Richest person in 50 countries around the world

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July 19, 2020
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Richest person in 50 countries around the world

While there is no specific equation to becoming a billionaire, the richest people in the world share a few common characteristics: They are dreamers who take big risks, aren't afraid to fail, and will stop at nothing to be successful.

To learn more about billionaires around the world, Stacker compiled a list of the wealthiest person in 50 different countries using net worth estimates from Forbes as of July 13, 2020. Forbes' list is updated daily. The richest person in every country was found, and the 50 richest of that group were included in this list.

Many of the billionaires on the list were born into families with companies that have had an extensive impact on the world's economy. A few include the diamond company De Beers, the fast-fashion retailer H&M, and the Dutch brewing company Heineken. Some have spent their whole lives preparing to one day take over the family business, while others took over unexpectedly following the sudden death of a family member.

There are also a few self-made billionaires on the list. These entrepreneurs followed their visions to fruition. It is their persistence, drive, and passion that earned them a spot on Stacker's list as the richest person in a country.

Curious to find out how many women billionaires made the list? Did any celebrities make the cut? Who made the list as the richest person on the planet? Hint: His business started out as an online book retailer in the 1990s. Click through to find out and see if you guessed correctly.

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#50. Eswatini: Nathan Kirsh

- Net worth: $3.9 billion (#638 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: retail, real estate

Nathan Kirsh is an 88-year-old, Swazi-South African businessman who launched a corn milling company in 1958. That business eventually went bankrupt; Kirsh recovered his fortune with the restaurant supply company Jetro Holdings. The company consists of Jetro Cash & Carry and Restaurant Depot, and both supply wholesale goods to bodegas, small stores, and restaurants in the New York City area. He aids small-business owners with starter capital and holds residencies in the United States and the United Kingdom.

[Pictured: (L-R) Gerard Mosse, Linda Mirels, Frances Kirsh, and Nathan Kirsh attend the 2017 Metropolitan Opera Opening Night at The Metropolitan Opera House on Sept. 25, 2017, in New York City.]

#49. Poland: Michal Solowow

- Net worth: $4.0 billion (#616 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: investments

Michal Solowow founded the construction company Mitex in the late ‘80s, eventually selling it in 2002 to French investor Eiffage. While Solowow has abandoned any and all management responsibilities, the 58-year-old remains an active investor. Today, Solowow holds major shares in public Polish chemicals firm Synthos, ceramics maker Cersanit, real estate developer Echo Investment, and flooring company Barlinek.

[Pictured: Cersanit rally team; Michal Solowow, Maciej Baran.]

#48. Kazakhstan: Vladimir Kim

- Net worth: $4.1 billion (#588 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: mining

Vladimir Kim, 59, serves as the CEO and owns 45% of the mining company Kazakhmys in Central Qaraghandy Province. The 46,000-employee company has coal mines and several power-operating stations including hydropower and solar. There was a serious disruption in operations due to the massive outbreak of the coronavirus that forced the company to reduce the number of people in the mines to slow down the spread of the virus. The reduced price of oil in global markets and the coronavirus caused a major economic hit for the company with a major decrease in revenue in 2020.

[Pictured: Kazakhmys PLC chairman Vladimir Kim speaks at the listing ceremony of Kazakhmys PLC at the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEx).]

#47. Peru: Carlos Rodriguez-Pastor

- Net worth: $4.1 billion (#585 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: finance

After his father’s death, Carlos Rodriguez-Pastor, 61, assumed immediate leadership of Banco Internacional del Peru. He currently serves as the chairman and CEO of Intercorp Financial Services, a Peruvian retail and banking group; and as the managing partner of Nexus Group, a private equity firm. Both companies invest in Peruvian and Andean businesses in the retail, real estate, and education sectors.

[Pictured: Facade of the Banco Internacional del Peru (now Interbank) in Arequipa, Peru.]

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#46. Argentina: Marcos Galperin

- Net worth: $4.3 billion (#547 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: e-commerce

Marcos Galperin serves as CEO, co‑founder, chairman, and president of MercadoLibre.com, the largest online marketplace in Latin America based on monthly visits and the fourth-biggest in the world. Galperin comes from money: His family owns leather company SADESA, a leather company that made more than $180 million in 2019. Galperin was born and raised in Argentina, coming to the U.S. after graduating high school to study finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He founded MercadoLibre.com in the late ‘90s while earning his graduate degree in business from Stanford.

[Pictured: Marcos Galperin.]

#45. Portugal: Maria Fernanda Amorim & family

- Net worth: $4.4 billion (#523 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: energy, investments

Widow Maria Fernanda Amorim, 85, and her family inherited the wealth of her husband and business mogul Americo Amorim, and are considered the wealthiest family in Portugal. Americo Amorim valued diversification and was a self-made businessman with his cork empire Corticeira Amorim and his energy business Galp Energia. Maria Fernanda currently has an 18% stake in the energy company.

[Pictured: Portuguese businesswoman Paula Amorim, daughter of Maria Fernanda Amorim, 2016.]

#44. Georgia: Bidzina Ivanishvili

- Net worth: $4.8 billion (#469 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: investments

Bidzina Ivanishvili pursued the metal and banking industry in Russia, selling his interests in 2003 and and moving back to his home in Georgia. In 2012 he was elected to be the prime minister of Georgia, stepping down from that role 13 months later. Now 64, Ivanishvili has a zoo of penguins, lemurs, and a zebra, as well as an extensive collection of modern art.

#43. Turkey: Murat Ulker

- Net worth: $4.9 billion (#457 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: food

Murat Ulker, 61, is the chairman and CEO of Yildiz Holding, which produces food products such as biscuits, chocolate, cake, and nonalcoholic beverages. The company generates $12 billion in annual revenue, produces more than 320 brands, and exports to 110 countries. In 2014, Ulker spent $3.2 billion to acquire the United Kingdom’s United Biscuits.

#42. Philippines: Manuel Villar

- Net worth: $5.1 billion (#434 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: real estate

70-year-old Filipino billionaire Manuel Villar is the chairman and CEO of Starmalls, one of the country’s largest mall operators, and Vista Landscapes, the Philippines’ largest homebuilder. He has also acquired Golden Bria, a housing and condominium developer. His wife Cynthia Villar is a member of the Philippine Senate.

#41. Norway: Odd Reitan

- Net worth: $5.3 billion (#410 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: retail, real estate

Odd Reitan is the chairman and CEO of Reitangruppen, the largest grocer in Norway, and runs the company with his two sons Ole Robert and Magnus. The company employs 38,000 people and has grocery and convenience stores throughout Scandinavia and the Baltic.

#40. Vietnam: Pham Nhat Vuong

- Net worth: $5.7 billion (#374 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: diversified

Vietnam’s first billionaire, Pham Nhat Vuong, 51, earned his fortune as founder and chairman of Vingroup, one of the country’s largest conglomerates with business pursuits in real estate, retail, and health care. He studied in Russia in 1992 and started an instant noodle business in Ukraine before heading back to Vietnam. Vinfast, the automotive arm of his current company, released its first car in June 2019, and today the company is working on releasing electric cars and motorcycles.

[Pictured: Pham Nhat Vuong on the cover of the inaugural issue on sale at a roadside newsstand in Hanoi on June 26, 2013, shortly after its launch.]

#39. Finland: Antti Herlin

- Net worth: $6.0 billion (#361 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: elevators, escalators

Antti Herlin runs Kone Corporation as chairman and served as its CEO from 1996–2006. One of the world’s largest manufacturers of elevators and escalators, it’s been a family business since 1924 when Herlin’s great-grandfather began investing in it. The company’s products are used throughout the world from Shanghai to Saudi Arabia. His son Jussi is vice chairman of Kone, and his daughter Iiris serves on its board.

[Pictured: Antti Herlin, Feb. 26, 2007.]

#38. Egypt: Nassef Sawiris

- Net worth: $6.5 billion (#323 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: construction, chemicals

In addition to holding stakes in the Swiss cement-maker Lagarge Holcim and German sports apparel company Adidas, Nassef Sawiris, 59, is the chairman and CEO of OCI, one of the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers. OCI was originally part of Orsacom Construction Industries, but Sawiris decided to split the engineering and building firm into two separate companies in 2015.

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#37. Taiwan: Terry Gou

- Net worth: $6.6 billion (#313 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: electronics

Terry Gou, 69, is the founder of Hon Hai Precision, also known as Foxconn. It is the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, employs roughly 1 million people, concentrates on research and development, owns more nearly 84,000 patents, and lists Apple as one of its top customers. While Gou no longer serves as the chairman of the Hon Hai Precision, he is still a company director. Gou began his campaign in early 2019 for the 2020 Taiwan presidential election, but announced in September 2019 that he was withdrawing his bid.

#36. Algeria: Issad Rebrab & family

- Net worth: $6.7 billion (#311 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: food

Issad Rebrab, 76, just recently finished eight months in jail on Jan. 1, 2020, for corruption charges, but denies any wrongdoing on his part. He is the CEO and founder of Cevital, one of Algeria’s largest privately held companies, which owns a refinery that is able to produce more than two tons of sugar annually. Cevital employs 18,000 people internationally at a number of industrial companies that include a home appliance manufacturer in France, a steel mill in Italy, and a water purification company in Germany.

[Pictured: CEO of Algerian conglomerate Cevital Issad Rebrab speaks during the 6th EU-Africa Business Forum on Nov. 27, 2017, in Abidjan, ahead of the African Union-European Union summit.]

#35. South Africa: Nicky Oppenheimer & family

- Net worth: $7.6 billion (#262 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: diamonds

Nicky Oppenheimer’s family founded the diamond dynasty De Beers. For 85 years, the family occupied a controlling spot in the world’s diamond trade. Oppenheimer, 75, is the third generation to run the business, but in 2012, he decided to sell his 40% stake to the mining group Anglo American for $5.1 billion in cash.

#34. Nigeria: Aliko Dangote

- Net worth: $7.7 billion (#253 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: cement, sugar

Aliko Dangote, 63, is the founder and CEO of Dangote Cement, one of Africa’s largest cement producers. He owns 85% of the company, which operates in 10 countries across the continent and produces nearly 50 million metric tons of cement a year. Dangote also owns shares in publicly traded salt and sugar manufacturing companies. An oil refinery, which is under construction, is his most recent business venture.

[Pictured: Aliko Dangote (L) and Al Sahibani (R) seal the acquisition of Dangote Cement by ICD in 2014.]

#33. Belgium: Eric Wittouck

- Net worth: $8.0 billion (#240 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: investments

Eric Wittouck’s family founded Tiense Suiker, a Belgian sugar producing company. Wittouck, 73, has fully invested his net worth with Invus, a New York equity firm, which successfully increased his fortune dramatically.

[Pictured: Tiense Suikerraffinaderij/Raffinerie Tirlemontoise' sugar refinery in Wanze, March 23, 2020. The refinery switched production from sugar to disinfecting hand gel during the COVID-19 pandemic.]

#32. Israel: Eyal Ofer

- Net worth: $8.3 billion (#231 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: real estate, shipping

Eyal Ofer, 70, inherited his late father’s shipping business in 2011 and has successfully expanded the company. He now serves as the chairman of the Moncao-based Ofer Global and has led the company in its shipping and real estate ventures worldwide. He also is an active investor in international financial markets and global companies.

#31. Switzerland: Gianluigi & Rafaela Aponte

- Net worth: $8.4 billion (#221 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: Shipping

In 1970, Gianluigi Aponte, 79, and his wife Rafaela Aponte, started their business, the privately owned MSC, Mediterranean Shipping Co., which has become the second largest shipping company in the world with more than 500 vessels and 70,000 employees. The Apontes also operate MSC Cruises, which sails the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas; Medlog inland logistics; and Terminal Investment Limited. In 2014, Gianluigi stepped down as CEO and became chairman while his son took over, but was replaced by Soren Taft in 2019.

[Pictured: French actor Gerard Depardieu, sponsor of the cruise ship MSC Musica, with Rafaela Aponte, Gianluigi Aponte, and Commander Ponti before the inauguration of the cruise ship MSC Musica, on June 19, 2006, in Saint-Nazaire harbor.]

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#30. Colombia: Luis Carlos Sarmiento

- Net worth: $9.1 billion (#203 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: banking

After earning a degree in engineering in 1954, Luis Carlos Sarmiento, 87, worked in construction. He took a 10,000 pesos payout, worked as a freelance engineer, and then invested in his own firm the Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo Group in 1959. He has since invested his fortune in the banking industry, and in 2012, he purchased El Tiempo, Colombia’s largest newspaper, for $250 million.

#29. Denmark: Anders Holch Povlsen

- Net worth: $10.0 billion (#179 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: fashion retail

Anders Holch Povlsen, 47, took over the family business, the fashion retailer Bestseller, at 28, and is now the sole owner. The fashion retailer sells apparel under 11 brand names including Jack&Jones, Only, and Vero Moda. Povlsen has stakes in ASOS, the fashion retailer; Nemliq, the online grocer; and Klarna, the payment company.

[Pictured: Anne and Anders Holch Povlsen arrive at the 50th birthday celebration of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in Royal Arena, Copenhagen, May 27, 2018.]

#28. Cyprus: John Fredriksen

- Net worth: $10.1 billion (#176 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: shipping

Self-made billionaire John Fredriksen began his career in the oil industry in the 1960s. Today, his holdings include the oil tanker firm Frontline; Golden Ocean Group, a dry bulk shipper; Ship Finance International; rig owner Seadrill; fish-farmer Mowi, considered to be the world’s biggest fish farmer and his largest stake in the company; and Seatankers Management, the financial services force behind Fredriksen’s investments.

[Pictured: Anja Niemi, John Fredriksen, and Cecilie Fredriksen attend the private viewing of "Anja Niemi: Do Not Disturb" at The Little Black Gallery on March 27, 2012, in London.]

#27. Malaysia: Robert Kuok

- Net worth: $10.6 billion (#168 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: palm oil, shipping, property

96-year-old Robert Kuok owns Kuok Group, a multinational conglomerate with business interests in hotels, real estate, and commodities. He founded the luxury Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in 1971. His youngest son Kuok Khoon Hua in 2019 was appointed as CEO and vice chairman of Kerry Properties, the Hong Kong property conglomerate.

[Pictured: Robert Kuok (C) receives a souvenir from a Chinese official (R) during his visit to Fuzhou, in southeastern China's Fujian province, April 18, 2005, as president of the Kuok clan in Malaysia.]

#26. New Zealand: Graeme Hart

- Net worth: $13.1 billion (#132 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: investments

Graeme Hart accumulated his packaging empire using leveraged buyouts. He has stakes in companies that produce everyday products such as milk cartons, water bottles, paper, and aluminum foil. In March 2015, Hart’s Reynolds Group Holdings, which includes its aluminum Reynolds Wrap, closed a $4.1 billion sale of its subsidiary SIG, the manufacturer of cartons for such brands as V8, Ocean Spray, and Dole.

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#25. Ireland: Pallonji Mistry

- Net worth: $14.3 billion (#119 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: construction

Pallonji Mistry, 91, who has been an Irish citizen since 2003, runs the Mumbai-headquartered Shapoorji Pallonji Group, a global organization of 18 major companies in the engineering and construction, infrastructure, real estate, water, energy, and financial services segments. The family also has an 18.4% stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the $111 billion Tata Group, a multinational conglomerate.

#24. Chile: Iris Fontbona & family

- Net worth: $15.0 billion (#114 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: mining

Iris Fontbona, 78, is the widow of billionaire Andronico Luksic, who died from cancer in 2005. He was the founder of the Luksic Group that focused on the beverage and mining industries. Fontbona and her sons inherited the company and today control Antofagasta Plc, which has copper mines in Chile and trades on the London Stock Exchange. They also have a majority share in the publicly traded Quinenco, a Chilean beer, manufacturing, and banking conglomerate.

[Pictured: FCAB railway cars carrying mined copper materials from Antofagasta.]

#23. Netherlands: Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken & family

- Net worth: $15.2 billion (#108 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: Heineken

Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, 65, is the executive director of Heineken, the Dutch brewing company. She inherited a 25% stake in 2002 from her late father, the previous CEO of the company who transformed it into the world’s third-largest brewery.

[Pictured: Michel de Carvalho, Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Charles Finch attend the Charles Finch and Jean Pigozzi dinner with Mulberry chairman, Godfrey Davis, at Harry's Bar on Oct. 15, 2014, in London, England.]

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#22. Australia: Gina Rinehart

- Net worth: $15.6 billion (#101 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: mining

Gina Rinehart, 66, is the daughter of the well-known iron ore explorer Lang Hancock, whose estate was near bankruptcy when she inherited it. Rinehart successfully rebuilt the business and the quick rise in wealth comes from foreign investments in new products, which includes the Roy Hill mining project that started shipments to Asia in 2015, and cattle production on numerous properties across Australia.

#21. Thailand: Dhanin Chearavanont

- Net worth: $16.1 billion (#93 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: diversified

Dhanin Chearavanont, 81, was the chairman and CEO of Charoen Pokphand Group for 48 years and now serves as the senior chairman. It is the parent company of C.P. Group and one of the world’s largest producers of animal feed and livestock. Chearavanont’s eldest son Soopakij now serves as chairman of the company, and his youngest son Suphachai is the CEO. In March 2020, CP Group acquired Tesco’s operations in Thailand and Malaysia for $10.6 billion.

#20. United Kingdom: James Ratcliffe

- Net worth: $16.2 billion (#91 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: chemicals

British billionaire James Ratcliffe, 67, is the founder, chairman, and owns the majority of the petrochemical powerhouse Ineos Group, a worldwide manufacturing company with nearly $60 billion in sales. Based in London, it produces synthetic oils, plastics, and even solvents used to make insulin and antibiotics. In 2019, Ratcliffe sponsored Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge’s attempt at running a marathon in under two hours in a challenge named The Ineos. Kipchoge was successful, completing the race in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds.

#19. Sweden: Stefan Persson

- Net worth: $16.6 billion (#84 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: H&M

Stefan Persson, 72, owns a 36% stake in the global fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz, also known as H&M, founded by his father in 1947. Since 2009, Persson’s son Karl-Johan has been the CEO of the company, and in May, Persson stepped down as chairman, passing that responsibility to his son as well.

[Pictured: Carolyn Denise Persson and Stefan Persson attend the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony at Concert Hall on Dec. 10, 2018, in Stockholm, Sweden.]

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#18. Singapore: Li Xiting

- Net worth: $16.9 billion (#81 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: medical devices

Li Xiting is CEO and one of seven founding members of medical-device supplier Mindray Medical International. During the coronavirus pandemic, Mindray sent medical devices worth $4.6 million to hospitals around the world. Surging demand during the pandemic for lifesaving medical supplies and ventilators added $3.5 billion to the billionaire’s wealth, making him one of the top-five gainers in 2020.

[Pictured: Mindray Medical International.]

#17. South Korea: Lee Kun-hee

- Net worth: $17.4 billion (#79 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: Samsung

Lee Kun-hee, 78, serves as chairman of the Korean conglomerate Samsung Group, which is known for its consumer electronics. The company’s segment interests consist of fashion, theme parks, insurance, IT services, and electronics. His father Lee Byung-Chull is the founder of Samsung Group.

#16. Czechia: Petr Kellner

- Net worth: $17.7 billion (#73 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: finance, telecommunications

Petr Kellner, 56, started his career in the early 1990s selling office supplies. During this time he joined with two business partners to start the investment firm Prvni Privatizacni Fond (PPF). He invested in the Czech Republic’s biggest insurer during the company’s privatization and also has stakes in PPF Bank, a telecom firm, and commercial real estate holdings.

#15. Indonesia: R. Budi Hartono

- Net worth: $18.3 billion (#68 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: banking, tobacco

R. Budi Hartono’s riches grew in tobacco, and in his country, he’s still a big clove cigarette-maker, but his fortune is also due in part to his investment in Bank Central Asia. Hartono, 80, bought a stake in the company when the Salims family lost control of it during the Asian economic crisis in the late 1990s. In addition, he and his brother Michael Hartono also own the electronics brand Polytron, real estate in Jakarta, and shares in the game start-up Razer.

[Pictured: Tobacco leaves being harvested in Indonesia.]

#14. Brazil: Joseph Safra

- Net worth: $22.1 billion (#53 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: banking

Joseph Safra, 82, claims his #14 spot on this list with his business endeavors in banking, which he learned about from his Syrian family. He owns Brazil’s eighth-largest bank, Banco Safra, and in Switzerland he owns J. Safra Sarasin, a bank that was created in a merger in 2013. Safra is also the owner of a 50% stake of Chiquita Brands International.

#13. Russia: Vladimir Potanin

- Net worth: $23.0 billion (#50 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: metals

Vladimir Potanin, 59, is CEO of Norilsk Nickel, a metals and mining operation he acquired in 1995 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He owns 34% of the company. Potanin also has pursued other business ventures in insurance, media, agriculture, engineering, and oil, and has stakes in Petrovax Pharm and the Sochi ski resort Rosa Khutor.

[Pictured: Vladimir Potanin (L) and Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina talking ahead of a meeting at the Moscow Kremlin.]

#12. Italy: Giovanni Ferrero

- Net worth: $25.6 billion (#45 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: Nutella, chocolates

Giovanni Ferrero is the executive chairman of his family’s confectionery company Ferrero Group, which is known for Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread; Kinder chocolates; and Tic Tac Mints. He became CEO of the company in 2011 after his brother Pietro, with whom he had served as co-CEO, died of a heart attack. Only six years later, in 2017, he stepped aside as CEO to be more involved in corporate strategy. The following year, Ferrero negotiated a deal with Nestlé for more than 20 of its brands, and for $2.8 billion his company became the third-largest manufacturer in the U.S. chocolate market.

#11. Austria: Dietrich Mateschitz

- Net worth: $26.1 billion (#44 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: Red Bull

Dietrich Mateschitz, 76, co-founded Red Bull, the energy drink with Thai businessman Chaleo Yoovidhya in 1987. He decided to go into business with Yoovidhya after tasting a drink he concocted. They spent a large portion of the budget on marketing to make the brand a household name. In 2019, Red Bull sold 7.5 billion cans worldwide.

[Pictured: Dietrich Mateschitz during the Red Bull Air Race - Austria at military an airfield on Sept. 16, 2018, in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.]

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#10. Hong Kong: Lee Shau Kee

- Net worth: $27.2 billion (#40 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: real estate

Lee Shau Kee, 92, is the executive director of Henderson Land Development, a company he started in 1976 and the source of the majority of his wealth; chairman of Henderson Development Limited, and vice-chairman of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited. He descends from humble beginnings in Southern China. In 1948, he moved to Hong Kong and became active in the real estate industry. A businessman who is known for his ethics and people skills, he also has donated more than $400 million toward vocational training in China.

#9. Japan: Masayoshi Son

- Net worth: $30.9 billion (#34 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: internet, telecom

Masayoshi Son is CEO and founder of Japanese holding company SoftBank, CEO of SoftBank Mobile, and chairman of Arm Holdings in the U.K. While not a rags-to-riches story, the billionaire did gain a reputation as a comeback kid of sorts: He has the distinction of having lost the most money in history—roughly $70 billion in 2000’s dot-com crash—only to come back to billionaire status.

[Pictured: Masayoshi Son.]

#8. Canada: David Thomson & family

- Net worth: $35.2 billion (#29 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: media

David Thomson, 63, is chairman of Thomson Reuters, a publishing empire that was founded by his grandfather Roy Thomson. David Thomson and family own more than 320 shares of the company, a Canadian multinational media conglomerate; hold a stake in Bell Canada, and also own the Toronto-based Globe and Mail newspaper.

#7. Germany: Beate Heister & Karl Albrecht Jr.

- Net worth: $38.5 billion (#26 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: supermarkets

Beate Heister, 68, and Karl Albrecht Jr., 72, are the children of Karl Albrecht Sr., who cofounded Aldi, the discount supermarket chain. Karl Albrecht Sr. and his brother Theo Albrecht Sr. split ownership of the company in 1961. Karl Albrecht Sr. took ownership of the stores in Southern Germany as well as the rights to the Aldi brand in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, which were the stores that Beate and Karl Jr. inherited upon the death of their father in July 2014. Both of Heister’s sons serve on the company’s advisory board.

[Pictured: Aldi discount supermarket.]

#6. Mexico: Carlos Slim Hélu & family

- Net worth: $50.6 billion (#20 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: telecom

Carlos Slim Hélu, 80, owns a 57% stake in America Movil, Latin America’s largest mobile telecom operator. His business strategy is to acquire struggling companies and transform them into multibillion-dollar businesses. In 2009, Helu invested $250 million in The New York Times at a 14% interest rate. Despite Helu’s net worth, he lives a frugal lifestyle. He doesn’t own planes or yachts and has lived in the same home for 40 years.

[Pictured: Carlos Slim Hélu speaking at the opening of the Aldea Digital, Mexico City, Mexico, March 16, 2013.]

#5. China: Ma Huateng

- Net worth: $59.8 billion (#16 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: internet media

Ma Huateng, 48, who also goes by the nickname Pony Ma, is the CEO and founder of Tencent, China’s largest internet portal. Tencent’s social messaging app, WeChat is a popular everyday tool used in China. Users can message their friends, order transportation, and make payments. The social media app currently has 1.1 billion monthly active users. Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has hinted that he uses WeChat as inspiration for Facebook, his social networking platform.

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#4. Spain: Amancio Ortega

- Net worth: $63.1 billion (#12 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: Zara

Fast-fashion industry mogul Amancio Ortega, 84, cofounded Inditex, the world’s largest clothing retailer, with his ex-wife Rosalia Mera in 1975. Today, he owns 59% of Inditex, which is the parent company to eight brands including Zara, Pull&Bear, Bershka, Massimo Dutti, and Stradivarius, and has 7,500 stores around the world. He owns property in Madrid, London, Miami Beach, New York City, Chicago, and Seattle.

[Pictured: Amancio Ortega and Marta Ortega (daughter and heiress of Inditex) attend during CSI Casas Novas Horse Jumping Competition on July 22, 2018, in A Coruna, Spain.]

#3. India: Mukesh Ambani

- Net worth: $72.0 billion (#7 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: petrochemicals, oil & gas

Mukesh Ambani, 63, is the owner and chairman of Reliance Industries, a multinational conglomerate company that owns Indian businesses focusing on textiles, energy, petrochemicals, retail, natural resources, and telecommunications. In April, Facebook announced that it will invest $5.7 billion in Reliance’s telecom company Jio Platforms. Reliance was founded in 1966 as a small textile manufacturer by Ambani’s late father, Dhirubhai Ambani, who worked as a yarn trader. The Ambani family lives in an estimated $1 billion 27-story skyscraper in Mumbai.

#2. France: Bernard Arnault & family

- Net worth: $111.6 billion (#2 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: LVMH

Bernard Arnault, 71, is the chairman and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, LVMH, the world’s leading luxury products group, as well as the president of his family’s holding company, Groupe Arnault S.E. LVMH is the parent company to the brands and fashion houses Sephora, Celine, Givenchy, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Dior, and Tag Heuer. In November 2019, LVMH bought Tiffany & Co. for $16.6 million. Four of his five children are working with the company as well.

#1. United States: Jeff Bezos

- Net worth: $188.4 billion (#1 wealthiest in the world)
- Source of wealth: Amazon

Founder and CEO of the e-commerce conglomerate, Amazon, Jeff Bezos, 56, leads Stacker’s list as the wealthiest person in the world. He studied computer science and electrical engineering at Princeton University and graduated summa cum laude in 1986. He went on to work on Wall Street in New York City and became D.E. Shaw’s youngest vice president. In 1994, Bezos moved to Seattle and started an online book retailer out of his garage, now known as the online retailer Amazon. In 2019, Amazon made $280.5 billion in revenues and a record $11.5 billion in net profit. He also owns The Washington Post and the commercial space exploration company Blue Origin.

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