via Forbes
Despite plunging oil prices and a weakened euro, the ranks of the world’s wealthiest defied global economic turmoil and expanded yet again. For our 29th annual guide to the globe’s richest, we found a record 1,826 billionaires with an aggregate net worth of $7.05 trillion, up from $6.4 trillion a year ago. The total includes 290 newcomers, 71 of whom hail from China. Youth are on the rise: A record 46 among the ranks are under age 40. One earthward note: The average net worth of list members came in at $3.86 billion, down $60 million from 2014.
Bill Gates is once again the richest person on the planet, a title he’s held for 16 of the past 21 years. His fortune grew $3.2 billion since last year to $79.2 billion, despite a gift of $1.5 billion in Microsoft MSFT +1.93% shares to The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in November 2014. Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico comes in again at No. 2 while revered American investor Warren Buffett took back the No. 3 spot from Spain’s Amancio Ortega (now No. 4); not even the largest IPO in history was enough to beat the Oracle of Omaha this year. Buffett was the list’s biggest gainer, up $14.5 billion to $72.7 billion, thanks to Berkshire Hathaway’s rising share price. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg moves up 5 spots to number 16, his first time ranked among the world’s 20 richest. Ma and three other Chinese are among the the biggest gainers and appear among the 50 richest on the list.
There’s no doubt that entrepreneurship is thriving globally. Fully 1,191 members of the list are self-made billionaires, while just 230 inherited their wealth. Another 405 inherited at least a portion but are still working to increase their fortunes.
Our estimates show a snapshot of wealth on Feb. 13, when we locked in stock prices and exchange rates from around the world. If a stock market wasn’t open on that day, we used the stock price from the previous trading day.
18. Reed Hastings
Net worth: $1 billion Age: 54 Source Of Wealth: Netflix, Self Made Residence: Santa Cruz, CA Citizenship: United States Marital Status: Married Children: 2 Education: Bachelor of Arts / Science, Bowdoin College; Master of Science, Stanford University
Reed Hastings revolutionized how the world watches its entertainment. He’s the founder of Netflix, the video-streaming service that offers TV shows and movies, as well as original content like Emmy-winning House of Cards. Hastings, son of a Nixon Administration lawyer, studied math at Bowdin then served in the Marine Corps and the Peace Corps, where he taught math in Swaziland. He returned to the U.S., enrolled in Stanford and received a graduate degree in artificial intelligence. Hastings’ first hit company, Pure Software, went public in 1995 and was bought by Rational Software two years later. He founded Netflix that same year and first built it as a DVD subscription service. After expanding to streaming video, Hastings made a big blunder–suggesting he’d split the company into two parts–that sank Netflix stock. It has since recovered and sits at record levels. Outside of business, Hastings is interested in education, serving on California’s Board of Education and offering support to charter school organizations. Hastings is also a member of the Giving Pledge.
17. Ken Grossman
Net worth: $1 billion Source of wealth: Sierra Nevada (beer) Residence: Chico, CA Citizenship: United States Marital Status: Married Children: 3
Craft beer pioneer Ken Grossman founded Sierra Nevada brewery in 1978 when there were only 45 independent breweries in America. Today, the $100 billion-a-year industry is dominated by global giants like Anheuser-Busch InBev. But big beer is stagnant, and double-digit growth is coming from higher-price, bolder-flavor craft beers made by smaller brewers. Sierra Nevada’s famous Pale Ale accounts for 60% of the company’s $250 million in 2014 sales. Grossman, whose son runs a new brewery in North Carolina, is keenly aware of Sierra Nevada’s environmental impact. More than 10,000 solar panels are installed at the original Chico, CA brewery, and 99.8% of the facility’s waste is recycled.
16. Charles Edelstenne
Net worth: $1 billion Source of wealth: Dassault (aviation) Age: 77 Residence: Paris, France Citizenship: France
Charles Edelstenne has spent his whole career with Dassault. A qualified accountant, Edelstenne started working at Dassault Aviation in 1960 as head of the financial studies department. In 1975 he moved up to general secretary then became vice-chairman responsible for economic affairs in 1986. The Parisian businessman cofounded Dassault Systèmes, the aviation giant’s software and consulting arm, in 1981. From 1993 to 2002, Edelstenne was chairman and CEO of Dassault Systèmes; he resigned as CEO upon becoming the larger Dassault Aviation’s CEO. Today, Dassault Systèmes produces 3D Product Lifecycle Management software including 3D simulations of body parts like hearts that can be used to treat medical conditions. Edelstenne remains chairman of the board – he and his family own 7% of Dassault Systèmes’ capital. In 2014, he was named Dassault Group’s successor to patriarch Serge Dassault.
Despite plunging oil prices and a weakened euro, the ranks of the world’s wealthiest defied global economic turmoil and expanded yet again. For our 29th annual guide to the globe’s richest, we found a record 1,826 billionaires with an aggregate net worth of $7.05 trillion, up from $6.4 trillion a year ago. The total includes 290 newcomers, 71 of whom hail from China. Youth are on the rise: A record 46 among the ranks are under age 40. One earthward note: The average net worth of list members came in at $3.86 billion, down $60 million from 2014.
Bill Gates is once again the richest person on the planet, a title he’s held for 16 of the past 21 years. His fortune grew $3.2 billion since last year to $79.2 billion, despite a gift of $1.5 billion in Microsoft MSFT +1.93% shares to The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in November 2014. Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico comes in again at No. 2 while revered American investor Warren Buffett took back the No. 3 spot from Spain’s Amancio Ortega (now No. 4); not even the largest IPO in history was enough to beat the Oracle of Omaha this year. Buffett was the list’s biggest gainer, up $14.5 billion to $72.7 billion, thanks to Berkshire Hathaway’s rising share price. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg moves up 5 spots to number 16, his first time ranked among the world’s 20 richest. Ma and three other Chinese are among the the biggest gainers and appear among the 50 richest on the list.
There’s no doubt that entrepreneurship is thriving globally. Fully 1,191 members of the list are self-made billionaires, while just 230 inherited their wealth. Another 405 inherited at least a portion but are still working to increase their fortunes.
Our estimates show a snapshot of wealth on Feb. 13, when we locked in stock prices and exchange rates from around the world. If a stock market wasn’t open on that day, we used the stock price from the previous trading day.
18. Reed Hastings
Net worth: $1 billion Age: 54 Source Of Wealth: Netflix, Self Made Residence: Santa Cruz, CA Citizenship: United States Marital Status: Married Children: 2 Education: Bachelor of Arts / Science, Bowdoin College; Master of Science, Stanford University
Reed Hastings revolutionized how the world watches its entertainment. He’s the founder of Netflix, the video-streaming service that offers TV shows and movies, as well as original content like Emmy-winning House of Cards. Hastings, son of a Nixon Administration lawyer, studied math at Bowdin then served in the Marine Corps and the Peace Corps, where he taught math in Swaziland. He returned to the U.S., enrolled in Stanford and received a graduate degree in artificial intelligence. Hastings’ first hit company, Pure Software, went public in 1995 and was bought by Rational Software two years later. He founded Netflix that same year and first built it as a DVD subscription service. After expanding to streaming video, Hastings made a big blunder–suggesting he’d split the company into two parts–that sank Netflix stock. It has since recovered and sits at record levels. Outside of business, Hastings is interested in education, serving on California’s Board of Education and offering support to charter school organizations. Hastings is also a member of the Giving Pledge.
17. Ken Grossman
Net worth: $1 billion Source of wealth: Sierra Nevada (beer) Residence: Chico, CA Citizenship: United States Marital Status: Married Children: 3
Craft beer pioneer Ken Grossman founded Sierra Nevada brewery in 1978 when there were only 45 independent breweries in America. Today, the $100 billion-a-year industry is dominated by global giants like Anheuser-Busch InBev. But big beer is stagnant, and double-digit growth is coming from higher-price, bolder-flavor craft beers made by smaller brewers. Sierra Nevada’s famous Pale Ale accounts for 60% of the company’s $250 million in 2014 sales. Grossman, whose son runs a new brewery in North Carolina, is keenly aware of Sierra Nevada’s environmental impact. More than 10,000 solar panels are installed at the original Chico, CA brewery, and 99.8% of the facility’s waste is recycled.
16. Charles Edelstenne
Net worth: $1 billion Source of wealth: Dassault (aviation) Age: 77 Residence: Paris, France Citizenship: France
Charles Edelstenne has spent his whole career with Dassault. A qualified accountant, Edelstenne started working at Dassault Aviation in 1960 as head of the financial studies department. In 1975 he moved up to general secretary then became vice-chairman responsible for economic affairs in 1986. The Parisian businessman cofounded Dassault Systèmes, the aviation giant’s software and consulting arm, in 1981. From 1993 to 2002, Edelstenne was chairman and CEO of Dassault Systèmes; he resigned as CEO upon becoming the larger Dassault Aviation’s CEO. Today, Dassault Systèmes produces 3D Product Lifecycle Management software including 3D simulations of body parts like hearts that can be used to treat medical conditions. Edelstenne remains chairman of the board – he and his family own 7% of Dassault Systèmes’ capital. In 2014, he was named Dassault Group’s successor to patriarch Serge Dassault.
