Zuckerberg now wealthier than Google founders

Mark Zuckerberg is now richer than Google Inc. co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

The Facebook Inc. chairman added $1.6 billion to his fortune Thursday after shares of the world’s largest social network closed at a record. The surge elevated the 30-year-old’s net worth to $33.3 billion, moving him past Brin, 40, and Page, 41, as well as Amazon.com Inc. Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, 50, on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Zuckerberg is No. 16 on the ranking. The Google founders are 17th and 18th. Bezos occupies the 20th spot.

“He’s just getting started,” said David Kirkpatrick, author of “The Facebook Effect. “He’s going to become the richest person on the planet.”

The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company posted second-quarter sales that soared 61% to $2.91 billion Wednesday, exceeding analysts’ average estimate of $2.81 billion. The company’s revenue gain follows Google’s results last week, when the Web-search company posted sales that topped analysts’ estimates, largely based on the strength of online ads.

Facebook has jumped 183% in the past 12 months, the biggest rally in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Bill Gates remains the world’s richest person with an $84.7 billion fortune. The Microsoft Inc. chairman’s net worth has grown 7.9% this year, with five of his biggest holdings, including Microsoft, Canadian National Railway Co. and Republic Services Inc., accounting for almost $4 billion of the gain.

The 58-year-old, who controls the majority of his fortune through holding company Cascade Investment, also has collected about $400 million in dividends this year.

Gates is followed by Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim, who has a $78.8 billion fortune.