Top 100 Richest People in the World

July 2024 · 29 minute read

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100. Dmitry Rybovlev - $9.5 billion

 

He controls Uralkali, one of the largest producers of potash fertilizers in the world. He is a director of Magnetic, a medical enterprise that specializes in the magnetic therapy method developed by Rybovlev’s father.  He lost more than half his money after a bitter divorce with his wife in 2010.

 

99. Pallonji Mistry - $9.7 billion

He is the richest person in Ireland. He is of Indian ancestry who chairs the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, a construction firm responsible for Mumbai’s biggest buildings. He has an 18.4 percent stake with the Tata Group, the company that owns Jaguar, Land Rover and Tetley Tea. He got his Irish passport in the early 2000s.

 

98. Klaus Michael Kuhne - $9.8 billion

 

He is the Executive Chairman and majority owner of Kuhne + Nagel AG, a transportation and logistics company. He is also part of the Albert Ballin KG Group, a firm that kept Hapag Lloyd from leaving Germany. He is now based in Switzerland.

 

97. Serge Dassault - $9.9 billion

 

He inherited Dassault Aviation from his father. He is now the Chairman and CEO of the Dassault Group, a company with interests in aerospace engineering, media and software. He is also involved in politics, having once served as the mayor of Corbeil Essones in France.

 

96. Ananda Krishnan - $9.9 billion

He owns two major telecommunication companies in Malaysia, namely Maxis Communications and MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems. He is the Chairman and CEO of the Usaha Tegas Group Holdings and TAK Corporate Holdings. He is known as an advocate of education in his native country.

 

95. Hans Rausing - $10 billion

 

He used to be the Managing Director of Tetra Laval, the largest packaging corporation in the world. Rausing inherited the business from his father. The Swedish businessman also has substantial investments in Eastern Europe, particularly Russia and Ukraine. He is now based in London.

 

94. Susanne Klatten - $10 billion

She is the majority owner of Altana, a chemical manufacturer based in Germany. She also has substantial shares in BMW. Most of her wealth has been inherited from her father.

 

93. Johanna Quandt - $10 billion

 

She comes from one of the richest families in Europe. She owns 17 percent of BMW, which she inherited when her husband passed away. She used to serve as part of the company’s Board of Supervisors. She is extremely active in socio-political affairs, pushing for initiatives in the fields of learning and journalism. She is also a supporter of  research institutions on child cancer.

 

92. Peter Kramer - $10 billion

 

He is the Managing Director of Marine Service GmbH, a shipping engineering and consultancy office. He is known for criticizing Bill Gates’ move for billionaires to give away a large percentage of their wealth to charity. Instead, Kramer has called for higher taxes so that the government can do its job of helping the people better.

 

91. Anthony Malkin - $10 billion

He is the President and majority owner of Malkin Holdings, as well as all its affiliates and subsidiaries. He is an advocate of energy conservation and has led energy efficiency retrofitting projects, including that of the Empire State Building.

 

90. George Kaiser - $10 billion

 

He is the President and CEO of Kaiser Francis Oil, an Anglo-American company based in Tulsa in Oklahoma. He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School.

 

89. Ray Dalio - $10 billion

 

He is the founder of Bridgewater Associates, a company engaged in global investment management that is based in Connecticut. The company manages around $80 billion in total assets.

 

88. David de Rothschild - $10 billion

 

He was born into wealth as part of the Rothschild banking family. He is the founder of Adventure Ecology, a company that helps to raise awareness on environmental and social problems. It also encourages people to practice initiative so that their dreams will come true.

 

87. Robin Li - $10.2 billion

 

He is one of the richest entrepreneurs who made their wealth in the Internet. He is the owner of Baidu, the largest search engine in China and the third largest in the world. The technology behind Baidu is an algorithm developed by Li that allows for site scoring and ranking.

 

86. Steve Jobs - $10.2 billion

 

He was the founder and chief designer of Apple, Inc. He is responsible for the popularity of the current  wave of modern products that we enjoy today, like the iPad, iPhone and iPod.

 

85. Jack Taylor - $10.4 billion

 

He is the founder of Enterprise Rent-a-Car Company. He used to be a fighter jet pilot in World War II. He is now involved in philanthropic work, making donations to institutions like the Missouri Botanical Garden and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

 

84. Carl Icahn - $10.5 billion

 

He is the chairman of a wide variety of companies, including Adventrix Pharmaceuticals. He also owns the Vector Group. He is known as a corporate raider, especially after his hostile takover of TWA in the mid 80s.

 

83. Ernesto Bertarelli - $10.6 billion

 

He was the CEO of Serono, a company that was initially engaged in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. He inherited the company from his father, who founded the company. He then started to focus on biotechnology, allowing the company to more than triple its profits in just 10 years. The company has since merged with Merck. He still handles Ares Life Sciences, a medical technology investment company.

 

82. James Simons - $10.7 billion

 

He is the founder of Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund company. He is a trustee of the Brookhaven National Laboratory, the Institute for Advanced Study at Rockefeller University and the Mathematical Research Institute at Berkeley. He is also a board member at the MIT.

 

81. Andrey Melnichenko - $10.8 billion

 

He is the Chairman of EuroChem. He is also the co-founder and owner of MDM Bank. He also has a significant stake in K + S, a potash and fertilizer producer based in Germany. He is also known for owning the most expensive private boat in the world at $300 million.

 

80. Abigail Johnson - $11 billion

 

She is the President of Fidelity Investments Personal Workplace and Institutional Services, a company founded by her father. She is also a member of the Committee of Capital Markets Regulation.

 

79. Ronald Perelman - $11 billion

 

He is the owner of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc. He has investments in different industries and fields, from cigar, makeup, cars, photography, camping, security, lottery, banks and even comic books. He is also one of the largest donors to charity every year.

 

78. Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor - $11 billion

 

He is the richest man in Great Britain. He is the 6th Duke of Westminster and he owns substantial number of properties. He is also the Chancellor of the University of Chester. He has estates and properties in Lancashire, Cheshire, Scotland, London, Spain and Canada.

 

77. Stefan Quandt - $11.2 billion

 

He owns Delton AG, an umbrella corporation that manages all his holdings. Among them is a 17 percent stake in BMW. He also used to be connected with Gemphus International, a digital security company. He also served on the boards of Dresdner Bank AG and Gerling Konzern Allgemeine Versicherungs AG.

 

76. Aliko Dangote - $11.2 billion

 

He is the founder, CEO and Chairman of the Dangote Group that he established in 1977. The company now owns or controls a huge percentage of the commodities being traded in his native Nigeria.

 

75. John Fredriksen - $11.3 billion

 

He was born in Norway but took up citizenship in Cyprus in 2006. He is the owner of the largest oil tanker fleet in the world. He also owns Meisha and Hemet Holdings, an investment company. He also controls Frontline, Golar LNG, SeaDrill, Golden Ocean Group and Deep Sea Supply.

 

74. Jorge Paulo Lemann - $11.5 billion

 

He is the co-founder of Banco Garantia Investment Banking Firm. He also owns Anheuser Busch, the makers of Budweiser. His company also owns a substantial share of the beer markets of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Lemann is one of the kings of beer.

 

73. Leonid Mikhelson - $11.9 billion

 

He started out as the chief engineer for companies like Ryazantrubo Provodstroy Trust and Kuybyshevtrubo Provodstroy Trust. He then worked for Novafininvest. After becoming the manager of the company, he renamed it as Novatek. He is still the the CEO of the company that is involved in oil and gas production, as well as pipeline and roadworks construction. He is also the majority owner of Samara-JSC, a huge bank that was established in 2006.

 

72. Donald Bren - $12 billion

 

He is the Chairman of the Irvine Group. He is also considered as one of the wealthiest real estate developers in the United States. He is also an active supporter of charitable organizations, donating more than $1 billion to different foundations.

 

71. Roman Abramovich - $12.1 billion

He is the owner of Millhouse LLC. He started out by stealing fuel intended for the Russian Army. He then made different investments, from doll making to providing bodyguard services. He is also the owner of the London-based football club called Chelsea. He is one of the richest men in Russia.

 

70. Antonio Ermirio de Moraes - $12.2 billion

 

He was the Chairman and CEO of the Votorantim Group, a Brazilian conglomerate with interests in cement, oil, iron, food, paper and finance. He is also the President of Hospital da Beneficencia Portuguesa, a hospital intended for Sao Paolo’s poor.

 

69. Savitri Jindal - $12.2 billion

 

She is the owner of Jindal Steel and Power Limited and JSW Steel in India. She served as the Minister of Power in Haryana until 2010. She was also a member of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, or the Legislative Assembly.

 

68. Viktor Vekselberg - $12.4 billion

 

He was the co-owner and Chairman of Tyumen Oil in the mid-90s before it brokered a deal with British Petroleum. He is the founder of SUAL Holdings, later renamed the RUSAL Company, considered to be the most successful aluminum company in the world. He also owns the Renova Group, a holding company. He is also the head of Skolkovo, a government project that aims to build a center for computer production in Russia.

 

67. Mohammed Al Amoudi - $12.5 billion

 

He is the richest black person in the world. He controls more than a third of Ethiopian oil and produces up to four tons of gold each year. He now has mining and oil interests not only in Ethiopia, but also in Sweden and Morocco.

 

66. Anne Cox Chambers - $12.5 billion

 

She is the owner of Cox Enterprises, a privately held media company. Her empire stretches from newspapers and radio to television and cable, as well as other media-related businesses.

 

65. Luis Carlos Sarmiento - $12.5 billion

He is the richest person in Columbia. He owns up to 22 percent of the banking assets in Bogota. He is the founder and CEO of Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores, SA. The company has interests in the fields of telecommunications, real estate and banking.

 

64. Mikhail Fridman - $12.7 billion

 

He is the founder of the Alfa Group Consortium, a holding company that has interests in a variety of fields and industries. He also owns Altimo, a subgroup of the Alfa Group that is engaged in the telecommunications industry.

 

63. Birgit Rausing - $13 billion

 

She is the wife of the late Gad Rausing, who inherited Tetra Laval, the largest packaging company in the world. After he passed away, Birgit took ownership of Gad’s assets, including his shares in the packaging giant.

 

62. Paul Allen - $13.2 billion

 

He is the co-founder of Microsoft, along with Bill Gates. He is also the chairman of Charter Communications and Vulcan Inc. He is the owner of the Portland Trailblazers in the NBA, the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL and the Seattle Sounders FC in MLS.

 

61. Michael Otto - $13.2 billion

 

He is the owner of the Otto Group, a company based in Germany that is ranked the second highest mail order company in the world after Amazon. He also owned Spiegel Inc., the parent company of Eddie Bauer.

 

60. Vagit Alekperov - $13.5 billion

He used to be the Deputy Prime Minister of the Oil and Gas Industry in the Soviet Union. He helped establish Langepas Uray Kogalymneft, the first vertically integrated, state-owned oil and energy company in Russia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it became known as LUKoil. He is its largest shareholder and he served as its former President.

 

59. Joseph Safra - $13.8 billion

He is the founder of Banco Safra, one of the largest private banks in Brazil. He is also the CEO of the Safra Group, which has interests in banking in different countries around the world. He also owns Aracruz Cellulose, a major paper manufacturer that he controls with his brother.

 

58. Steve Ballmer - $13.9 billion

 

He is the CEO of Microsoft. He is responsible for the development of the groundbreaking .NET framework platform of the company. This software platform can run on computers, servers, the Internet and even in non-PC devices.

 

57. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum - $14 billion

 

He is the ruler of Dubai and the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. He owns 99.67 percent of Dubai Holdings. He is an avid collector of racehorses. He is also a lover of sports and has made several unsuccessful bids to own a football team in Europe.

 

56. Mark Zuckerberg - $14 billion

 

He owns Facebook, the most popular social media platform in the world today. He is considered as one of the most influential people of the Information Age. He was also responsible for the Synapse Media Player, a music player that uses artificial intelligence to learn a user’s listening habits.

 

55. Phil Knight - $14.1 billion

 

He is the Chairman and co-founder of Nike. He is also a noted philanthropist by regularly donating to the University of Oregon. The school’s library is named after his mother, the law school building after his father and the athletic gym after his late son. He also opened Nike factories in the US that adhere to strict standards after finding out that the factories in Indonesia were sweatshops that operated under despicable conditions.

 

54. Robert Kuok - $14.5 billion

 

He is called the Sugar King of Southeast Asia. He has several sugarcane plantations and he also has business interests in hotels and publishing companies. He is considered to be the richest person in the region.

 

53. Vladimir Potanin - $14.5 billion

He is part-owner of Interros, a holding company that owns Norilsk Nickel, a mining firm, and Sidanco, an oil company. He also heads ProfMedia, a multimedia corporation that owns the rights of MTV and VH1 in Russia. He also heads the National Council on Corporate Governance and the Board of Trustees of State Hermitage. He is also on the board of the Solomon Guggenheim Foundation and the Russian Public Chamber.

 

52. Alexey Mordashov - $15.3 billion

He is the owner of Severstal, a mining conglomerate based in Russia but with interests in different countries around the world. He amassed a major portion of his wealth in the steel industry in Russia after it was privatized. He is also a known philanthropist and sponsors the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres regularly.

 

51. Vladimir Lisin - $16 billion

 

He is the Chairman of Novolipetsk Steel, a steel company based in Russia. He serves on the board of a number of metal producers in his native country. He holds multiple degrees in economics and metal engineering.

 

50. Michael Dell - $16 billion

 

He is the founder, CEO and Chairman of Dell, Inc. He was actually pursuing a pre-med degree at the University of Texas when he dropped out after realizing he could earn more by repairing and selling upgraded computers.

 

49. Cheng Yu Tung - $16 billion

 

He used to be the CEO of New World Development. The company actually started out as a jewelry business called Chow Tai Fook. It eventually expanded to other businesses and became Chai Tai Fook. New World Development now owns five high-end hotels around the world and properties in Hong Kong and Macau. It also owns Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan and the Sheraton Marina hotels.

 

48. Rinat Akhmetov - $16 billion

 

He is the founder of System Capital Management, a company that controls 60 percent o fthe coal and energy production of Ukraine. He is a Member of Parliament in Ukraine and he also owns the Shakhtar Donetsk football club.

 

47. King Abdullah bin Abul Aziz - $17 billion

He is the king of the oil-rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was also the country’s Regent from 1996 to 2005. He also served as Commander of the National Guards from 1962 to 2010.

 

46. Azim Premji - $17 billion

He is the CEO of Wipro Limited, the umbrella company for the third largest software developer in India. The company has grown by leaps and bounds under his leadership, starting out as a $2.5 million firm to one that is now valued at $1.4 billion.

 

45. Ricardo Salinas Pliego - $17.4 billion

 

He inherited Grupo Electrika, a furniture manufacturing company that has evolved into consumer appliances and consumer finance. He is the CEO of TV Azteca, the television channel with the widest reach in the world. He is also the head of Unefon, a telecommunications company, and Grupo Iusacell, a wireless communications entity.

 

44. Iris Fontbona - $17.4 billion

 

She inherited her wealth from her late husband Andronico Luksic, the owner of Antofagasta, one of the biggest copper mines in the world. Aside from mining, the family also has interests in industrial, financial and beverage industries in Chile.

 

43. Alisher Usmanov - $17.7 billion

 

He is the majority owner of Metallinvest, a company that he founded to safeguard his metal interests. He has interests in iron ore, steel, natural gas and media companies. He is also the chairman of Gazprom Invest Holdings, the investment holding subsidiary of Gazprom, the gas company owned by the state. He is also a shareholder of Arsenal FC in the English Premier League. He also owns Gallagher Holdings, a company registered in Cyprus with interests in oil, gas, media, pharmaceuticals and technology.

 

42. Mikhail Prokhorov - $18 billion

 

He was the owner of Norilsk Nickel and turned it into a global energy giant. He then sold his shares in 2007. He has since set up Renaissance Capital, an investment bank. He is also a lover of basketball. He owns the CSKA basketball team in Russia. He also owns the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. He got ownership rights after agreeing to pay for the construction of a new stadium worth $700 million.

 

41. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan - $18 billion

 

He is the emir of Abu Dhabi and the President of the United Arab Emirates. He owns 66 acres of land in Seychelles where he is building a palace. He has contributed generously to Johns Hopkins University and the University of Wales.and has buildings named after him at those institutions.

 

40. Theo Albrecht - $18.8 billion

 

He was a German businessman who co-founded the Aldi grocery store chain with his brother Karl. Theo was in charge of Aldi Nord, or Aldi North, and its counterpart in the United States called Trader Joe’s. Karl, on the other hand, handled Aldi Sur, or Aldi South. He passed away in July 2010.

 

39. Gina Rinehart - $18.9 billion

 

She inherited Hancock Prospecting from her father, Lang Hancock. The company has a lucrative coal and iron business. She also has media interests through her share in Fairfax Media and Ten Network Holdings. Her company actually has no shareholders so she owns the entire business herself.

 

38. Sir Evelyn de Rothschild - $20 billion

 

He is a member of the wealthy Rothschild clan. He has his own holding company called E.L. Rothschild. He was chairman of Rothschild Holdings AG and co-chairman of Rothschild Bank AG. He used to be a director of De Beers Consolidated Mines and of IBM United Kingdom Holdings Limited. He was also part of the board of the Daily Telegraph. He serves as the financial advisor of Queen Elizabeth II.

 

37. Hassanai Bolkiah Mu’ izzaddin Waddaulah - $20 billion

 

He is the Sultan and Prime Minister of Brunei, a small country in Southeast Asia that has been blessed with abundant supply of oil and natural gas. He owns a giant automobile collection numbering about 6,000 cars.

 

36. Lakshmi Mittal - $20.7 billion

 

He is the Chairman and CEO of Arcelor Mittal, the largest steel making company in the world. His family was in the steel business in India, but he established his own steel factory in Indonesia. He led the consolidation process of the global industry, which led to his being named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

 

35. John Mars - $21 billion

 

He is the Chairman of Mars, Inc., the company behind some of the favorite brands in the world like Mars, M&Ms, Milky Way, Snickers and Juicy Fruit. He has been leading a very private, even reclusive, life in his home in Wyoming.

 

34. Zong Qinghou - $21 billion

 

He was the CEO of Hangzhou Wahaha Group, the largest and most successful beverage supplier in China. He was viewed as an example of Chinese success against Western influences. He resigned from his position, however, after being accused of siphoning off money by his joint venture partner, the Group Danone.

 

33. Jacqueline Mars - $21 billion

 

She inherited her wealth from her father, who co-founded the candy company called Mars, Inc. with her grandfather. She does not own any official position in the company, however. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College where she finished with a degree in Anthropology.

 

32. Forrest Mars Jr. - $21.7 billion

 

He is the eldest son of the founder of Mars, Inc. He is considered to be the richest man in Virginia. He owns a ranch that is probably rich with coal and natural gas but he has refused to let companies mine the resources. He fears that the water that would be used might dry out his ranch.

 

31. Eike Batista - $22 billion

 

He is the Chairman and CEO of the Brazilian conglomerate EBX Group. Batista made his fortune from mining and oil and gas exploration. He is considered to be the richest man in Brazil.

 

30. George Soros - $22 billion

 

He is the Chairman of the Open Society Institute and Soros Fund Management. He played a key role in the transition of Hungary from communism to capitalism in the 1980s. He is known as, “The Man Who Broke the Bank of England” after successfully anticipating the British government’s move to devalue the pound. He made a billion pounds in the process.

 

29. Michael Bloomberg - $22 billion

 

He is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg L.P., one of the most prestigious financial data services company in the world. He is also the mayor of New York City. He is a noted philanthropist who has given $300 million to Johns Hopkins University.

 

28. David Thomson - $23 billion

 

He is the Chairman of Thomson Reuters Corporation. The company has interests in financial services, healthcare, law, science and technology, tax and accounting. He is also the owner of the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL.

 

27. Sergey Brin - $23 billion

 

He is the co-founder of Google after he developed with Larry Page a computer technique to match his data mining system that allows for superior search. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He is an activist when it comes to environmental issues.

 

26. Larry Page - $23.4 billion

 

He is the CEO of Google. He is also into research of alternative sources of energy. He was the recipient of the Maxim Foundation Prize in 2004, the highest award available in the field of engineering.

 

25. Lee Shau Kee - $24 billion

 

He is the owner of Henderson Land Development. The firm has interests in properties, hotels, town gas and Internet services.

 

24. Stefan Persson - $24 billion

 

He is the Chairman and majority shareholder of H&M, a fashion company founded by his father Erling Persson. He also has significant holdings in Hexagon, a technology company based in his native Sweden.

 

23. Jeff Bezos - $24 billion

 

He is the founder and CEO of the online merchant Amazon.com, Inc. The site started out as a seller of books before eventually expanding into a wide gamut of products. It is now the largest retailer in the Internet and considered as the model for online sales.

 

22. Michele Ferrero - $24.8 billion

 

He is the owner of Ferrero SpA. It is the company that produces Nutella, Tic Tacs, Ferrero Rocher, Kinder Chocolate and Kinder Eggs.

 

21. Sheldon Adelson - $25 billion

 

He is the Chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, parent firm of Venetian Macao and The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. His wealth can be traced through his involvement with COMDEX, the annual computer technology show. The money he earned in COMDEX was used to buy and raze down the legendary Sands Hotel to give way to The Venetian.

 

20. Mukesh Ambani - $25 billion

 

He is the chairman and CEO of Reliance Industries Limited. He has been the richest Indian for five years now. He is a board member of Bank of America Corporation. He is also considered as the richest owner in sports in the world as he controls the cricket club Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

 

19. Karl Albrecht - $26.5 billion

 

He is the founder of the German discount supermarket chain Aldi. He is the richest man in Germany. Born in February 1920, he is the oldest billionaire in the list.

 

18. Liliane Bettencourt - $28 billion

 

Her real name is Liliane Schueller. She is the only child of Eugene Schueller, the founder of L’ Oreal, one of the largest cosmetics and beauty companies in the world. She married the French politician Andre Bettencourt in 1950 before inheriting the company in 1957.

 

17. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud - $29 billion

 

He is the nephew of the King of Saudi Arabia. He is known as the “Warren Buffett of Saudi Arabia” because of his investment savvy. He is an avid collector of exotic cars, lavish palaces and expensive airplanes.

 

16. Bernard Arnault - $29 billion

 

He is a French businessman and art collector. He is the Chairman and CEO of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A.  He is also the Chairman of Christian Dior S.A.

 

15. Li Ka-Shing - $31 billion

 

He is the Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Limited, the largest operator of container terminals in the world, and Cheung Kong Holdings, the largest health and beauty retailer on earth.

 

14. Bhumibol Adulyadej - $31 billion

 

He is the King of Thailand. He is the longest-reigning monarch and longest-serving head of state in the world.

 

13. Alice Walton - $32 billion

 

She is the only daughter of Sam and Helen Walton. She is the Chairman of the Walton Family Foundation. She is considered to be the second richest American woman.

 

12. Samuel Robson Walton - $32 billion

 

He is the eldest son of Helen and Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, the largest retailer in the world. He became the Board Chairman of the company in 1992 after his father passed away.

 

11. Jim Walton - $33 billion

 

He is the youngest son of Sam and Helen Walton. A graduate of the Univesity of Arkansas, he is also the Chairman of Arvest Bank.

 

10. Christy Walton - $34 billion

 

She is the widow of John Walton, the son of Sam and Helen Walton. Her husband passed away in 2005. She is considered to be one of the greatest female philanthropists in the world.

 

9. Vladimir Putin - $40 billion

He is the Prime Minister of Russia. He was also its former President who led the country’s economic transformation. Though critics question his human rights record and foreign policy making, he has remained popular with its citizens.

 

8. Larry Ellison - $43 billion

 

He is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oracle Corporation, one of the leading enterprise software companies in the world. He is also the owner of 98 percent of Lanai Island in the state of Hawaii.

 

7. Charles Koch - $43 billion

 

He is the co-owner, Chairman and CEO of Koch Industries, Inc.  The company is involved in oil refining, chemicals, minerals, fertilizers, polymers, fibers, pollution control equipment, commodity trading and others. He is also a co-founder of the Cato Institute.

 

6. David Koch - $43 billion

 

He is the co-owner and Executive Vice President of Koch Industries, Inc., which is considered to be the second largest privately held company in the United States. He once ran for the vice presidency of the United States in 1980 as a member of the Libertarian Party.

 

5. Ingvar Kamprad - $49 billion

 

He is the founder of IKEA, a company that sells household items known for its low prices and cost-saving measures. He started out selling matches before he expanded to ballpens, decorations and seeds. IKEA was born after he added furniture to his items for sale.

 

4. Warren Buffett - $53.5 billion

 

He is the majority shareholder, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, the most expensive stock to own in the world. He is considered to be the most successful investor of the past century. He is also a noted philanthropist as he is committed to giving away 99 percent of his wealth to charitable organizations.

 

3. Amancio Ortega Gaona - $57 billion

 

He is the co-founder and Chairman of the Inditex Group, a Spanish fashion and clothing merchandiser. The company boasts of brands like Zara, Massimo Dutti, Tempe, Stradivarius, Pull and Bear and Bershka. He is considered to be one of the richest men in Europe.

 

2. Bill Gates - $67 billion

 

He is the co-founder and Chairman of Microsoft, the largest personal computer software company in the world. He stepped down as its CEO in January 2000. He has been involved in philanthropic work the past few years, establishing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. The foundation has been mostly involved in the alleviation of poverty around the world through the promotion and uplifting of education and health care standards.

 

1. Carlos Slim Helu - $78 billion

He is a Mexican investor and philanthropist. He is the Chairman of Grupo Carso, SA de CV, a conglomerate that has substantial holdings in a variety of Mexican companies. He is also the Chairman and CEO of Telmex and America Movil. The latter is one of the largest mobile phone carrier in Latin America. He is also the Chairman and CEO of Samsung Mexico. He has been the richest person in the world since 2010.

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