The wealth of the world's richest people evaporated Musk fell to $300 billion only Buffett rose

Global stock markets have tumbled on Trump's tariffs, wiping trillions of dollars off their value, and Warren Buffett is one of the few billionaires in the world whose personal wealth has risen this year.

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has lost US $134.7 billion this year and fell below US $300 billion for the first time since November.

Buffett's net worth rose $11.5 billion this year to $153.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. But his net worth has fallen by $14.5 billion since April 2, after hitting a five-year high.

Buffett, 94, is now the fourth-richest person in the world and one of only two people on Bloomberg's top 20 list to increase their wealth this year. The other, L 'Oreal SA heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, added $1.8 billion to No. 19 on Bloomberg's list.

In the two trading days after Trump announced the tariffs, the world's 500 richest people lost more than $500 billion. Musk remains the world's richest person, with his fortune falling to $297.8 billion on Monday, the first time his net worth has fallen below $300 billion since November.

Shares of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) have fallen 8.8% since April 2, compared with a 10.7% drop in the S&P 500.

The relatively strong performance of the diversified company reflects the relative immunity of the real estate and accident insurance sectors to global trade. Some investors may expect Buffett to take advantage of the market slump to make big acquisitions.

Buffett has shied away from big deals in recent quarters, slashing his stake in Apple Inc and trimming his stake in Bank of America Corp, both of which have seen their shares fall by double digits since Trump announced the tariffs.