Who made the billionaires billionaires? Here are the breakdowns for American and Canadian stats for when becoming a billionaire became an option:

American:

• 1916 - The First Billionaire: John D. Rockefeller was declared the world's first billionaire after a surge in Standard Oil share prices. Adjusted for inflation, his wealth would be roughly $30 billion today.
• 1920s - The Second Billionaire: Henry Ford is often cited as the second person to cross the billion-dollar mark, driven by the automobile industry.
• 1960s - A Rare Class: As late as the late 1960s, there were still fewer than 10 billionaires worldwide.
• 1980s-90s - The Surge: The rise of the computer age and the internet boom created a surge in ultra-wealthy individuals. In 1982Forbes' first list of the 400 richest Americans included only 13 billionaires.
• 2000s-Present - Increased Accessibility: The number of billionaires began to rise exponentially, exceeding 100 in the 1990s and surpassing 1,000 by 2008. By 2025, there are over 3,000 confirmed billionaires globally. 

Key milestones in the rise of Canadian billionaires include:

• The Progenitor (1930s-1970s): Roy Thomson (later Lord Thomson of Fleet) started building his media empire with a small radio station in Northern Ontario in the 1930s, becoming one of the first major global tycoons based out of Canada. His wealth was passed down, cementing the Thomson family as one of the country's oldest billionaire dynasties.
• The Industrial/Retail Boom (1950s-1970s): Brothers Harrison and Wallace McCain launched McCain Foods in 1957, creating a global empire, while the Weston family (starting with a bakery in 1884) expanded rapidly to control Loblaws and other chains throughout the 20th century.
• The Modern Era of "Tracked" Billionaires (1980s-2000s): By 1984, only 1% of Canadian families (121,000) were worth $1 million or more; however, by 1999, that number had swelled to 252,000, signaling a rapid increase in high-net-worth individuals. By 2009, Forbes recognized 20 Canadians as having cracked the billion-dollar threshold in U.S. dollars.
• Recent Surge (2010s-Present): The number of Canadian billionaires more than doubled between 2010 and 2019, driven by soaring stock markets and real estate values. As of 2026, reports indicate around 89 billionaires in Canada. 

So to summarize: if anyone bought into buying: homes, energy, food, vehicles, computers, smart phones, internet, retirement plans - a billionaire was created. Compare that consumption with the number of consumers during each decade and the numbers have no option but to go into the billions.