Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and other tech billionaires increased net worth by over $750 BILLION in 2023 according to newly-released Forbes list

The world's richest tech billionaires increased their fortunes by $750 billion last year - with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook tsar Mark Zuckerberg topping the list. 

Forbes has released its annual roster of the world's wealthiest technology tycoons - and the profit increases they saw in 2023 are eye-watering.  

Bezos, 60, added $80 billion to his net worth, while Zuckerberg, 39, enjoyed a whopping $113 billion increase to his net value. 

Jeff Bezos: +$80 billion to $194 billion

Of the planet's 342 billionaires who made their fortune in the tech industry - earning a combined income of $2.6 trillion last year - Bezos tops the list. 

Bezos' net worth surged $80 billion to $194 billion in 2023, according to Forbes. The surge was bolstered by a 93 percent increase in his e-commerce leviathan's stock. 

His spending also rocketed - including a $150 million splurge on homes in Miami's 'billionaire bunker' island. 

The move came as part of his relocation to low-tax Florida - where his parents also live - with his fiancée Lauren Sánchez. 

It came after he spent decades in Washington state, where the origins of his wealth journey began after he founded Amazon out of his Seattle garage in 1994. 

Retail giant Amazon is considered a tech company because a lot of its profits are generated through its cloud computing service AWS. 

Mark Zuckerberg: +$113 billion to $177 billion

Facebook founder Zuckerberg enjoyed the largest leap in his net worth last year - which grew $113 billion to an estimated $177 billion by the end of 2023. 

The youngest of the top five tech tycoons, Zuckerberg invested heavily in AI at Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and this seems to have paid off. 

Zuckerberg owns 14 percent of Meta, and shares in the company almost tripled in value last year - catapulting him from the 16th-richest to the fourth richest on Forbes' overall rich list for 2023. 

It comes amid what Zuckerberg branded his 'year of efficiency' at Meta - which meant mass layoffs, cost-cutting and a renewed focus on advertising after Facebook's stock plunged 75 percent from its 2021 peak.  

And the road ahead for the Metaverse isn't without its obstacles, as the firm faces a fierce anti-trust lawsuit over accusations that bosses allowed other companies access to user data. 

Larry Ellison: +$34 billion to $141 billion

Coming in third is Larry Ellison, whose net worth increased by $34 billion to $141 billion thanks to his software company Oracle. 

The 79-year-old stepped down as Oracle chief executive 10 years ago, but he still holds the posts of chairman and chief technology officer, and he's the firm's largest shareholder. 

Oracle stock surged by 34 percent last year, making Ellison more than $1 billion in dividends before tax in 2023. 

The success of Oracle has offset major losses Ellison made in his other ventures this year which haven't paid off - including a stake in X which is now worth less than a third of the $1 billion purchase price. 

He also cofounded a cancer software company in 2018, called Project Ronin, which is already shutting down. 

Like Bezos, Ellison purchased mansions in Miami in recent years - including an $80 million home on North Palm Beach he planned to demolish to make room for an undisclosed project. 

Bill Gates: +$24 billion to $128 billion

Microsoft boss Bill Gates enjoyed a $24 billion increase in his wealth in 2023, bringing his net worth up to a whopping $128 billion. 

He's the wealthiest he's ever been - but he ranked the lowest on the billionaire rankings since 1992 in a sign of how tough the competition has become at the top of the pyramid. 

An expensive divorce also set  the 68-year-old back, along with a generous $59 billion donation he made to charities. 

According to Forbes, Gates was the world's richest man for 18 out of 23 years between 1995 and 2017. 

His latest ventures include building a next-generation nuclear power plant in Wyoming through his company TerraPower. 

Part-funded by the US government, the project puts the firm in a nuclear energy race against Russia and China.  

Steve Ballmer: +$40 billion to $121 billion

Of the same ilk as a former CEO at Microsoft, Swiss-American business investor Ballmer, 68, comes in at fifth on the tech billionaire rankings for 2023. 

Ballmer also owns the Los Angeles Clippers  - the NBA's fifth most valuable team - and he's upgrading their venue this year to the $2 billion Intuit Dome stadium near LAX Airport.

The sports tsar's net worth grew $40 billion last year to $121 billion in total, fueled by the surging value of the Clippers and soaring Microsoft shares. 

His son, stand-up comedian Pete Ballmer, 29, recently lifted the lid on what it was really like to grow up rich - from what they got for Christmas to why he was ashamed by his wealth.