Who Is The Richest Person In New York City

So, picture this: I’m grabbing a bagel at a tiny shop in Midtown, and the guy next to me—wearing a faded hoodie and sneakers with a hole in the toe—starts arguing with his friend about whether Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk is “the real king of New York.” I almost laughed. Really? That hoodie guy probably owns three luxury condo buildings. But it got me thinking: in a city of 8.5 million hustlers, who actually wears the crown as the richest person in New York City? (Spoiler: it’s not a tech bro in a hoodie—though I’m not ruling out the sneaker hole.)

The Reigning King: Michael Bloomberg

If you guessed Michael Bloomberg, you’re not wrong—but you’re also a little late to the party. The media mogul and former mayor is sitting on a net worth of about $96 billion as of late 2024, according to Bloomberg’s own Billionaires Index. (Yes, ironic—he literally owns the index that tracks him.) That pile of cash comes from his company, Bloomberg L.P., which sells financial data terminals to every Wall Street shark who can fog a mirror.

But here’s the funny part: Bloomberg’s net worth has actually slipped a bit in recent years, thanks to drops in media valuations and market wobbles. So is he still the undisputed champ? Well, not exactly—because there’s another guy who’s been quietly vaulting past him, and he doesn’t live in a penthouse with a view of Central Park. He lives in a Jaipur pink palace on Fifth Avenue—metaphorically, anyway.

The Dark Horse: Stephen Schwarzman

Meet Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO of Blackstone Group. He’s worth an estimated $40 billion—which sounds like a lot until you realize Bloomberg has more than double that. But Schwarzman is scary rich in a different way: he controls a private equity empire that owns everything from warehouses to office buildings to your apartment building’s parking garage. (Yes, your garage—the one with the perpetually broken gate.)

Schwarzman’s fortune is liquid, aggressive, and growing faster than a New York minute. While Bloomberg’s wealth is tied to a single business, Schwarzman’s is spread across global real estate and private equity. So if you’re asking “who has the most influence over New York’s skyline right now?”, it’s probably this guy. But he’s still not number one on the richest list—that crown belongs to someone else entirely.

Top 10 Richest People in New York and Their Net Worth in 2023

Wait—What About The Real Estate Tycoons?

You might be thinking, “What about the Macklowe family? What about Donald Trump?” (Cue dramatic pause.) Let me stop you right there. The former president’s net worth is a moving target—some say $2.6 billion, others say way less after all those lawsuits. He’s rich, sure, but he’s not even in the top 50 richest New Yorkers anymore. Ouch. And the Macklowes? They’re billionaires, but we’re talking single-digit billions.

Then there’s David Koch’s widow, Julia Koch, who inherited a $60 billion fortune from Koch Industries—but she splits her time between New York and Florida. So we’re playing a bit of a where-do-you-sleep game. For the record, the New York City title is usually defined by primary residence and tax filings. Sorry, part-timers.

The Real Answer: It’s Michael Bloomberg—For Now

After crunching the numbers, the richest person in New York City is still Michael Bloomberg. He’s the mayor of money, the king of data, and the guy who can buy every bagel shop in Manhattan just for the crumbs. But here’s the twist: Bloomberg is 82 years old. He’s given away $14 billion already, and he’s pledged to give most of his fortune away before he dies. So his net worth is shrinking on purpose—like a balloon with a slow leak.

Who are Forbes' richest people in New York? Ranking net worth | Crain's

Meanwhile, Stephen Schwarzman is 77 and not exactly giving away billions (though he has donated to the New York Public Library and other arts). And then there’s Jensen Huang (Nvidia CEO) who recently moved his family to New York—his net worth exploded to $110 billion in 2024. But he’s a recent transplant, and purists say he doesn’t count yet. (A bit like that friend who moves to Brooklyn and immediately starts complaining about the subway.)

So Who Should You Bet On?

If you’re betting on who will be the richest New Yorker next year, I’d put my money on Bloomberg still—unless Jensen Huang decides to buy a permanent address at The Plaza. But here’s the real takeaway: in New York, wealth isn’t just about a number. It’s about skyline control, political influence, and the ability to get a table at Carbone without a reservation. (Bloomberg can. Schwarzman can. You probably can’t—and that’s okay.)

So next time you see a guy in a hoodie arguing about billionaires at a bagel counter, just smile. Because the richest person in New York isn’t wearing a hoodie—he’s wearing a $1,000 suit and a calculator for a heart. And he probably owns the building where that bagel shop rents its space. Pass the cream cheese.