Do you know who is the richest person in the world ?……….
William Gates III
Rank: 1 Net Worth: $40.0 bil, Fortune: self made
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 profit making with doing good.
Warren Buffett
Rank: 2 Net Worth: $37.0 bil, Fortune: self made
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.
Carlos Slim Helu & family
Rank: 3 Net Worth: $35.0 bil, Fortune: self made
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
Lawrence Ellison
Rank: 4 Net Worth: $22.5 bil, Fortune: self made
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.
Ingvar Kamprad & family
Rank: 5 Net Worth: $22.0 bil, Fortune: self made
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.
Karl Albrecht
Rank: 6 Net Worth: $21.5 bil, Fortune:self made
Source:Aldi , Age:89, Country Of Citizenship:Germany,Residence:Mulheim an der Ruhr
Industry:Retail.
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.
Mukesh Ambani
Rank: 7 Net Worth: $19.5 bil, Fortune: inherited and growing
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.
Lakshmi Mittal
Rank: 8 Net Worth: $19.3 bil, Fortune: inherited and growing
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.
Theo Albrecht
Rank: 9 Net Worth:Net Worth:$18.8 bil, Fortune:self made
Source:Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Age:87, Country Of Citizenship:Germany
Residence:Foehr, Industry:Retail
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.
Amancio Ortega
e="Georgia">Rank: 10, Net Worth: $18.3 bil ,Fortune: self made
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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This guys are rich bcause they are destined to be and they are able to get there through alot of hardworking.No one is born to be poor u just need to believe in dream and make it a reality. surely i will be there one day beliving is achieving….
cool so rich but not as indian people
Whats up with that comment???
Against “indian people”????
i want to be the richest persont in this world
Well DUUUUUUU!!!!!!! DOESN’T E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y?????????!!!!!!!!!!
guys money isnt everything…
being rich by money is very easy bt being rich by heart is very hard…
You are Lazzy and parasite
YOU ARE NOT GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow man i mean they peopel are realy a hardwrkrs… i realy thanks to mr.mukesh ambani who feel as to be proud become 7th rechest prsn in world… go on sir we all with u…
HEY MY NAME IS RICQUEL AND AM GETTING $MONEY VERY YOUNG$ AND U DO KNOW THIS I LOVE THE SMELL OF MONEY, THE WAY IT LOOK,THE U CAN BY THINGS WITH IT.IN COUPLE OF YEARS I AM GOING 2 BE THE RICHIEST FEMALE AND U DO KNOW THAT HAHAHAHAHA I AM FUNNY BUT FOREAL I AM.
YOU WILL BE RICH
haan sir you are right!
the people who face strugle and pain will b the most desireble and famouse in the world.
as v have all this reachest person of the world they also had very hard childhood.
the person who will grow himself 4rm a poorty will b the best slumdog is 1 of the best example of that.
being richest is not so important but sharing is so important
by sharing we can be the richest ever
I will be the world’s richest man.
I THINK 3 THINGS ARE NEED TO BECOME RICH.
1-HARD WORK
2-SELF CONFIDENCE
3-FORTUNE.
THE 1ST TWO POINTS IN ME…BUT THE LAST ONE I DON’T KNOW…SO I THINK I WILL BE THERE IN THE LIST ONEDAY.
All people can try to become a rich man in the world
THANK YOU
Do your best
WOW. these ppl are ranked exactly as i rank dem in ma favorite list
Dey truely deserve a tribute.
Dey are ma icons!!!!!!
Step By Step We Will Get There One Day………..
with the help of God.one day i will become worlds richest man to make my queen mine.i can do anything for my queen.i love my queen..queen wait for me i swere i will b on the frontpage of newspaper
Your comment made me shed some tears. We share some common goals. I find myself in this world right now using every breath I take to make myself into the best I can be so that I can provide my love with a splendid life. I hope your queen can return the sentiment you hold for her! If so you are truly blessed and I pray to someday be the object of my loves affection, that she forgives me and will once again be in my life as she is in my dreams. Maybe if I become finantially secure this will be an incentive for her to return to me. I have tried all else I could so far in vain! There aren’t many people who understand how much I love her and how I only want the best for her. I know how precious love is and how in the blink of an eye it can be lost so please treasure your love forever. I made the mistake of not appreciating what I had and now I am wandering in this world without my soulmate and that is a punishment impossible to fathom… Namaste
its their fortune,,might be good for them,,best for u is already planned by HIM
Yeah… relly….
its pleasure to be in list of world`s richest persons
do you know why these people are so rich?
i know
how
they have strivved their best eforts in the right place at the right time
do you know why these people are so rich?
i know
how
they have strived their best eforts in the right place at the right time
11 th richest man in dizz world is sagar jain india !!! nd datzz me !!!!
These men are so lucky. But I think they are bad.
What would you buy first, if your name was on the list?
THE TOPPER IN THE LIST WILL B FRM INDIA.
u shud never call ur self god
there is only one god and it is not u
HI READER THIS PEOPLE ARE THE RICHEST IN THE WORLD THATS VERRY GOOD WHAT HAPPENS IF ANY ONE BECOME WORLD NO 1 RICHEST PERSON EARNING THIS MUCH AMOUNT AND NOT HEALPING TO PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY WILL DO THIS MUCH OF MONEY ONE DAY HAVE TO LEAVE EVERY THING BIG BIG KINGS 100 TIMES RICHEST THEN THIS PEOPLE JUST THEY STORED AND DIED IF THEY WOULD START HEALPING TO THE PEOPLE MAY THEY WILL REMEMBER AS A GREAT PERSONALITY
they must feel good to be so rich
mony is not every things
it is not but it feels good to be rich
i wnts to be rich
they are very lucky & hardworker person
so we will come there
,,,,,,,Hw CAN THIS GUYS EARN MONEY IN NO TIME,,? HW WILLAM GETS EARN MONEY EASILY,,,? ANY TRICK,,?
one day right at the top i’l be there.
i will one day surely feel the same feeling what these rich tycoons might be feeling right now
Interesting comments. It would be nice to see how they are using the money. Ambaniji and Mittalji have inheritance. Good for them. But my hats are off to people who are self made with honest means abd could get up there.
At least we know how Bill Gates is sharing his wealth for the welfare of the world through his Foundation. He is blessed indeed. There could be other heroes among these top ten rich people whose contributions in the betterment of this world is not yet familiar to us.
Any rich person with a large heart surely will make difference in his or her own life and in the life of the others.
where are the names of anil and mukesh ambaani….
why isnt there a woman on this list!!!!
I am worth 5.3 billion dollors an next year i will be making 1,000,000 a week so it is very good to be rich i can take my family on trip to paris thats our favorite place to go and o yea ist is very good to be rich
when God say yes no body can say no.
Well friends, money is not every thing. How many people among us know them well except Bill Gates, but on the other hand see film stars, pollitition, and other well known people. Humans are not born to do every thing for themselves. Thats it.
Can they buy a minute of life with this huge amount, it means they are not the richest.
i am also one of the richest person in the world
THEY ARE VERY LUCKY PEOPLE….THEY ARE DESTINED TO BE THE RICHEST…BUT SAD TO SAY THEY CANNOT TAKE THEIR MONEY WITH THEM FOREVER….MONEY AND FAME DOESN’T LAST FOREVER….
they maybe rich in money but money isn’t the most important thing in the universe,the most important thing is “the love of god”
I would like become on the top of the list !.!.!.!.!.!
God knows our destiny for some of us in Africa. I can imagine if i was given an opportunity to get as little as a drop in the ocean for these guys share in my country how we can be transformed. God bless them
Oneday i will join the team.
ya it’s gooood being rich