The giant leap comes despite hostility from both users and lawmakers over the social media firm's integrity, and handling of user data.

Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates was also a money-spinner in 2019, raking in $22.7billion, reports Fortune.

It said that 172 billionaires in the US on the latest Bloomberg ranking "added $500billion" in personal wealth.

The report comes two months after Facebook Inc reported a spike in users in lucrative markets, and its third straight rise in quarterly sales growth.

Zuckerberg, who started Facebook from his Harvard Uni dorm room, had expected "a very tough year".

But, Associated Press reported in October that Facebook reported solid third-quarter results, showing steady growth in its user base.

Facebook ended the quarter with 2.45billion monthly users, up eight per cent from a year earlier.