Back in 2010 the world's billionaires boasted a combined net worth of $3.6 trillion (£2.8trn). This year the figure has jumped to $8.7 trillion (£6.8trn). While some of the global mega-wealthy have seen their fortunes decline since 2010, others have accumulated bewildering sums of money. Comparing the Forbes Billionaires lists from 2010 and 2019, we reveal the people who've garnered the most dough over the past decade.

Now Asia's richest woman and the 42nd wealthiest person globally, Chinese property billionaire Yang Huiyan owns a 57% stake in Country Garden Holdings, much of which was transferred in 2007 from her father Yang Guoqiang. Reflecting the firm's stellar performance over the past decade, Yang's wealth has increased from $3.4 billion (£2.6bn) in 2010 to $22.1 billion (£17.2bn) this year.

In 2010 the most moneyed person in Russia was Vladimir Lisin with a net worth of $15.8 billion (£12.3bn). Fast-forward to 2019 and natural gas magnate Leonid Mikhelson is number one. A decade ago Mikelson was worth $4.4 billion (£3.4bn), making him only the 24th wealthiest Russian and joint 189th richest person in the world. The energy tycoon is now worth $24 billion (£18.7bn), which places him in position 32.

Real estate and entertainment mogul Wang Jianlin rose to become Asia's richest person in 2016. Wang's net worth fell to $22.6 billion (£17.6bn) this year however, down from a peak of $31.3 billion (£24.4bn) in 2017, due to the plunging revenues and mounting debts that have plagued his company Dalian Wanda Group, and he is no longer the continent's wealthiest individual. Be that as it may, the magnate is $19.6 billion (£15.3bn) richer than he was in 2010.

Back in 2010 Michael Dell was the joint 37th richest person on the planet with a net worth of $13.5 billion (£10.5bn). This year the American computer entrepreneur has a fortune of $34.3 billion (£26.7bn), placing him 25th. Dell took his eponymous firm private in 2013, turning it around with great success, before going public again last year, hence the increase in his personal wealth.

Reliance Industries boss Mukesh Ambani is once again Asia's richest person. The Indian conglomerate boss was tops in 2010 when he was worth $29 billion (£22.6bn) but saw his wealth fall during the early 2010s. It has since recovered spectacularly to hit $50 billion (£38.9bn) this year, however Ambani has dropped down the global rankings from the world's fourth wealthiest individual to the 13th.

Mukesh Ambani: the story of the Indian billionaire who hired Beyoncé for his daughter's wedding

François Pinault (pictured on the right with his son François-Henri) heads the French luxury goods group Kering, which owns a slew of premium brands from Gucci to Balenciaga. The conglomerate has gone from strength to strength over the past decade. Its share price has surged since 2016, boosting Pinault's net worth to $29.7 billion (£23.1bn) and making him the world's 30th richest person, up from the 77th spot in 2010.

Elon Musk was a mere multimillionaire in 2010. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO made his debut on the Forbes Billionaires list in 2012 with a net worth of $2 billion (£1.6bn). Since then the headline-grabbing entrepreneur's business interests have thrived and his profile has risen to boot. This year Forbes put Musk's fortune at $22.3 billion (£17.3bn), which makes him the world's 40th wealthiest individual. 

Likewise, Giovanni Ferrero was nowhere to be found on the 2010 Forbes Billionaires list. The Italian Nutella heir, who is executive chairman of the family candy business, made his first appearance in the round-up last year. Ferrero inherited a colossal fortune from his father Michele who died in 2015. Incidentally, Michele Ferrero was worth $17 billion (£13.2bn) back in 2010.

Find out more about the Ferrero family and the world's 50 richest families

Phil Knight's net worth has increased in tandem with the fortunes of Nike, the company he co-founded in 1964. Nike revenues have soared in recent years along with the company share price. In 2010 Knight was the 62nd richest person on the planet with a net worth of $10.2 billion (£7.9bn). This year the US sportswear entrepreneur is sitting on $33.4 billion (£26bn), which places him 26th. 

In a similar vein, Walmart heiress Alice Walton has seen her wealth surge on the back of the performance of the retail juggernaut's share price, which has more than doubled since 2010. A decade ago Walton was worth $20.6 billion (£16bn), which made her the world's 16th most moneyed person. This year the supermarket scion has a fortune of $44.4 billion (£34.6bn), placing her in position 17. Unlike her brothers Alice, the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, does not work directly from the company that gives her her extreme wealth. She has instead built up a career in curating art, opening an American Art museum in Arkansas in 2011.

Jim Walton has amassed $100 million (£77.9m) more than his sister over the past decade. The youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton is now worth some $44.6 billion (£34.7bn), up from $20.7 billion (£16.1bn) in 2010. That year he was the 15th richest person in the world. In 2019 the baby of the family is placed 16th. Like his sister, Walton has slipped a place in the global rankings.

Rob Walton has done the best out of the Walton siblings over the past decade though he remains the 'poorest' of the trio. Back in 2010 the eldest of Sam Walton's children was worth $19.8 billion (£15.4bn), making him the planet's 18th wealthiest individual. This year Walton's fortune is pegged at $44.3 billion (£34.5bn) and he retains his position as the 18th richest person in the world.

Meet the Waltons: the family story behind Walmart's staggering success

Las Vegas Sands boss Sheldon Adelson lost an incredible 93% of his wealth in 2009 after shares in his casino business plummeted in price. They began to recover the following year and Adelson's net worth increased from $2 billion (£1.6bn) to $9.3 billion (£7.2bn). The share price is $62.98 (£48.89) at the time of writing, up from a low of $2.28 (£1.77) in 2009, and the casino tycoon's fortune has risen accordingly to hit $35.1 billion (£27.3bn) this year.

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who retired from the company in 2014, was worth $14.5 billion (£11.2bn) in 2010, making him the world's joint 33rd richest person. This year Forbes estimated the exuberant billionaire's wealth at $41.2 billion (£31.9bn). Ballmer is now the 19th richest individual globally. Since 2010 his fortune has shot up together with the Microsoft share price.

After taking his property developing firm Evergrande public in 2009, Hong Kong's Hui Ka Yan saw his wealth rise to $4 billion (£3.1bn) the following year, marking his debut on the Forbes Billionaires list. Evergrande shares surged in price in 2017 and Hui's fortune almost tripled in the space of 12 months. This year he is worth a massive $36.2 billion (£28.1bn).

Shares in Alphabet, Google's parent company, have been on a steep upward trajectory since 2010, so it comes as no surprise that the fortune of the firm's co-founder and president has mushroomed significantly over the past decade. Brin is now the world's 14th richest person with a net worth of $49.8 billion (£38.7bn), up from $17.5 billion (£13.6bn) in 2010 when he was the joint 24th wealthiest individual on the planet.

Like Sergey Brin, the co-owner, chairman and CEO of Koch Industries was worth $17.5 billion (£13.6bn) in 2010, which made him the world's joint 24th richest person. This year Koch's fortune is pegged at $50.5 billion (£39.2bn) and he is now the 11th wealthiest individual globally. He shared this title with his brother David until he died in August 2019. Koch Industries is a private company, which doesn't post earnings or sales, though its profits are known to have risen big-time over the past decade.

In 2010 Alphabet's Larry Page was worth $17.5 billion (£13.6bn), the same as Sergey Brin, but his fortune has since eclipsed that of his business partner. The reason? Page has held on to more shares than Brin. This year Page's net worth was calculated at $50.8 billion (£39.5bn) in the Forbes 2019 Billionaires list, which makes him the world's 10th richest person.

Oracle co-founder and CTO Larry Ellison was the sixth richest person in the world in 2010 with a fortune of $28 billion (£21.8bn). Over the past decade his wealth has inflated by 123% as Oracle stock has increased steadily in price. This year Ellison has an estimated net worth of $62.5 billion (£48.5bn), however he has fallen back a spot in the global billionaire rankings.

Ma Huateng, also known as Pony Ma, is the chairman and major shareholder of tech conglomerate Tencent, one of China's most successful companies, which owns businesses such as social messaging app WeChat. The behemoth has had a resoundingly strong decade and Ma has certainly reaped the benefits. Now China's richest person and the world's 20th wealthiest individual, his net worth has grown from $3.6 billion (£2.8bn) in 2010 when he was ranked joint 249th globally, to $38.8 billion (£30.1bn) this year.

Retaining his position as the world's third most moneyed individual, Warren Buffett is $35.5 billion (£27.6bn) richer than he was in 2010. The so-called Oracle of Omaha is now worth $82.5 billion (£64bn), up from $47 billion (£36.5bn) a decade ago, thanks in the most part to the Berkshire Hathaway share price, which has more than tripled since 2010. The investor has seen his riches increase despite a pledge to give nearly all of his money away. Buffett created The Giving Pledge alongside Bill and Melinda Gates with the aim of encouraging rich Americans to committ to giving at least 50% of their wealth to charity.

Find out who has signed Bill Gates's Giving Pledge

Siblings Beate Heister and Karl Albrecht Jr. were no-shows on the 2010 Forbes Billionaires List. The pair inherited an outrageous fortune from their father, Aldi co-founder Karl Albrecht (pictured), who died in 2014. His net worth in 2010 stood at $23.5 billion (£18.3bn). This year Forbes calculated the duo's combined wealth at $36.1 billion (£28.1bn).

Aldi: the incredible story of the German supermarket taking over the world

China's second richest individual and the world's 21st richest person, Jack Ma has a net worth of $37.3 billion (£30bn) as of this year. Back in 2010 the savvy entrepreneur had a fortune of just $1.2 billion (£929m), which made him only the joint 828th wealthiest individual globally. Ma owes his surging net worth to the unstoppable rise of Alibaba, the e-commerce and tech conglomerate he co-founded in 1999, but in September this year Ma announced he was stepping down to work on new business ventures. It wasn't just any announcement, however, as Ma donned a wig and rock star get-up during a four-hour celebration in a stadium that can hold as many as 80,000 people.

Back in 2010 Michael Bloomberg, who was mayor of New York at the time, had a fortune of $18 billion (£14bn) and was the world's 23rd richest person. This year the media mogul and presidential hopeful is worth $55.5 billion (£43.1bn), making him the ninth most moneyed individual on the planet, despite having donated billions to charitable causes.

The boss of booming Spanish retail group Inditex, Amancio Ortega has added $37.7 billion (£29.3bn) to his net worth since 2010 as the business has flourished. In 2010 the fast-fashion tycoon was worth $25 billion (£19.4bn), which placed him in position nine globally. This year his fortune has leaped to $62.7 billion (£48.7bn) making him the world's sixth wealthiest person and the richest retailer of them all.

Read about other successful people who have carried on working well past retirement age

In 2010 Bill Gates was the second richest individual globally with a net worth of $53 million (£41.4bn). That same year the Microsoft co-founder created The Giving Pledge together with his wife Melinda and Warren Buffett, and has since given away billions to good causes. Nevertheless, Gates' wealth has increased to $96.5 billion (£74.9bn) over the past decade and he remains the second wealthiest person in the world.

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LVMH boss Bernard Arnault is now the world's fourth richest individual. The French luxury goods tycoon is worth $76 billion (£59bn), up from $27.5 billion (£21.4bn) in 2010 when he was the seventh wealthiest person globally. In November LMVH finalised a deal to buy Tiffany & Co. for $16.2 billion (£12.5bn), which saw LVMH's share price rise by 1% and Arnault's real-time net worth rise by $500 million (£385m) according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. In fact, recent reports suggest Arnault could soon surpass Jeff Bezos to become the most moneyed person on the planet.

Find out more about Bernard Arnault and how he made his riches

Now the world's richest woman, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers didn't feature on the 2010 Forbes Billionaires list. The L'Oréal heiress was bequeathed a 33% stake in the cosmetics company upon the death of her mother Liliane Bettencourt in 2017 and made her debut on the list the following year. The scion's wealth is pegged at $49.3 billion (£38.3bn), up from $42.2 billion (£32.8bn) in 2018.

Back in 2010 Mark Zuckerberg was the world's youngest billionaire. The Facebook boss had a fortune of $4 billion (£3.1bn) and was the joint 212th richest person globally. The social media giant went public in 2012 and bar a dip last year, its share price has soared along with the chairman and CEO's net worth. Although he's no longer the youngest billionaire, Zuckerberg is now the eighth wealthiest person globally with a $62.3 billion (£48.4bn) fortune.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos has enjoyed an amazing decade from a financial point of view, accumulating more wealth than any other person. The share price of the e-commerce and cloud computing titan that he founded in 1994 has grown more than 14-fold since 2010. That year, Bezos, who was only the 43rd richest person globally, had a fortune of $12.3 billion (£9.6bn). Having become the world's wealthiest individual in 2018, he is now worth a jaw-dropping $131 billion (£101.8bn).

Now find out about Jeff Bezos beyond Amazon: the 10,000-year clock and other business shocks