The world 's first trillionaire - someone worth a staggering $ 1,000,000,000,000 - could emerge within just 20 years , analysts believe . The predictions come as Forbes released its billionaires list this week with Bill Gates - who is widely expected to become the world 's first trillionaire - at the top with a worth of $ 79.2 billion . If the U.S. national wealth continues to grow at its current rate , Gates , who saw his fortune grow by $ 4.2 billion in the past year alone , could well reach the eye-watering figure in his old age . Among those who believe a trillionaire is only years away , entrepreneur Peter Diamandis says he believes the wealth could be earned through space discoveries , the Washington Times reported . Could he be the first ? Microsoft 's Bill Gates topped Forbes ' billionaire list earlier this week and he could well be the first person to become a trillionaire . Analysts say the first trillionaire could be just 20 years away . 1 . Bill Gates - Microsoft , $ 79.2 bn . 2 . Carlos Slim Helu - telecoms , $ 77.1bn . 3 . Warren Buffet - investor , $ 72.7bn . 4 . Amancio Ortega - Zara , $ 64.5 bn . 5 . Larry Ellison - Oracle , $ 54.3 bn . 6 . Charles Koch - various , $ 42.9 bn . 6 . David Koch - various , $ 42.9 bn . 8 . Christy Walton - Walmart , $ 41.7 bn . 9 . Jim Walton - Walmart , $ 40.6 bn . 10 . Liliane Bettencourt - L'Oreal , $ 40.1 bn . ' I think the first trillionaire is going to be made in space , ' he told Business Insider this week . Diamandis , an engineer and physician behind companies including Space Adventures Ltd. , said individuals and firms finally have the capabilities to explore space for themselves , which could lead to lucrative discoveries . Among Diamandis ' own 17 companies , he has teams prospecting near-Earth asteroids , which he calls 'trillion dollar assets ' . They represent 'everything we hold of value on Earth , minerals , metals , real estate , ' he said . But he 's not the only one who believes bank accounts are set to expand . International investment bank Credit Suisse has previously said in an annual Global Wealth Report that there will be 11 trillionaires within two generations . 'Two generations ahead , future extrapolation of current wealth growth rates yields almost a billion millionaires , equivalent to 20 per cent of the total adult population , ' the bank said in 2013 . Shooting for the stars : Entrepreneur Peter Diamandis , pictured last month , says he believes the first trillionaire could be made in space , where minerals and real estate are waiting to be claimed . 'If this scenario unfolds , then billionaires will be commonplace , and there is likely to be a few trillionaires too , 11 according to our best estimate . ' In its list this week , Forbes identified a record 1,826 billionaires - up from 1,645 last year - with a combined net worth of $ 7.05 trillion . Gates has topped the list for 16 of the last 21 years . In second place was telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu , who has a net worth of $ 77.1 billion . Third was investor Warren Buffett , who moved up one slot this year with a net worth of $ 72.7 billion . They still have a way to go , but among the youngest billionaires , who could well have their eye on that trillion dollar mark , are Uber founder Travis Kalanik , worth $ 5.3 billion , Rockstar Energy drinks founder Russ Weiner , worth $ 2.1 billion , and Airbnb founder , Brian Chesky , worth $ 2 billion . Billions : Beer heiress Tatiana Casiraghi . 1 . Mark Zuckerberg , 30 - Facebook , $ 33.4bn . 2 . Dustin Moskovitz , 30 - Facebook , $ 7.9bn . 3 . Elizabeth Holmes , 31 - blood-testing , $ 4.5bn . 4 . Tom Persson , 30 - H & M , $ 3bn . 5 . Julio Mario Santo Domingo , III , 29 - Bavaria beer , $ 2.2bn . 6 . Tatiana Casiraghi , 31 - Bavaria beer , $ 2.2bn . 7 . Nathan Blecharczyk , 31 - Airbnb , $ 1.9bn . 8 . Anton Kathrein Jr , 30 - antennas , $ 1.7bn . 9 . Evan Spiegel , 24 - Snapchat , $ 1.5bn . 10 . Bobby Murphy , 25 - Snapchat , $ 1.5bn .
Forbes released its billionaires list the next two decades , raising questions over how far away the world 's first trillionaire could be . Engineer Peter Diamandis has predicted the first trillionaire will emerge in this week after making space discoveries . International investment bank Credit Suisse has said there will be 11 trillionaires within two generations .