9
up front
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Liliane Bettencourt
8
Li Ka-shing
(Hong Kong)
Age: 84. Net Worth: $31 billion.
Source of Wealth: Diversified
Asia’s richest person Li Ka-shing added
$5.5 billion to his fortune as shares of
his biggest holdings, Cheung Kong,
Hutchison Whampoa and Husky Energy,
all jumped 10% or more. He scooped
up another $860 million in dividends in
2012. At age 84, Li still oversees one of
the world’s most far-reaching empires
with 260,000 employees in 52 countries. Li-controlled companies bought
British gas supplier Wales & West
Utilities for $1 billion in October.
(France)
Age: 90. Net Worth: $30 billion. Source of
Wealth: L’Oreal
The world’s richest woman and her family own more
than 30% of L’Oreal, which her father founded. She had
her fortune placed under the guardianship of
her daughter Francoise in 2011 following a
very public three-year legal battle. Bettencourt, who suffers from dementia, was
replaced on the company’s board
by her 25-year-old grandson JeanVictor Meyers in February 2012. Family
members have waged numerous legal
battles against one another over Liliane’s
generous gifts to friends.
David Koch
Bernard Arnault
(France)
Age: 64. Net Worth: $29 billion. Source of
Wealth: LVMH
Shares in Arnault’s luxury goods powerhouse
LVMH, which owns Givenchy, Marc Jacobs
and Louis Vuitton rose by 6% but his fortune is
mostly held in Christian Dior, which has a 41%
stake in LVMH. Arnault’s request for Belgian
citizenship last year sparked a debate about
France’s taxes on the rich. It was announced
in October that he would receive an honorary
knighthood for his services in the UK.
=6
(USA)
Age: 72. Net Worth: $34 billion. Source of Wealth: Diversified
David Koch runs the chemical equipment side of Koch
Industries from his home in New York. His wealth
climbed $9 billion last year, mostly on surging refining and chemical profits. More active than Charles in
politics, he is dedicated to cutting government spending
and increasing economic freedom. He has given away
more than $1 billion over his lifetime, including $395
million for medical research since 1998.
Charles Koch
(USA)
Age: 77. Net Worth: $34 billion. Source of
Wealth: Diversified
The world’s sixth-richest person (tied with
brother David) built his fortune around refining
and chemicals. Koch Industries, with an
estimated $115 billion in sales, climbed more
than $20 billion in value, mostly on surging
refining profits but also improving operations at
Koch’s large Georgia-Pacific unit. Things didn’t
go so well on the political front, however.
Charles Koch failed in his attempt to unseat
President Barack Obama as president.
=6
Larry Ellison
5
(USA)
Age: 68. Net Worth: $43 billion.
Source of Wealth: Oracle
In the past year, Ellison, America’s
third richest man, has been on a
real estate buying spree. In June,
he bought 98% of the Hawaiian
island of Lanai for a reported
$500 million and in October and
January two Malibu homes in for
a combined $55 million. Ellison
has donated $445 million to his
(USA)
Ellison Medical Foundation, which Age: 57. Net Worth: $67 billion.
supports research on aging and
Source of Wealth: Microsoft
age-related diseases.
Gates’ net worth increased to $67 billion in
the past year with no help from the company
he co-founded, Microsoft, in which he still
has a 5% stock. Most of his fortune these
days is spread across private equity, bonds,
and stocks. Gates says that if he can help
eradicate diseases like polio and malaria,
he doesn’t care if he’s forgotten after his
death. He has already given away more than
$28 billion.
2
Bill Gates
Carlos Slim Helu
(Mexico)
Age: 73. Net Worth: $73 billion.
Source of Wealth: Telecoms
The world’s richest man for the fourth year in
a row owns $4 billion more than a year ago,
thanks to surging stock prices at Grupo Financiero Inbursa and at his Grupo Carso industrial
and retail giant. Pan-Latin American mobile
telecom outfit America Movil remains his most
valuable holding at $36.3 billion. In February
Slim and Bill Gates announced that they are
jointly funding research to improve farmers’
yields and reduce hunger.
1
12 Gold the international investment, finance & professional services magazine of cyprus
Amancio Ortega
3
(Spain)
Age: 77. Net Worth: $57 billion. Source of Wealth: Zara
Ortega’s wealth rose by $19.5 billion in the past 12 months.
He stepped down as chairman of Inditex, best known for its
Zara brand, in 2011, but still owns nearly 60% of its shares,
which soared 50% year-over-year on record profits. Ortega
also has a real estate portfolio, estimated to be worth more
than $4 billion. He owns buildings in Madrid, London,
Chicago, San Francisco and New York.
Warren Buffett
4
(USA)
Age: 82. Net Worth: $53.5 billion. Source of
Wealth: Berkshire Hathaway
In 1962 Buffett began buying up shares of a
struggling textile company called Berkshire
Hathaway. The firm has long since shed its textile
assets and today serves as Buffett’s famed investment vehicle. In February, Buffett announced
a deal with 3G Capital to snap up H.J. Heinz Co.
for $23.2 billion. He gave $1.5 billion to the Gates
Foundation in July 2012, bringing his lifetime
giving to nearly $17.3 billion.
The World’s Richest
Business
People
The ranks of the world’s billionaires have reached an all-time high accor [