Tokyo, Japan – The list of Japan’s 50 richest people for 2026 saw significant changes, with wealth surging by 29%. The combined net worth reached $294 billion,
fueled by a surge in global stock markets linked to the artificial intelligence boom.
As a result, businessman Masayoshi Son reclaimed the top spot as the country’s wealthiest individual.
The artificial intelligence boom is driving up wealth
Data showed that the sharp rise in the Nikkei 225 index by approximately 70%
since the last wealth assessment was the primary driver of increased wealth among top business figures.
However, the weakening yen impacted some of these gains.
The increase in wealth was concentrated among a limited number of the super-rich,
with only 14 individuals recording an increase in their fortunes during the year.
Son returns to the top and changes occur in the top positions
SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son reclaimed the top spot after four years. His fortune surged by $51.8 billion,
a 184% increase, reaching $80 billion. He was the biggest gainer in both value and percentage.
This rise was fueled by SoftBank’s strong performance, which reported record profits of 5 trillion yen (approximately $31 billion) for the fiscal year ending in March.
This followed a massive investment in OpenAI, the developer of the ChatGBT app, according to Forbes.
Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai slipped to second place despite his fortune rising to $65 billion.
This was supported by strong revenue and profit growth at Fast Retailing, the brand’s owner.
The Sekiya family also climbed to fifth place after adding $4.1 billion to their wealth.
This was driven by a surge in shares of Disco, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer.
The company benefited from the growing demand for artificial intelligence products.
Inclusion and exclusion from the list and market and economic impacts
The list saw the entry of six new names, including Masakazu Idemitsu, whose combined wealth with his family is $1.15 billion.
This was bolstered by the increased profits of the refiner Idemitsu Kosan, driven by rising oil prices.
Fumio Sakiya, founder of semiconductor equipment manufacturer Rorze,
also joined the list after his company’s shares more than doubled during the year.
Conversely, the fortunes of 27 individuals declined, including Takahisa Takahara, president of Unicharm.
Three families dropped off the list, including the Nakatani family, owners of medical equipment company Sysmax.
The new list reflects the impact of economic volatility and the Japanese financial markets.
Corporate earnings and stock performance played a crucial role in reshaping the wealth rankings.
Changes in global demand for semiconductor and artificial intelligence technologies also had an effect.
