Mark Zuckerberg made an incredible $23.1 BILLION in 2017 to date - beating Amazon's Jeff Bezos by $3.4b this week as Facebook shares soar

  • Facebook's shares have risen since late June thanks to positive earnings reports
  • That's pushed his personal take for 2017 ahead of Bezos' $19.7 billion haul
  • On Monday alone, Zuckerberg made just under $1 billion thanks to shares
  • Zuckerberg remains the fifth-richest person in the world; Bezos is at number two
  • Bezos was temporarily the richest person in the world thanks to a stock bump

By James Wilkinson For Dailymail.com

Published: 16:21 EST, 9 August 2017 | Updated: 17:42 EST, 9 August 2017

Mark Zuckerberg has earned more than anyone else in the world this year, after superb performance by Facebook shares over the past week pushed his 2017 take.

Spurred on by strong earnings reports, shares have soared 16 per cent since late June, increasing his yearly earnings to a massive $23.1 billion.

That's had the effect of knocking Amazon's Jeff Bezos into second place; he'd earned $19.7 billion so far - which had him in first place for 2017 earnings until this week, Time reported.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made $23.1b in 2017 so far - more than anyone else in the world
Zuckerberg jumped ahead of Amazon's Jeff Bezos (pictured), who had been in the lead, this week

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (left) made $23.1b in 2017 so far - more than anyone else in the world. He jumped ahead of Amazon's Jeff Bezos (right), who had been in the lead, this week

Zuckerberg's earnings are so impressive that he gained nearly $1 billion on Monday alone.

That puts the 33-year-old's overall wealth at $73.1 billion, making him the fifth richest person in the world.

Those ahead of him are investment ace Warren Buffett ($76 billion), Spanish retailer Amancio Ortega ($83 billion), Jeff Bezos ($85 billion) and Bill Gates ($90 billion).

Bezos briefly took the top spot earlier this year when Amazon shares soared, pushing him up to $90 billion. 

But they fell again not too long after, putting him back in second place.

Zuckerberg's vast wealth won't last forever, of course - especially as he and his wife Priscilla Chan have vowed to give away 99 per cent of their Facebook shares.

Bezos himself has had ups and downs recently. He was the richest man in he world thanks to a brief share bump, but is back in second place behind Bill Gates (pictured)

Bezos himself has had ups and downs recently. He was the richest man in he world thanks to a brief share bump, but is back in second place behind Bill Gates (pictured)

Last week he hired an adviser to help him manage his philanthropic efforts, including the giveaway of what was then $45 billion of shares. 

However, as Politico noted, that adviser was Joel Benenson, who used to be one of Barack Obama's top advisers and was chief strategist for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

That only added fuel to the rumors that Zuckerberg is gearing up for a future presidential run, in 2020 or 2024. 

Zuckerberg has denied those claims.

But his recent tour of the US and its factories and communities - ostensibly as a way to promote Facebook as a gathering place for everyone - hasn't helped.

Neither has his January decision to hire David Plouff, who managed Barack Obama's 2008 run for president, as his president of policy and advocacy.

Zuckerberg has denied rumors that he's planning a presidential run, but his recent visits to working-class America and hiring of political advisers isn't helping his case

Zuckerberg has denied rumors that he's planning a presidential run, but his recent visits to working-class America and hiring of political advisers isn't helping his case

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