William Gates III
Net Worth : $40.0 bil
Fortune : self made
Source : Microsoft
Age : 53
Country Of Citizenship : United States
Residence : Medina, Washington
Industry : Software
Education : Harvard University, Drop Out,
Marital Status : married, 3 children
Software visionary regains title as the world’s richest man despite
losing $18 billion in the past 12 months. Stepped down from day-to-day
duties at Microsoft last summer to devote his talents and riches to the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Organization’s assets were $30
billion in January; annual letter lauds endowment manager Michael Larson
for limiting last year’s losses to 20%. Gates decided to increase
donations in 2009 to $3.8 billion, up 15% from 2008. Dedicated to
fighting hunger in developing countries, improving education in
America’s high schools and developing vaccines against malaria,
tuberculosis and AIDS. Appointed Microsoft Office veteran Jeffrey Raikes
chief exec of Gates Foundation in September. Gates remains Microsoft
chairman. Sells shares each quarter, redeploys proceeds via investment
vehicle Cascade; more than half of fortune invested outside Microsoft.
Stock down 45% in past 12 months. “Creative capitalist” wants companies
to match profitmaking with doing good.
2. Warren Buffett
Net Worth : $37.0 bil
Fortune : self made
Source : Berkshire Hathaway
Age : 78
Country Of Citizenship : United States
Residence : Omaha, Nebraska
Industry : Investments
Education : University of Nebraska Lincoln, Bachelor of Arts / Science, Columbia University, Master of Science
Marital Status : widowed, remarried, 3 children
Last year America’s most beloved investor was the world’s richest man.
This year he has to settle for second place after losing $25 billion in
12 months. Shares of Berkshire Hathaway down 45% since last March.
Injected billions of dollars into Goldman Sachs, GE in exchange for
preferred stock last fall; propped up insurance firm Swiss Re in
February with $2.6 billion infusion. Admits he made some “dumb”
investment mistakes in 2008. Upbeat about America’s future: “Our
economic system has worked extraordinarily well over time. It has
unleashed human potential as no other system has, and it will continue
to do so.” Scoffs at Wall Street’s over-reliance on “history-based”
models: “If merely looking up past financial data would tell you what
the future holds, the Forbes 400 would consist of librarians.” Son of
Nebraska politician delivered newspapers as a boy. Filed first tax
return at age 13, claiming $35 deduction for bicycle. Studied under
value investing guru Benjamin Graham at Columbia. Took over textile firm
Berkshire Hathaway 1965. Today holding company invested in insurance
(Geico, General Re), jewelry (Borsheim’s), utilities (MidAmerican
Energy), food (Dairy Queen, See’s Candies). Also has noncontrolling
stakes in Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo.
3. Carlos Slim Helu & family
Net Worth :$35.0 bil
Fortune : self made
Source : telecom
Age : 69
Country Of Citizenship : Mexico
Residence : Mexico City
Industry : Telecommunications
Education : NA,
Marital Status : widowed, 6 children
Economic downturn and plunging peso shaved $25 billion from the fortune
of Latin America’s richest man. Global recession testing his ability to
live up to the principles he sets for his employees: “Maintain austerity
in times of fat cows.” Son of a Lebanese immigrant bought fixed line
operator Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex) in 1990; now controls 90% of
Mexico’s telephone landlines. Would be a billionaire based on his
dividends alone. Biggest holding: $16 billion stake in America Movil,
Latin America’s largest mobile phone company with 173 million customers.
America Movil and Telmex reportedly planning to jointly invest $4
billion to bolster telecom infrastructure in Latin America. Buying up
cheap media, energy and retail assets. Last year took stakes in New York
Times Co., former billionaire Anthony O’Reilly’s Independent News &
Media and Bronco Drilling; also increased position in Saks. Baseball
statistics aficionado, art collector.
4. Lawrence Ellison
Net Worth : $22.5 bil
Fortune : self made
Source : Oracle
Age : 64
Country Of Citizenship : United States
Residence : Redwood City, California
Industry : Software
Education : University of Illinois, Drop Out,
Marital Status : married, 2 children
Database titan continues to engulf the competition; Oracle has racked up
49 acquisitions in the past 4 years. Bought BEA Systems for $8.5
billion last year. Still sitting on $7 billion in cash. Revenues up 11%
to $10.9 billion in the six months ended November 30; profits also up
11% to $2.4 billion. Stock down 25% in past 12 months. Invested $125
million in Web software outfit Netsuite; took public in 2007, stock has
fallen 80% since. His shares still worth $300 million. Chicago native
studied physics at U. of Chicago, didn’t graduate. Started Oracle in
1977. Public 1986, a day before Microsoft. Owns 453-foot Rising Sun;
built a smaller leisure boat because superyacht is hard to park.
Squabbling in court with Swiss boating billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli
over terms of next America’s Cup. Recently unveiled hulking 90-foot
trimaran he intends to use to win it.
5. Ingvar Kamprad & family
Net Worth : $22.0 bil
Fortune : self made
Source : Ikea
Age : 83
Country Of Citizenship : Sweden
Residence : Lausanne
Industry : Retail
Education : NA,
Marital Status : married, 4 children
Peddled matches, fish, pens, Christmas cards and other items by bicycle
as a teenager. Started selling furniture in 1947. Opened first Ikea
store 50 years ago; stores’s name is a combination of initials of his
first and last name, his family farm and the nearest village. Retired in
1986; company’s “senior adviser” still reportedly works tirelessly on
his brand. Discount retailer now sells 9,500 items in 36 countries;
prints catalog in 27 languages. Revenues up 7% to $27.4 billion in
fiscal year 2008. Opened tenth store in China this February; planning to
open first in Dominican Republic later this year. Three sons all work
at the company. Thrifty entrepreneur flies economy class, frequents
cheap restaurants and furnishes his home mostly with Ikea products.
6. Karl Albrecht
Net Worth : $21.5 bil
Fortune : self made
Source : Aldi
Age : 89
Country Of Citizenship : Germany
Residence : Mulheim an der Ruhr
Industry : Retail
Education : NA,
Marital Status:married, 2 children Germany’s richest person owns
discount supermarket giant Aldi Sud. Retailer faring well amid economic
downturn; analysts expect its 2008 sales to be up 9.4% to $33.7 billion.
Sales in the U.S. up estimated 20% last year to $7 billion. Plans to
open 75 U.S. stores in 2009, including first in New York City. With
younger brother, Theo, transformed their mother’s corner grocery store
into Aldi after World War II. Brothers split ownership in 1961; Karl
took the stores in southern Germany, plus the rights to the brand in the
U.K., Australia and the U.S. Theo got northern Germany and the rest of
Europe. Retired from daily operations. Fiercely private: little known
about him other than that he apparently raises orchids and plays golf.
7. Mukesh Ambani
Net Worth : $19.5 bil
Fortune : inherited and growing
Source : petrochemicals
Age : 51
Country Of Citizenship : India
Residence : Mumbai
Industry : Manufacturing
Education : University of Bombay, Bachelor of Arts / Science, Stanford University, Drop Out
Marital Status : married, 3 children
Oversees Reliance Industries, India’s most valuable company by market
cap despite stock falling 40% in past year. Merging his Reliance
Petroleum with flagship Reliance Industries. As part of deal, will
exercise right to buy back Chevron’s 5% stake in Reliance Petroleum at
$1.20 per share—the same price at which he sold it 3 years ago. Today
the stock trades for $1.80 a share. Increased stake in Reliance
Industries in October; paid $3.4 billion to convert 120 million
preferential warrants into shares. Reliance Petroleum refinery on
India’s western coast began operating in December despite falling global
demand and declining margins. Late father Dhirubhai founded Reliance
and built it into a massive conglomerate. After he died Mukesh and his
brother, Anil, ran the family business together for a brief time. But
siblings feuded over control; mother eventually brokered split of
assets. Brothers may be looking to bury hatchet; played joint hosts at
mother’s recent 75th-birthday bash. Has yet to move into his 27-story
home that he’s building at a reported cost of $1 billion. Ardent fan of
Bollywood films. Wife, Nita, oversees school named after his father.
8. Lakshmi Mittal
Net Worth : $19.3 bil
Fortune : inherited and growing
Source : steel
Age : 58
Country Of Citizenship : India
Residence : London
Industry : Steel
Education : St Xavier’s College Calcutta, Bachelor of Arts / Science,
Marital Status : married, 2 children
Indian immigrant heads world’s largest steel company; ArcelorMittal was
formed via hostile takeover 3 years ago. Stock in company makes up bulk
of his fortune; shares at a 4-year low with steel prices down 75% since
last summer. Company forced to pay heavy fines after a French antitrust
investigation found 10 companies guilty of price-fixing in European
steel markets. Arcelor posted $2.6 billion loss in most recent quarter;
announced plans to slow acquisitions, cut capital expenditures, pay down
debt. Started in family steel business in the 1970s, branched out on
his own in 1994. Initially bought up steel mills on the cheap in Eastern
Europe. Company bought 19.9% stake in Australia’s Macarthur Coal last
year. Also owns pieces of Mumbai’s Indiabulls Group, London’s RAB
Capital; owns stake in, sits on board of Goldman Sachs. Holds
substantial cash; owns 12-bedroom mansion in London’s posh Kensington
neighborhood.
9. Theo Albrecht
Net Worth : $18.8 bil
Fortune : self made
Source : Aldi, Trader Joe’s
Age : 87
Country Of Citizenship : Germany
Residence : Foehr
Industry : Retail
Education : NA,
Marital Status : married, 2 children
Runs discount supermarket group Aldi Nord; firm holding up amid economic
downturn. Sales expected to hit $31 billion in 2008. After World War II
he and older brother Karl transformed their mother’s corner grocery
into Aldi. Brothers split ownership in 1961; Karl took the stores in
southern Germany, plus the rights to the brand in the U.K., Australia
and the U.S. Theo got the northern Germany stores and the rest of
Europe. Unable to operate Aldi stores in U.S., Theo developed discount
food store Trader Joe’s; now has more than 320 U.S. stores. Also owns
stake in Supervalu. Became a recluse after being kidnapped for 17 days
in 1971; said to collect old typewriters; loves golf.
10. Amancio Ortega
Net Worth : $18.3 bil
Fortune : self made
Source : Zara
Age : 73
Country Of Citizenship : Spain
Residence : La Coruna
Industry : Retail
Education : NA,
Marital Status : married, 3 children
Railway worker’s son started as a gofer in a shirt store. With then-wife
Rosalia Mera, also now a billionaire, started making dressing gowns and
lingerie in their living room. Business became one of world’s most
successful apparel manufacturers. Today Inditex has more than 4,000
stores in 71 countries. Sales: $12.3 billion. Ortega is chairman.
Company exported its cheap chic Zara stores to 4 new markets last year:
Ukraine, South Korea, Montenegro and Honduras. Stock up 1% in past 12
months, but fortune down because of weak euro. Also has personal
investments in gas, tourism, banks and real estate. Owns properties in
Madrid, Paris, London, Lisbon, plus a luxury hotel and apartment complex
in Miami, a horse-jumping circuit, and an interest in a soccer league.
Shuns neckties and fanfare. Daughter Marta works for Inditex; recent
speculation suggests she is being groomed to eventually replace her
father.
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