Print this article

Billionaires on the Increase

Stephen Harris

13 March 2006

Last year saw an additional 102 people around the world become billionaires, according to the latest Forbes magazine’s 2006 rankings of the world’s richest people. There are now 793 billionaires and their combined wealth grew 18 per cent to $2.6 trillion, according to the study. Microsoft’s founder Bill Gates was again the world's richest man for the 12th year running. Mr Gates saw his net worth rising to $50 billion from $46.5 billion. Investor Warren Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway again ranked second, but his fortune fell by $2 billion to $42 billion. The rest of the top 10 saw three names dropping out of that select group: German supermarket company owner Karl Albrecht, Oracle’s Lawrence Ellison and Wal-Mart chairman S. Robson Walton. Mexican telecom billionaire Carlos Slim Helu moved up one place to No. 3 with $30 billion, replacing Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who fell one place to No. 5 with $23.5 billion. Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad of Sweden rose two places to No. 4 with $28 billion. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen moved up to sixth place from No. 7, with $22 billion. France's Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH and The Christian Dior Group, entered the top ten for the fist time with $21.5 billion. Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud fell to eighth place from No. 5, with $20 billion; and Canadian publisher Kenneth Thomson and his family moved into the top 10, ranking No. 9 with $19.6 billion. Hong Kong's Li Ka-shing rose to No. 10 with $18.8 billion. Ka-shing is the chairman of Cheung Kong and Hutchinson Whampoa. The Walton family, which dominated the upper places of the Forbes list in recent years, fell in this year's ranking as stock in the world's largest retailer dropped more than 10 per cent in the past year. S. Robson Walton, who last year ranked 10th, fell to 19th with $15.8 billion. Christy Walton and Jim Walton tied for 17th with $15.9 billion each, while Alice Walton followed Rob Walton at $15.7 billion. Helen Walton came in at No. 21 with $15.6 billion. The top 100 are listed below, with how much they have, country they are from, company/sector associated with and age. 1. William Gates III, U.S., 50, $50, Microsoft 2. Warren Buffett, U.S., 75, $42, Berkshire Hathaway 3. Carlos Slim Helu, Mexico, 66, $30, telecom 4. Ingvar Kamprad, Sweden, 79, $28, Ikea 5. Lakshmi Mittal, India, 55, $23.5, steel 6. Paul Allen, Washington, 53, $22, Microsoft, investments 7. Bernard Arnault, France, 57, $21.5, LVMH 8. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, Saudi Arabia, 49, $20, investments 9. Kenneth Thomson and family, Canada, 82, $19.6, publishing 10. Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong, 77, $18.8, diversified 11. Roman Abramovich, Russia, 39, $18.2, oil 12. Michael Dell, U.S., 41, $17.1, Dell 13. Karl Albrecht, Germany, 86, $17, supermarkets 14. Sheldon Adelson, U.S., 72, $16.1, casinos, hotels 15. Liliane Bettencourt, France, 83, $16, L'Oreal 15. Lawrence Ellison, U.S., 61, $16, Oracle 17. Christy Walton, U.S., 51, $15.9, Wal-Mart inheritance 17. Jim Walton, U.S., 58, $15.9, Wal-Mart 19. S. Robson Walton, U.S., 62, $15.8, Wal-Mart 20. Alice Walton, U.S., 56, $15.7, Wal-Mart 21. Helen Walton, U.S., 86, $15.6, Wal-Mart 22. Theo Albrecht, Germany, 83, $15.2, supermarkets 23. Amancio Ortega, Spain, 70, $14.8, Zara 24. Steven Ballmer, U.S., 50, $13.6, Microsoft 25. Azim Premji, India, 60, $13.3, software 26. Sergey Brin, U.S., 32, $12.9, Google 27. Larry Page, U.S., 33, $12.8, Google 28. Abigail Johnson, U.S., 44, $12.5, Fidelity 29. Nasser Al-Kharafi and family, Kuwait, 62, $12.4, construction 29. Barbara Cox Anthony, Hawaii, 82, $12.4, Cox Enterprises 29. Anne Cox Chambers, U.S., 86, $12.4, Cox Enterprises 32. Stefan Persson, Sweden, 58, $12.3, Hennes & Mauritz 33. Charles Koch, U.S., 70, $12, oil, commodities 33. David Koch, U.S., 65, $12, oil, commodities 35. Raymond, Thomas and Walter Kwok, Hong Kong, $11.6, real estate 36. Adolf Merckle, Germany, 71, $11.5, drugs 37. Sulaiman Bin Abdul Al Rajhi, Saudi Arabia, 86, $11, banking 37. Vagit Alekperov, Russia, 55, $11, oil 37. Silvio Berlusconi, Italy, 69, $11, media 37. Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong, 78, $11, real estate 41. Vladimir Lisin, Russia, 49, $10.7, steel 42. Michael Otto and family, Germany, 62, $10.4, retail 43. Pierre Omidyar, U.S., 38, $10.1, eBay 44. Leonardo Del Vecchio, Italy, 70, $10, eyewear 44. Michele Ferrero and family, Italy, 79, $10, chocolates 44. Forrest Mars Jr., U.S., 74, $10, candy 44. Jacqueline Mars, U.S., 66, $10, candy 44. John Mars, U.S., 69, $10, candy 44. Viktor Vekselberg, Russia, 48, $10, oil, metals 50. Mikhail Fridman, Russia, 41, $9.7, oil, banking 51. Spiro Latsis and family, Greece, 59, $9.1, banking 52. John Kluge, U.S., 91, $9, Metromedia 53. Carl Icahn, U.S., 70, $8.7, leveraged buyouts 53. Kirk Kerkorian, U.S., 88, $8.7, investments, casinos 55. Birgit Rausing and family, Sweden, 82, $8.6, packaging 56. Mukesh Ambani, India, 48, $8.5, petrochemicals 56. Serge Dassault and family, France, 80, $8.5, aviation 56. Hans Rausing, Sweden, 80, $8.5, packaging 59. Galen Weston and family, Canada, 65, $8.4, retail 60. Susanne Klatten, Germany, 43, $8.1, BMW 61. Rudolf August Oetker and family, Germany, 89, $8, food 62. Oleg Deripaska, Russia, 37, $7.8, aluminum 63. Sumner Redstone, U.S., 82, $7.7, Viacom 64. Alexei Mordashov, Russia, 40, $7.6, steel 65. Donald Newhouse, U.S., 76, $7.5, publishing 65. Samuel Newhouse Jr., New York, 78, $7.5, publishing 65. Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, France, $7.5, Chanel 65. Reinhold Wurth, Germany, 70, $7.5, manufacturing 69. Joseph and Moise Safra, Brazil, $7.4, banking 70. Philip Knight, Oregon, 68, $7.3, Nike 71. George Soros, U.S., 75, $7.2, hedge funds 72. Ernesto Bertarelli, Switzerland, 40, $7.1, biotech 72. Suleiman Kerimov, Russia, 40, $7.1, stocks 74. Philip and Cristina Green, Britain, $7, retail 74. Francois Pinault, France, 69, $7, retail 74. August von Finck, Germany, 76, $7, investments 77. Mohammed Al Amoudi, Saudi Arabia, 60, $6.9, oil 77. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair and family, United Arab Emirates, 52, $6.9, banking 79. Maria-Elisabeth and Georg Schaeffler, Germany, $6.8, ball bearings 80. Charles Ergen, U.S., 53, $6.7, EchoStar 80. Edward Johnson III, U.S., 75, $6.7, Fidelity 82. Kun-Hee Lee and family, South Korea, 64, $6.6, Samsung 82. Stefan Quandt, Germany, 40, $6.6, BMW 84. Saleh Bin Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi, Saudi Arabia, 94, $6.5, banking 84. Rafael del Pino and family, Spain, 85, $6.5, construction 84. Stanley Ho, Hong Kong, 84, $6.5, gaming 84. Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller, Denmark, 92, $6.5, shipping 84. Keith Rupert Murdoch, U.S., 75, $6.5, News Corp. 89. Philip Anschutz, U.S., 66, $6.4, investments 89. Hasso Plattner, Germany, 62, $6.4, SAP 89. Vladimir Potanin, Russia, 45, $6.4, metals 89. Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia, 40, $6.4, metals 93. Vladimir Yevtushenkov, Russia, 57, $6.3, telecom 94. Micky Arison, U.S., 56, $6.1, Carnival Cruises 94. Curt Engelhorn, Germany, 79, $6.1, drugs 94. Friedrich Flick Jr., Germany, 79, $6.1, investments 94. German Khan, Russia, 44, $6.1, oil, banking 94. Ronald Perelman, U.S., 63, $6.1, leveraged buyouts 94. Johanna Quandt, Germany, 78, $6.1, BMW 100. Dan Duncan, U.S., 73, $6, energy