billion: This is close to Forbes’ recent Real-Time estimate.
Zhang Yiming — $69.3 billion: This is an older figure and should not be treated as his current September 2026 net worth. Forbes’ September 2026 Real-Time estimate was approximately $84 billion.
Johann Rupert — approximately $16.4 billion: This is close to the recent Forbes Real-Time estimate.
The key lesson is that a billionaire’s net worth should always be checked together with the date and source.
BRICS Has Become Much Larger
It is also important to remember that BRICS today is not limited to India, China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa.
According to the BRICS information provided by Brazil’s Central Bank, the group includes:
Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
With these additional countries, BRICS has significantly increased its demographic and economic importance.
According to Brazil’s Central Bank, the group represents approximately 49% of the world’s population, 39% of global GDP and 23% of international trade.
Billionaires in the Expanded BRICS
The expanded BRICS group also includes several major billionaires.For example, recent Forbes figures have placed the estimated wealth of:Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia: approximately $25.3 billionPrajogo Pangestu of Indonesia: approximately $17.1 billionHussain Sajwani of the UAE: approximately $15.3 billionNassef Sawiris of Egypt: approximately $9.6 billion
These figures, like all billionaire net-worth estimates, can change over time because of movements in stock prices, exchange rates and company valuations.
A comparison of billionaire wealth across BRICS countries shows that Mukesh Ambani is the wealthiest individual among the original five BRICS countries based on the available figures.
He is followed by Zhang Yiming of China, Alexey Mordashov of Russia, Eduardo Saverin of Brazil and Johann Rupert of South Africa.
However, billionaire net worth is not a fixed amount. Changes in stock markets, company valuations and currency exchange rates can cause rankings to change frequently.
Therefore, it is not appropriate to treat figures from viral social-media posts as current without checking their date and source.
The case of Zhang Yiming is particularly important: the $69.3 billion figure is associated with an older Forbes list, while the September 2026 Real-Time estimate was approximately $84 billion.
Sources/Data Basis
The information is based on Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Forbes wealth profiles, and reports available around September 13, 2026.
Disclaimer
This article is based on publicly available information and estimated net-worth figures from reliable sources available at the time of writing. Billionaires’ net worth can change daily according to market prices, company valuations and currency exchange rates. Therefore, the figures mentioned should be considered estimates rather than fixed amounts.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment or financial advice, nor does it claim that the individuals hold their entire estimated net worth in cash.
Social Plugin