The richest person according to Forbes. The richest people in the world: who they are and how they achieved success
Forbes magazine is a world-famous print publication specializing in the global economy. It was named after Bertie Charles Forbes, who founded it in 1917. Since 2004, a Russian version of the magazine, Forbes Russia, has been published in Russia. Probably the most anticipated news that Forbes announces every year is the ranking of billionaires around the world. What changes have occurred over the year? Who topped and generally entered the list of Russian billionaires? We will talk about this and much more in the article.
History of the Russian version of Forbes
Russia was the fifth country in the world to begin publishing a magazine on its territory. The first issue, as already mentioned, was published in 2004. JSC Axel Springer Russia took on the implementation of the project. Within 5 years, an electronic version of the Russian Forbes magazine was created.
The printed publication has seen many editors over the course of a decade. And less than a year ago, Axel Springer Russia CJSC sold publishing rights to ACMG, headed by businessman Alexander Fedotov. It must be said that this decision was forced due to changes in Russian legislation on the share of foreign managers of local media. In fact, this was a direct clash between the owners of Vedomosti and Forbes, because these publications touch upon serious political and economic topics and, moreover, have significant contributions from foreign owners. It is worth noting that Forbes magazine, from the date of its founding, adhered to its own views and was independent of other people’s opinions and influence.
Russia's first billionaires in Forbes
In 1997, the magazine for the first time included in its list of Russians who had good wealth at that time. These were the leaders:
- Lukoil company - Vagit Alekperov;
- ONEXIM Bank - Vladimir Potanin;
- YUKOS - Mikhail Khodorkovsky;
- Gazprom - Vyakhirev Rem;
- group "Most" - Gusinsky Vladimir;
- Berezovsky Boris (Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation).
The list has since been updated. However, one of the managers of the enterprise is still among the richest people on the planet. This is Vladimir Potanin, who topped the list of Russian billionaires in 2015.
Forbes magazine rating results in 2016
On March 1 of this year, the newest ranking of billionaires in Russia and around the world was published. The list included 77 citizens of the Russian Federation. The size of each of them has remained virtually unchanged over the past year. But it is known for certain that 20 oligarchs have become even richer. Newcomers have also appeared, which we will talk about a little later.
The economic situation in the world has not been stable recently. This has certainly affected the fortunes of billionaires. The total amount of funds available to Russian oligarchs in 2016 decreased by almost 54 billion conventional units compared to last year. The financial situation of most wealthy individuals has changed, and therefore the list has been updated. Forbes information on the status of the world's richest people for 2016 is reflected in the table:
| Information about the oligarch | Place in the Forbes ranking | Wealth, billion US dollars | Country of Residence | Source of funds |
| Bill Gates, 60 years old | 1 | 75 | USA | Microsoft |
| Ortega Amancio, 79 years old | 2 | 67 | Spain | Zara |
| Buffett Warren, 85 | 3 | 60.8 | USA | Berkshire Hathaway |
| Carlos Slim Helu, 76 years old | 4 | 50 | Mexico | telecommunications |
| Bezos Jeff, 52 years old | 5 | 45.2 | USA | Amazon |
| Mark Zuckerberg, 31 years old | 6 | 44.6 | ||
| Allison Larry, 71 | 7 | 43.6 | Oracle | |
| Bloomberg Michael, 74 years old | 8 | 40 | Bloomberg L.P. | |
| Charles Koch, 80 | 9 | 39.6 | Koch Industries | |
| David Koch, 75 | 10 |
As you can see, mostly men of retirement age can boast of big money; there are, of course, young lucky ones. The largest number of billionaires, as in other years, are in the United States. The leader of the list during this period is Bill Gates, the world-famous creator of the Windows OS.
Where are ours?
As you can see, the oligarchs of Russia are still not rich enough to get into the top ten of Forbes. The country's richest man is only 60th on the overall list. His fortune is estimated at $14.4 billion. And this person, completely unexpected for many readers, is Leonid Mikhelson. “Why unexpected?” - you ask. Last year, the head of Novatek was not even among the top five billionaires according to the Russian version of Forbes magazine. In just a year, he was able to break through from 7th place to the leader.
The top ten people with enormous wealth by Russian standards also included:
| Full name, age | Place on the Forbes Russia list | Place on the Forbes list | Net worth, billion dollars | Source of funds |
| Mikhelson Leonid, 60 years old | 1 | 60 | 14.4 | OJSC Novatek |
| Fridman Mikhail, 52 years old | 2 | 63 | 13.3 | "Alfa Group" |
| Alisher Usmanov, 62 years old | 3 | 73 | 12.5 | USM Holdings |
| Potanin Vladimir, 55 years old | 4 | 78 | 12.1 | "Interros" |
| Timchenko Gennady, 63 years old | 5 | 85 | 11.4 | Rossiya Bank, Transoil, Sibur |
| Mordashov Alexey, 50 years old | 6 | 93 | 10.9 | Severstal, Power Machines |
| Vekselberg Viktor, 59 years old | 7 | 98 | 10.5 | "Rusal", Sulzer |
| Vladimir Lisin, 60 years old | 8 | 116 | 9.3 | UCL Holding, NLMK |
| Alekperov Vagit, 65 years old | 9 | 124 | 8.9 | "Lukoil" |
| Khan German, 54 years old | 10 | 128 | 8.7 | Alfa-Bank, Retail Group |
In total, 77 Russians were included in the Forbes world list in 2016, which is 11 people less than last year.
The main “rises” of the capital of the year
This year the leader of the list of Russian billionaires has changed. It was Leonid Mikhelson, a “gas” and “oil” tycoon, a shareholder of the Novatek company. He was able to increase his fortune by 23%, which allowed him to make an unimaginable breakthrough: from 105th place in the world ranking to 60th! It is also worth noting that before this Mikhelson had never been included in the list of Russian billionaires.
But this successful businessman was surpassed in terms of capital growth in one year by Mikhail Gutseriev, the head of the board of directors of RussNeft. He was able to climb 577 steps higher and took 205th place in the world ranking. His fortune almost doubled. At the end of 2015, he was ranked 16th in the Forbes Russia rating. It would not be surprising if next year he becomes Russia's leader in net worth. With such rapid growth, we can expect great achievements from the billionaire.
From heaven to earth?
The ups were followed by downs. How many billionaires in Russia have lost their positions during an economically and politically difficult year? Despite the fact that Fridman and Usmanov retained their position in the ranking (2nd and 3rd place, respectively), their capital decreased slightly. M. Friedman lost almost 9% of his funds, and Usmanov - about 13%. Vladimir Potanin, an entrepreneur and politician who became the leader of the Forbes Russia ranking of the richest people in Russia in 2015, felt the changes more noticeably. Its losses amounted to about 22%, which in monetary terms equates to $3.3 billion. Due to the decrease in his capital, he lost ground in the 2016 list, moving to 4th place.
But Oleg Deripaska, the owner of the Basic Element holding, was most unlucky. The entrepreneur dropped 624 positions down in the Forbes world ranking of billionaires. More than four billion were irretrievably lost.
More about the leaders: Leonid Mikhelson
The sixty-year-old Russian entrepreneur increased his capital by $2.7 billion in 2015, which led him to leadership in the ranking of Russian billionaires. By the way, he is not far behind the 50 richest people in the world according to Forbes magazine, where he ranks 60th. The total amount of his fortune is equal to 14.4 billion dollars.
This is one of the main shareholders of OJSC Novatek and Sibur Holding, which specialize in the production of gas and petrochemical products. Part of the funds comes from a share in Promsvyazbank. Mikhelson is passionate about art, which he expresses by sponsoring exhibitions in Russia and the USA.
"Silver" oligarch Mikhail Fridman
Compared to 2015, Friedman maintained his position on the Forbes Russia list, although he lost some of his wealth ($1.3 billion). As of this year, he owns $13.3 billion. He is the head of the financial and industrial investment group Alfa Group.
Has been in stable condition since 2010. Owner of such brands as Pyaterochka, Beeline, Perekrestok. Mikhail Fridman, through Alfa-Bank, is engaged in charity work, helping children with severe cardiac diseases. Has dual citizenship (Russia, Israel).
Usmanov Alisher
Owner of a fortune estimated at $12.5 billion. Over the past year, he lost almost 2 billion, but retained his position on the Russian Forbes list. He has several business empires, which bring him good income. Among them: Metalloinvest, Megafon, Kommersant.
Invested in Facebook at the inception of the social network. Three years ago, Usmanov invested in Chinese assets: the online retailer Alibaba, the production of Xiaomi smartphones. In addition, the billionaire is a co-owner of the Arsenal football club (London).
Newly minted Russian oligarchs
Russian dollar billionaires join the Forbes list every year. In 2016, the magazine published four new names previously unknown to the public. Of course, in the overall ranking they are still significantly behind the leaders. But who knows, maybe next year one of them will become one of the 20 oligarchs of Russia.
Mikhail Shishkhanov took 1126th place. Quite a young entrepreneur, head of PJSC B&N Bank. At 43 years old, he already has a fortune estimated at $1.6 billion. Gutseriev Sait-Salam, one of the members of the directors of the RussNeft company, goes on an equal footing with him. Leonid Boguslavsky is a little behind his comrades. He ranks 1476th in the Forbes ranking and has a capital of $1.2 billion. Together with him, the public was introduced to Kirill Shamalov, very young by oligarch standards (33 years old), he has 1.2 billion dollars and shares 1476th place in the world ranking with Boguslavsky.
In addition to new faces, Forbes welcomed entrepreneurs temporarily absent from the 2015 list: Viktor Kharitonin (Pharmstandard), Dmitry Pumpyansky (Sinara), Boris Rotenberg (SMP Bank) and private investor Megdet Rakhimkulov. Each of them freely owns one billion dollars. Together, the “new” oligarchs took 1649th place in 2016.
Those who left the rating
The consequences of the economic crisis have affected everyone, and billionaires are no exception. Of course, few of them became impoverished to zero. But the losses were significant. For many entrepreneurs, this resulted in their removal from the list of the richest people in the world. In 2016, 19 Russians left the rating, including: Nikolay Tsvetkov (Uralsib), Mikhail Balakin (head of SU-155), Rustam Tariko (Russian Standard Bank). Their fortune is estimated at between 1.1 and 1.7 billion dollars. At the moment, they are back at the finish line and will now compete for the title of “more successful entrepreneur” with the “young” generation of Forbes.
Young billionaires of Russia
Business develops, despite any obstacles. The most dexterous, brainy and far-sighted quickly soar upward, flying over millions of their fortune. At some point, a new stage in their life and career begins: the first billion dollars. Of course, it is difficult to achieve such heights on your own without the help of an inheritance. The process of conquering the pinnacle of an oligarch's fame can take a long time.
According to Forbes standards, the average age of nominees is 45 years old. This is the period of a person’s maturity, when he already has significant life experience and a stable financial situation behind him. All those who have not yet turned forty are considered young. Are there many of these in the world? How many of them are Russians?
Forbes Russia celebrates 7 lucky people who, despite their young years, already have financial achievements:
- Shamalov Kirill (33 years old) - takes a seat on the board of directors of Sibur. In 2016, he took 64th position on the Forbes Russia list of rich people. His fortune is estimated at $1.2 billion.
- Vyacheslav Mirilashvili (32 years old) is almost a billionaire, in his hands funds amounting to $0.95 billion. He is the manager of the Vaizra fund. He ranks 85th in the ranking of Russian oligarchs.
- Pavel Durov (31 years old) is the founder of the social network VKontakte and the Telegram program, well-known among young people. As of 2016, he has a fortune of $600 million and occupies 136th position in the Forbes Russia ranking.
- Elena Rybolovleva (27 years old), the ex-wife of Dmitry Rybolovlev, received her fortune of $600 million thanks to a divorce settlement. Engaged in investments. In the Russian Forbes list it is in 142nd place.
- Denis Bazhaev (20 years old) is a young co-owner of the Alliance Group, owner of $500 million and 155th place in the ranking of Russian oligarchs.
- Ivan Tavrin (39 years old) – owner of $400 million, head of PJSC Megafon. He founded his own business on his own. At the end of 2015, it ranks 194th in the Forbes Russia ranking.
- Vitaly Yusufov (36 years old) – engaged in investments, owner of $400 million. It is located at position 196 on the Russian Forbes list.
Young oligarchs have every chance to conquer the first positions of Forbes. Many of them achieved results on their own, without the help of relatives and other people's finances.
Russian billionaires are famous figures, founders of large industrial and financial enterprises. Each of them has their own story of the path to success. Over the past year, there have been many victories and failures that have brought changes to the Forbes list. But troubles, like victories, build morale. Already next year it will be seen how they defended their cause with success and dignity and once again became one of the richest people in Russia.
Just recently, a list of the richest people in the world was published. The data obtained from this list shows that it is now the entrepreneurs and self-made businessmen who have found themselves in the highest positions, so that the leaders are no longer those who inherited their wealth. Of course, it is also worth considering that there are many families on the list who pass on their wealth and their companies by inheritance, such as the owners of Koch Industries, Walmart and even the L"Oreal cosmetics empire; more and more self-made billionaires are appearing on the list from all over the world. Most of them made their billions in the technology industry, such as Jack Ma or Mark Zuckerberg. It's time to find out who is the richest in the world?
Alain and Gerard Wertheimer - $24 billion
The brothers are the owners and managers of the famous perfume company House of Chanel.
Samuel and Donald Newhouse - $25 billion
The brothers inherited Advance Publications, a multimillion-dollar publishing empire that owns publications such as The New Yorker and Vogue.
Ma Huateng - $26 billion
The Chinese Internet businessman is the founder, president, chief executive and board member of Tencent. It is a holding company whose subsidiaries deal with absolutely everything: online advertising, press, entertainment and payment systems.
George Soros - $26 billion
Soros is one of the most famous and successful investors in the world. However, he started small, working as a railway porter and waiter, thus earning his way to study at the London School of Economics.
Phil Knight - $26 billion
Knight is the co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike, one of the world's most renowned sports companies.
Maria Franca Fissolo - $26 billion
The Italian billionaire is the owner of one of Europe's largest confectionery companies, Ferrero. She is the widow of Michel Ferrero.
Mukesh Ambani - $28 billion
Ambani is the Chairman, Managing Director and largest shareholder of Forture 500 company Reliance Industries Limited.
Axel Dumas - $28 billion
He is the executive director of one of the largest fashion houses, Hermès. He is the sixth generation of the family that founded the house in 1837 and has run it ever since.
Henkel family - $28 billion
The German chemical and consumer products company was founded in 1876 by Fritz Henkel. Christoph Henkel inherited the company in 1999 when his father Conrad passed away.
Steve Ballmer - $30 billion
Ballmer is a former Microsoft executive who served in that position from 2000 to 2014. Now he is the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team.
Jorge Paulo Lehmann - $31 billion
Lehmann is Brazil's richest man and made his fortune as a legend of corporate takeovers.
Sheldon Adelson - $31 billion
He is the founder and chief executive of gambling giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. and is an active member of the Republican Party.
Li Ka-shing - $32 billion
He is one of the richest people in China and is one of the first major investors in Facebook. It also acquired the British telecommunications company O2 in 2015 for 15 billion.
Wang Jianlin - $33 billion
He is the founder of China's largest real estate company, Dalian Wanda Group, and also owns 20 percent of the Spanish football club Atletico Madrid.
Jack Ma - $36 billion
This Chinese high-tech billionaire is the founder and executive chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.
Ingvar Kamprad and his family - $36 billion
The Swedish business magnate is the founder of IKEA, one of the largest furniture stores and best-loved brands in the world, and has been at the helm of the company for more than 70 years.
Carl and Theo Albrecht Jr., Beate Heister and family - $39 billion
German Karl Albrecht founded the Aldi supermarket chain with his brother Theo.
Stefan Quandt and Susanne Klatten - $39 billion
He is the son of Herbert and Johanna Quandt, and he owns 25 percent of the shares of automobile giant BMW, while his sister has 20 percent.
Liliane Bettencourt - $41 billion
She is the heir to the fortune that she got together with the cosmetics company L'Oreal, and she is also the largest shareholder of this company.
Sergey Brin - $43 billion
The Russian-American computer scientist teamed up with Larry Page to create the tech giant Google.
Larry Page - $44 billion
Page beat his Google co-founder Sergey Brin by one billion.
Bernard Arnault - $45 billion
Arnault is the chairman and chief executive of the world's largest luxury goods company, LVMH.
Michael Bloomberg - $50 billion
He is the founder, owner and CEO of the global finance, software and media company, Bloomberg. It is worth noting that he bequeathed half of his fortune to charity after his death.
Larry Ellison - $52 billion
Ellison is the founder and chairman of the international giant Oracle. He is also a yacht aficionado, and has been responsible for purchasing some of the most outstanding yachts in the world, as well as purchasing entire Hawaiian islands.
Carlos Slim Helu and his family - $59 billion
He is the richest man in Mexico, and he also became one of the richest self-made billionaires in the world after taking control of one of the largest mobile telecommunications companies, America Movil.
Mark Zuckerberg - $61 billion
The 32-year-old is the chairman, chief executive and co-founder of the world's largest social networking site, Facebook.
John and Jacqueline Mars - $63 billion
Brother and sister are the heirs of a confectionery empire, which is famous for the production of Mars bars.
Warren Buffett - $79 billion
This legendary investor is considered the most successful investor in the world, a title he achieved while serving as chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway. He also promised to give 99 percent of his fortune to charity.
Jeff Bezos - $80 billion
He is the founder, chairman and CEO of the world's largest online retailer, Amazon. He is also a successful investor and invests through his own investment company, Bezos Expeditions.
Amancio Ortega - $82 billion
In 1985, Ortega created Inditex, a company that owns brands such as Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear and Massimo Dutti. He also owns 60 percent of the company's shares.
Bill Gates - $91 billion
Gates made his fortune by co-founding the world's largest personal computer software company, Microsoft.
Charles and David Koch - $102 billion
Charles has been the chairman and chief executive of Koch Industries, the second largest private company in the United States, since 1967. It is a family business and his brother David is the vice president of the company.
Walton family - $130 billion
This American family created the world's largest retail company, Walmart. The three most prominent members of the family living today are Jim, Rob and Alice.
Reading time: 6 min.
In 2017, Bloomberg announced its annual ranking of the five hundred richest people in the world. We will focus only on the first ten. So, richest people in the world according to the magazine "Big Rating".
Ingvar Kamprad
The Swedish businessman's net worth is estimated at $42.8 billion. Over the past year, Kamprad has become one billion dollars richer. As you know, he is the founder of IKEA. At the moment, Ingvar is quite a decent age - 90 years old. He divorced his first wife back in 1960, after ten years of marriage, married a second time in 1963, but his wife died in 2011. Now he has four children.
Larry Ellison
The American businessman has capital of $45.4 billion. He has risen well this year - his fortune has increased by $1.8 billion. He is one of the co-owners of the Oracle Corporation, which is engaged in the production and release of computer equipment and software. At the moment, Ellison is 72 years old. During his stormy life, he managed to get married and divorced four times. There are two children left from the second marriage.
David Koch
Today his condition is estimated at $47.8 billion. David increased his net worth by $8.2 billion over the past year. He is now 76 years old and still remains married, from which he has three children.
Charles Koch
Brother of David Koch, who is also a co-owner of Koch Industries. The company has a varied range of activities - from oil to polymer materials. Like his brother, he enriched himself by $8.2 billion in a year. He is married and has two children. His condition is estimated at $47.8 billion.
Carlos Slim
The sixth place in today's ranking is occupied by a Mexican businessman, who moved down from third place in the ranking. Today its budget is estimated at 53.3 billion dollars, because over the past year he increased his fortune by 3.3 billion dollars.
It is worth noting that Slim is very diversified in terms of business projects. He owns various companies, ranging from construction to telecommunications.
He is currently 77 years old. He is not married, as he was widowed back in 1999. There are six children left from the marriage.
Mark Zuckerberg
The youngest billionaire occupies fifth place in the ranking. Despite his young years, compared to his closest competitors (only 32 years old), he managed to earn $59.3 billion in past years. This year he raised his fortune by $14.7 billion. Surprisingly, the founder of the world's largest social network Facebook leads a very modest lifestyle. He is married and had a daughter in 2015.
Amancio Ortega
The Spanish entrepreneur is confidently moving forward and takes fourth place in the ranking, with a result of $68.9 billion. This year was successful and brought him 1.9 billion dollars. Ortega has an extensive business and is the owner of the Inditex company, which is the owner of several large retail chains selling ready-made clothing. Zara can also be counted among them.
The Spanish billionaire is now 81 years old and has not had much luck in his marriages. His first marriage broke up and in 2001 he married again. Now he has three children (two from his first marriage and one from his second).
Jeff Bezos
The third position was quickly taken by the owner of the largest company, Amazon. He is moving towards first place at an incredible pace, because this year the Internet company brought him $28.1 billion - an incredible result. Bezos was engaged in trading, but recently he has become more active in investing in various projects in the field of new technologies. Overall, he is still quite young and is currently 53 years old. Has a wife and three children. Today he has $82.1 billion.
It is not surprising that it has been ranked first in the rankings for many years. The world-famous owner of Microsoft became richer by $10.6 billion this year. Bill's general condition is estimated at $85.6 billion. His company is a major supplier of various software throughout the world. Now the businessman is 61 years old and is married, from which he has three children.
1. Jeff Bezos
State:$112 billion
Change per year: + $39.2 billion
Status source: Amazon.com
Age: 54
A country: USA
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the richest man on the planet, in addition, he is the first and only billionaire in the world with a twelve-figure fortune - on November 27, 2017, it exceeded $100 billion for the first time. Shares of the company he created grew by 59% in 12 months, adding to his wealth almost $39.2 billion, also a record growth in capitalization.
Before starting his own business, Bezos worked at a hedge fund, where he left in 1994 for a simple idea - selling books online. Thus Amazon was born.
In recent years, the billionaire's main passion has been space travel. His aerospace company Blue Origin is developing reusable rockets that Bezos says will carry passengers. Bezos’ unusual hobby is also connected with space: together with a team of “underwater archaeologists,” he retrieves parts of NASA spacecraft from the seabed.
2. Bill Gates
State:$90 billion
Change over the year:+$4 billion
Status source: Microsoft
Age: 62
A country: USA
The fortune of the Microsoft founder also increased over 12 months, but not so significantly, and for the first time in the last five years, Gates lost the palm to Jeff Bezos.
More than 40 years ago, Gates, together with Paul Allen, created the world's largest software manufacturer, Microsoft Corporation. Gates now owns almost 3% of his company, which is only 13% of his fortune.
Gates' other investments include investments in the Canadian National Railway, the American engineering company Deere & Co., the waste management company Republic Services, and the auto dealer AutoNation. In 2016, Gates, along with a team of investors including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, created the $1 billion Breakthrough Energy investment fund.
One of the billionaire's priorities is the Bill and Melinda Gates Charitable Foundation. Its main goal is to improve the healthcare system and overcome hunger in poor countries.
3. Warren Buffett
State:$84 billion
Change over the year:+ $8.4 billion
Status source: Berkshire Hathaway
Age: 87
A country: USA
In 2017, the wealthiest and most famous investor in the world became richer by almost $8.4 billion, which helped him reach third place in the Forbes ranking. Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett's holding whose shares rose 16% in 2017, has stakes in more than 60 companies, including Geico, Dairy Queen and Fruit of the Loom, among others. The billionaire invests in Wells Fargo, IBM and Coca-Cola.
Warren made his first investment at age 11. With money he borrowed from his father, he bought three shares of Cities Service Preferred stock, then sold them at a higher price. True, shares bought for $38 and sold for $40 later soared to $200. Life, Buffett believes, already taught him his first lesson in investing - patience is rewarded.
Buffett and Bill Gates, with whom he likes to play bridge, founded The Giving Pledge, a philanthropic campaign in which billionaires pledge to give at least 50% of their wealth to charity. Buffett himself is going to give 99%. He has already donated $28.5 billion.
In January 2018, a change in leadership at Berkshire became one of the most important topics in the financial world - billionaire Warren Buffett named likely successors: Greg Abel, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and Ajit Jain, head of the insurance division, will take a place next to Charlie Munger as vice presidents of the conglomerate , estimated at $500 billion.
Buffett stressed that this decision should not be taken as an intention to immediately leave Berkshire or as evidence of any health problems. “I feel great and I love what I do,” Buffett said. “I’m in a hurry to get to the office in the morning.” In his ninth decade, Buffett continues to masterfully manage his affairs - from investing in Bank of America in 2011 to developing cooperation with 3G Capital.
4. Bernard Arnault
State:$72 billion
Change over the year:+ $30.5 billion
Status source: luxuries
Age: 69
A country: France
The growth in annual revenue of the French holding allowed Arnault to return to the top five richest people in the world. The world's largest luxury brand group, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, announced record sales of €42.6 billion in 2017, up 13% on 2016. The holding's net profit increased by 29%.
In April 2017, Arnault and his family announced a $13 billion deal - they acquired the Christian Dior fashion house and added a new brand to the LVMH portfolio. This transaction caps years of complex mutual participation of the two companies in each other's capital. After the completion of the transaction, billionaire Bernard Arnault's LVMH company became the sole owner of Christian Dior.
5. Mark Zuckerberg
State:$71 billion
Change over the year:+ $15 billion
Status source: Facebook
Age: 32
A country: USA
Despite the fact that the Facebook founder faced serious pressure on the social network amid allegations of alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election, the company's shares rose 32% over the past year, adding another $15 billion to Zuckerberg's fortune.
Mark Zuckerberg founded the social network Facebook in 2004, when he was 19 years old. For the sake of Facebook, Zuckerberg left the prestigious Harvard, but it was the social network that made him a billionaire. Last year was a particularly successful year for Zuckerberg, just like the previous one: rising share prices for his company brought him an additional $11.4 billion.
Zuckerberg takes an active part in managing the social network. He initiated transactions to acquire the social network Instagram, the WhatsApp messenger and the developer of virtual reality helmets Oculus VR.
7. Carlos Slim Helu
State:$67.1 billion
Change over the year:+ $12.6 billion
Status source: Telecom
Age: 77
A country: Mexico
Carlos Slim Helu remains the richest man in Mexico, dropping to seventh place in the Forbes world ranking. Slim and his family control America Movil, the largest telecom operator in Latin America. America Movil shares jumped 39% in 2017.
He holds stakes in Mexican companies in the development, real estate and mining sectors, and in the consumer goods sector. He also owns 17% of The New York Times newspaper.
During the US presidential elections, Slim harshly criticized Donald Trump. After meeting with him in December 2016, Slim called one of his rare press conferences, in which he called on Mexico to unite against threats from the new US president.
8. Charles Koch
State:$60 billion
Change over the year:+ $11.7 billion
Status source: Koch Industries
Age: 82
A country: USA
Charles Koch, along with his brother David, owns the family holding company Koch Industries. With revenue of $100 billion, the company ranks second on the list of the largest private companies in the United States. The oil refinery, from which the history of the diversified holding began, was founded in 1940 by the brothers’ father.
In November 2017, the Koch holding launched Koch Disruptive technologies, a venture capital firm led by Chase Koch, son of Charles Koch. The fund has already invested $150 million in an Israeli medical device startup.
Since 1967, Charles Koch has held the post of Chairman of the Board of Directors at Koch Industries, and the intensive growth of the business is his merit. Charles and David Koch are among the most influential figures in American politics, philanthropy and business.
9. David Koch
State:$60 billion
Change over the year:+ $11.7 billion
Status source: Koch Industries
Age: 77
A country: USA
Along with his older brother Charles Koch, David owns the family company Koch Industries, founded by their father in 1940. The diversified holding is engaged in oil refining, pipeline construction, production of cups and paper towels, etc.
Republicans Charles and David Koch are among their party's most generous donors. The area of their charity is education. In mid-2014, for example, they awarded a $25 million grant to a fund supporting African-American students.
In November 2017, Koch Industries, through Meredith, acquired one of the most influential publishing houses in the world, Time, for $2.8 billion. Their investment company, Koch Equity Development, will provide Meredith Corporation with $650 million to buy Time in exchange for a seat on Meredith's board of directors.
10. Larry Ellison
State: $58,5
Change over the year:+ $6.3 billion
Status source: Oracle
Age: 73
A country: USA
The talented software developer studied at two universities, but never graduated from either of them. But at the beginning of his career, Ellison managed to work for the CIA.
In 1977, the entrepreneur founded Oracle, which made him a billionaire. In 2014, Ellison stepped down as CEO of Oracle, but retained his positions as chairman of the board of directors and director of technology development. A year later, Ellison announced that the company would focus on developing cloud technologies. And apparently, this idea has begun to pay off - over the past 12 months, Oracle shares have risen 18%.
Ellison is a sailing fan and one of the largest sponsors of sailing competitions in the United States. The businessman is actively involved in charity work. In 2016, he pledged $200 million to the University of Southern California to develop cancer drugs.
State:$50 billion
Change over the year:+ $2.5 billion
Status source: Bloomberg L.P.
Age: 76
A country: USA
The influential businessman and former mayor of New York began his career on Wall Street in 1966. Bloomberg worked at the investment bank Salomon Brothers for 15 years. After his dismissal, the future billionaire created Bloomberg LP, which provides financial information.
From 2001 to 2009, New Yorkers elected Bloomberg as their mayor. The billionaire resigned as mayor of the city in 2014 and returned to the leadership of his company less than a year later. Bloomberg is actively involved in charity work.
12. Larry Page
State:$48,8
Change over the year:+ $8.1 billion
Status source: Google
Age: 44
A country: USA
Larry Page is the CEO of Alphabet, Google's parent company. It was created in October 2015 to differentiate the search engine's core business from other areas of activity.
Page founded Google in 1998 with Stanford University student Sergey Brin. In 2017, Page's net worth increased by $8.1 billion.
According to media reports, Larry Page is personally funding two secret flying car startups: Zee.Aero and Kitty Hawk.
13. Sergey Brin
State:$47.5 billion
Change per year: + $7.7 billion
Status source: Google
Age: 43
A country: USA
Brin serves as president of Alphabet, Google's parent company. Previously led the Google X division, which created Google's "ill-fated glasses" (one of Google's most notorious failures). Brin is reportedly spending more than $100 million on the world's largest airship, both for personal travel and for delivering aid to remote areas.
The businessman founded Google in 1998 with Larry Page, whom they met at Stanford University.
Brin, a native of the USSR, is the richest immigrant to the United States and an outspoken critic of Donald Trump's anti-immigration initiatives.
14. Jim Walton
State:$46.4 billion
Change over the year:+ $12.6 billion
Status source: Walmart
Age: 67
A country: USA
Jim Walton is the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He runs his family's Arvest Bank, whose total assets exceed $16 billion.
The businessman served on Walmart's board for more than a decade before giving way to his son Stuart in June 2016. Collectively, Jim and Sam Walton's other heirs own more than half of Walmart's stock.
15. S. Robson Walton
State: $46.2 billion
Status source: Walmart
Age: 73
A country: USA
Sam Walton's eldest son was chairman of Walmart for 23 years. He is now one of three family members still involved in running the company; he and Stuart Walton, Jim Walton's son, are on the board of directors, and his son-in-law Gregory Penner is chairman of Walmart.
16. Alice Walton
State:$46 billion
Change over the year:+ $12.2 billion
Status source: Walmart
Age: 68
A country: USA
Alice Walton is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Unlike her brothers, who worked at Walmart, Alice focused on art projects.
In 2011, Alice Walton opened the Crystal Bridges Museum in her family's hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas. It features works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell and Mark Rothko. Her personal art collection is valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
17. Ma Huateng
State:$45.3 billion
Status source: Tencent
Age: 46
A country: China
Ma Huateng is the richest man in Asia thanks to his Hong Kong-listed company Tencent. Tencent boasts a wide range of popular services and products, including online payments and games, as well as the popular WeChat text and voice messaging system. WeChat reaches nearly 1 billion active users. Tencent also has stakes in Tesla, Snapchat and Spotify
Huateng was born in 1971 in Guangdong Province. The future billionaire's first job was at China Motion Telecom Development, a provider of telecommunications services and products, where he developed software for pagers.
In 1998, Huaten, together with former classmates, founded Tencent, whose first product was the OICQ messenger (analogous to ICQ). In 2004, the holding entered an IPO. In 2007 and 2014, Time magazine named the businessman one of the most influential people in the world.
18. Francoise Bettencourt-Myers
State:$42.2 billion
Status source: L'Oreal
Age: 64
A country: France
Francoise Bettencourt-Myers' mother, Liliane Becantour, owner of a share in the cosmetics company L'Oreal, died in September 2017, leaving her fortune to Francoise Bettencourt-Myers and her family.
19. Mukesh Ambani
State:$40.1 billion
Status source: Reliance Industries
Age: 60
A country: India
The Indian tycoon owns assets in the oil and gas and telecommunications industries. The soaring share price of his conglomerate Reliance Industries has propelled Ambani into the ranks of the world's 20 richest people for the first time in five years.
20. Jack Ma
State:$39 billion
Status source: Alibaba
Age: 53
A country: China
In 1999, Jack Ma founded the e-commerce company Alibaba. Its users have access to a service that combines individual functions of eBay, Amazon and PayPal. In addition to online retail, the company is developing the Alipay payment system.
Alibaba's rapid growth reflects the rapid growth of online services and content in China, the world's most populous country and the country with the largest number of internet users.
1. Bill Gates
State:$86 billion
Change over the year:+ $11 billion
Status source: Microsoft
Age: 61
A country: USA
Bill Gates became the richest person in the world, according to Forbes, for the fourth year in a row and 18 times in the last 23 years. More than 40 years ago, Gates and Paul Allen created the world's largest software manufacturer, Microsoft Corporation. Gates now owns almost 3% of his company, which is only 13% of his fortune.
Gates' other investments include investments in the Canadian National Railway, the American engineering company Deere & Co., the waste management company Republic Services, and the auto dealer AutoNation. In 2016, Gates, along with a team of investors including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, created the $1 billion Breakthrough Energy investment fund.
One of the billionaire's priorities is the Bill and Melinda Gates Charitable Foundation. Its main goal is to improve the healthcare system and overcome hunger in poor countries.
2. Warren Buffett
State:$75.6 billion
Change over the year:+ $14.8 billion
Status source: Berkshire Hathaway
Age: 86
A country: USA
In 2016, the world's wealthiest and most famous investor became almost $15 billion richer, which helped him return to second place in the Forbes ranking, displacing Zara owner Amancio Ortega. Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett's holding company, owns stakes in more than 60 companies, including Geico, Dairy Queen and Fruit of the Loom, among others. The billionaire invests in Wells Fargo, IBM and Coca-Cola.
Warren made his first investment at age 11. With money he borrowed from his father, he bought three shares of Cities Service Preferred stock, then sold them at a higher price. True, shares bought for $38 and sold for $40 later soared to $200. Life, Buffett believes, already taught him his first lesson in investing - patience is rewarded.
Buffett and Bill Gates, with whom he likes to play bridge, founded The Giving Pledge, a philanthropic campaign in which billionaires pledge to give at least 50% of their wealth to charity. Buffett himself is going to give 99%. He has already donated $28.5 billion.
3. Jeff Bezos
State:$72.8 billion
Change over the year:+ $27.6 billion
Status source: Amazon.com
Age: 53
A country: USA
Jeff Bezos has been luckier than anyone this year. Shares of the company he created, Amazon, rose by 67%, adding almost $28 billion to his fortune. The growth of the online retailer’s capitalization allowed Bezos to take third place in the ranking of the richest people on the planet for the first time. In particular, Bezos has replaced Mexico's richest man, Carlos Slim Helu, and Zara owner Amancio Ortega on the Forbes list.
Before starting his own business, Bezos worked at a hedge fund, where he left in 1994 for a simple idea - selling books online. Thus Amazon was born.
In recent years, the billionaire's main passion has been space travel. His aerospace company Blue Origin is developing reusable rockets that Bezos says will carry passengers. In November 2015, Blue Origin successfully conducted a controlled landing of the reusable BE-3 rocket. Bezos’ unusual hobby is also connected with space: together with a team of “underwater archaeologists,” he retrieves parts of NASA spacecraft from the seabed.
5. Mark Zuckerberg
State:$56 billion
Change over the year:+ $11.4 billion
status source: Facebook
Age: 32
A country: USA
Mark Zuckerberg founded the social network Facebook in 2004, when he was 19 years old. For the sake of Facebook, Zuckerberg left the prestigious Harvard, but it was the social network that made him a billionaire. Last year was a particularly successful year for Zuckerberg, just like the previous one: rising share prices for his company brought him an additional $11.4 billion.
Zuckerberg takes an active part in managing the social network. He initiated transactions to acquire the social network Instagram, the WhatsApp messenger and the developer of virtual reality helmets Oculus VR.
In 2015, Mark and his wife Priscilla Chan became parents for the first time. The happy couple promised to give 99% of their stake in Facebook to charity. In 2017, the couple announced that they were expecting a second child.
6. Carlos Slim Helu
State:$54.5 billion
Change over the year:+ $4.5 billion
Status source: Telecom
Age: 77
A country: Mexico
Carlos Slim Helu is still the richest man in Mexico, but he has fallen out of the top five richest people in the world. For the first time in the last twelve years.
Slim and his family control America Movil, the largest telecom operator in Latin America. He holds stakes in Mexican companies in the development, real estate and mining sectors, and the consumer goods sector. He also owns 17% of The New York Times newspaper.
During the US presidential elections, Slim harshly criticized Donald Trump. After meeting with him in December 2016, Slim called one of his rare press conferences, in which he called on Mexico to unite against threats from the new US president.
7. Larry Ellison
State:$52.2 billion
Change over the year:+ $8.6 billion
Status source: Oracle
Age: 72
A country: USA
The talented software developer studied at two universities, but never graduated from either of them. But at the beginning of his career, Ellison managed to work for the CIA.
In 1977, the entrepreneur founded Oracle, which made him a billionaire. In 2014, Ellison stepped down as CEO of Oracle, but retained his positions as chairman of the board of directors and director of technology development. A year later, Ellison announced that the company would focus on developing cloud technologies. And apparently, this idea has begun to pay off - over the past 12 months, Oracle shares have risen 18%.
Ellison is a sailing fan and one of the largest sponsors of sailing competitions in the United States. The businessman is actively involved in charity work. In 2016, he pledged $200 million to the University of Southern California to develop cancer drugs.
8. Charles Koch
State:$48.3 billion
Change over the year:+ $8.7 billion
Status source: Koch Industries
Age: 81
A country: USA
Charles Koch and his brother David own the family holding company Koch Industries. With revenue of $100 billion, the company ranks second on the list of the largest private companies in the United States. The oil refinery, from which the history of the diversified holding began, was founded in 1940 by the brothers’ father.
Since 1967, Charles Koch has held the post of Chairman of the Board of Directors at Koch Industries, and the intensive growth of the business is his merit. Charles and David Koch are among the most influential figures in American politics, philanthropy and business.
9. David Koch
State:$48.3 billion
Change over the year:+ $8.7 billion
Source states: Koch Industries
Age: 76
A country: USA
Along with his older brother Charles Koch, David owns the family company Koch Industries, founded by their father in 1940. The diversified holding is engaged in oil refining, pipeline construction, production of cups and paper towels, etc.
Republicans Charles and David Koch are among their party's most generous donors. The area of their charity is education. In mid-2014, for example, they awarded a $25 million grant to a fund supporting African-American students.
State:$47.5 billion
Change over the year:+ $7.5 billion
Status source: Bloomberg L.P.
Age: 75
A country: USA
The influential businessman and former mayor of New York began his career on Wall Street in 1966. Bloomberg worked at the investment bank Salomon Brothers for 15 years. After his dismissal, the future billionaire created Bloomberg LP, which provides financial information.
From 2001 to 2009, New Yorkers elected Bloomberg as their mayor. The billionaire resigned as mayor of the city in 2014 and returned to the leadership of his company less than a year later. Bloomberg is actively involved in charity work. In total, he donated $4 billion to various causes.
11. Bernard Arnault
State: $41.5 billion
Change per year: + $7.5 billion
State Source: luxuries
Age: 68
A country: France
Bernard Arnault is the president of the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy group of companies, which controls 70 brands, including Dom Perignon, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton, Sephora and Tag Heuer, as well as about 3,900 retail stores.
In 2016, LVMH sold Donna Karan (Donna Karan and DKNY brands) and acquired Rimowa, a premium carry-on luggage manufacturer.
Arnault has headed the company since 1989. In 2016, the holding's sales increased by 5% and reached a record €37.6 billion. Shares of Christian Dior and LVMH over the past year have risen in price by 20% and 29%, respectively.
Result: Arnault’s fortune increased by $7.5 billion, the businessman rose from 14th to 11th place in the ranking of the wealthiest people in the world. This is the highest figure for Arnault since 2013.
12. Larry Page
State:$40.7 billion
Change over the year:+ $5.5 billion
Status source: Google
Age: 43
A country: USA
Larry Page is the CEO of Alphabet, Google's parent company. It was created in October 2015 to differentiate the search engine's core business from other areas of activity.
Page founded Google in 1998 with Stanford University student Sergey Brin. In 2016, Google shares rose 18%, increasing Page's wealth by $5.5 billion.
According to media reports, Larry Page is personally funding two secret flying car startups: Zee.Aero and Kitty Hawk.
13. Sergey Brin
State:$39.8 billion
Change over the year:+ $5.4 billion
Status source: Google
Age: 43
A country: USA
Brin serves as president of Alphabet, Google's parent company. Previously led the Google X division, which created Google's "ill-fated glasses" (one of Google's most notorious failures).
During 2016, Brin sold $760 million worth of Google shares.
The businessman founded Google in 1998 with Larry Page, whom they met at Stanford University.
Brin, a native of the USSR, is the richest immigrant to the United States and an outspoken critic of Donald Trump's anti-immigration initiatives.
14. Liliane Bettencourt
State:$39.5 billion
Change over the year:+ $3.4 billion
Status source: L'Oreal
Age: 94
A country: France
Liliane Bettencourt is the richest woman in the world; together with her children, she owns 33% of the cosmetics giant L'Oréal. Over the past year, the holding's shares have risen in price by 17%, increasing her fortune by $3.4 billion.
L"Oréal was founded by Eugene Schuller (father of Liliane Bettencourt) in 1907. In 2011, Bettencourt, suffering from dementia, was placed under the care of her daughter, Françoise Meyers-Bettencourt. In 2012, Jean-Victor Meyers took over as head of L"Oréal - grandson of Lilian Bettencourt.
Bettencourt's relatives also initiated legal proceedings against photographer François-Marie Banier. He was accused of exploiting the physical weakness of Liliane Betancourt for personal gain as a trusted person.
In August 2016, a French appeals court ordered Banier to pay a fine of $400,000 and return assets worth $90 million. Later, a court decision was also made to arrest Banier, he was ordered to pay an additional $170 million. Banier denies his guilt, he appealed the decision to the Supreme Court .
15. Robson Walton
State:$34.1 billion
Change over the year:+ $2.2 billion
Status source: Walmart
Age: 72
A country: USA
Rob Walton is the eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He ran Walmart for 23 years after his father died in 1992. In 2015, Rob Walton was replaced as chairman of Walmart by his son-in-law Greg Penner.
In September 2016, Walmart acquired online retailer Jet.com. The holding's shares rose in price by 5% over the past year. Rob Walton still owns Walmart, and his family collectively owns more than half of the company.
16. Jim Walton
State:$34 billion
Change over the year:+ $400 million
Status source: Walmart
Age: 68
A country: USA
Jim Walton is the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He runs his family's Arvest Bank, whose total assets exceed $16 billion.
The businessman served on Walmart's board for more than a decade before giving way to his son, Stuart, in June 2016. Collectively, Jim and Sam Walton's other heirs own more than half of Walmart's shares, which are up more than 5% in 2016.
17. Alice Walton
State:$33.8 billion
Change over the year:+ $1.5 billion
Status source: Walmart
Age: 67 years old
A country: USA
Alice Walton is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Unlike her brothers, who worked at Walmart, Alice focused on art projects.
In 2011, Alice Walton opened the Crystal Bridges Museum in her family's hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas. It features works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell and Mark Rothko. Her personal art collection is valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
18. Wang Jianlin
State:$31.3 billion
Change over the year:+ $2.6 billion
Status source: real estate, entertainment
Age: 62
A country: China
Wang Jianlin is the richest man in China. He has been like this for the last four years in a row. Jianlin made his fortune by building hotels, residential properties and shopping centers. He owns the Dalian Wanda Group, which has made several high-profile deals in the entertainment industry over the past few years.
In particular, in January 2016, Dalian Wanda Group acquired the American film company Legendary Entertainment for $3.5 billion (where, for example, the film The Dark Knight was created). Earlier, in 2012, Dalian Wanda Group acquired the AMC Entertainment cinema chain in the United States for $2.6 billion. In March 2017, Jianlin's company tried to acquire Dick Clark Productions (an American producer of television shows) for $1 billion, but the deal fell through.
At the same time, Jianlin is investing in the Chinese entertainment industry. In May 2016, Dalian Wanda opened Dalian Wanda-City, a $3 billion theme park complex in Nanchang, China. In total, Wang plans to open 20 more such complexes, mainly in China.
19. Li Ka-shing
State:$31.2 billion
Change over the year:+ $4.1 billion
Status source: various
Age: 88
A country: Hong Kong
Li Ka-shing is the richest man in Hong Kong and owns real estate developer Cheung Kong Property. Over the past 12 months (as of mid-February), the company's shares have risen by 31%. The businessman also made good money thanks to a jump in the value of shares of the Canadian oil company Husky Energy, which he controls.
Li Ka-shing last year invested in the Postal Savings Bank of China and also announced the $5 billion acquisition of Australian electricity and natural gas distributor Duet.
One of the largest investors in Asia, Li Ka-shing has invested more than $28 billion in European companies over the past five years. Li Ka-shing's areas of interest include ports, utility providers, telecommunications, real estate, and retail. The billionaire employs more than 310,000 people in more than 50 countries.
20. Sheldon Adelson
State:$30.4 billion
Change over the year:+ $5.2 billion
Status source: casino
Age: 83
A country: USA
Sheldon Adelson runs Las Vegas Sands, the largest player in the US casino market. The company's shares have risen 23% in the 12 months to mid-February, which has been the main reason Adelson's fortune has risen over the past year.
Adelson actively invests abroad. In September 2016, Las Vegas Sands opened a new themed resort in Macau, China. The cost of the project was $2.9 billion. Earlier, in April 2016, Las Vegas Sands agreed to pay a fine of $9 million to the US Securities and Exchange Commission to settle charges of violating the corruption law in Macau.
Sheldon Adelson has a reputation as one of the Republicans' "wallets" and is part of President Donald Trump's "inner circle." Adelson donated $5 million to Trump's election campaign, and the entrepreneur invested about $40 million more in the campaigns of Republican candidates in the congressional elections.
The son of immigrants from Lithuania and Wales, Sheldon Adelson grew up poor. As a child, he had to sleep on the floor in a cramped high-rise apartment in Boston. The future billionaire began earning money by selling newspapers. Adelson opened his first retail outlet at the age of 12, borrowing $200 from his uncle.
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