The World's Billionaires annual ranking
of the very richest people on the planet. by Forbes
Rank |
Name |
Citizenship |
Age |
Net Worth
($bil) |
1 |
William Gates III |
United States |
50 |
50.0 |
2 |
Warren Buffett |
United States |
75 |
42.0 |
3 |
Carlos Slim Helu |
Mexico |
66 |
30.0 |
4 |
Ingvar Kamprad |
Sweden |
79 |
28.0 |
5 |
Lakshmi Mittal |
India |
55 |
23.5 |
6 |
Paul Allen |
United States |
53 |
22.0 |
7 |
Bernard Arnault |
France |
57 |
21.5 |
8 |
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud |
Saudi Arabia |
49 |
20.0 |
9 |
Kenneth Thomson & family |
Canada |
82 |
19.6 |
10 |
Li Ka-shing |
Hong Kong |
77 |
18.8 |
11 |
Roman Abramovich |
Russia |
39 |
18.2 |
12 |
Michael Dell |
Russia |
41 |
17.1 |
13 |
Karl Albrecht |
Germany |
86 |
17.0 |
14 |
Sheldon Adelson |
United States |
72 |
16.1 |
15 |
Liliane Bettencourt |
France |
83 |
16.0 |
16 |
Lawrence Ellison |
United States |
61 |
16.0 |
17 |
Christy Walton |
United States |
51 |
15.9 |
18 |
Jim Walton |
United States |
58 |
15.9 |
19 |
S Robson Walton |
United States |
62 |
15.8 |
20 |
Alice Walton |
United States |
56 |
15.7 |
21 |
Helen Walton |
United States |
86 |
15.6 |
22 |
Theo Albrecht |
Germany |
83 |
15.2 |
23 |
Amancio Ortega |
Spain |
70 |
14.8 |
24 |
Steven Ballmer |
United States |
50 |
13.6 |
25 |
Azim Premji |
India |
60 |
13.3 |
#1 William Gates III
Age: 50
Fortune: self made
Source: Microsoft
Net Worth: 50.0
Country Of Citizenship: United States
Residence: Medina, Washington, United
States, North America
Industry: Software
Marital Status: married, 3 children
Harvard University, Drop Out
|
|
Microsoft's chief visionary moving further
away from day-to-day corporate work. For the first time did not offer a
strategy outlook at last year's financial analyst meeting. Instead, prefers
to dive into innovative projects, foster collaboration among Microsoft's
many divisions. Microsoft aims to be omnipotent, selling software for PCs,
servers, cell phones, television set-top boxes, gaming consoles, the Web.
At the ripe (tech sector) age of 30, Gates' company impressively beats
rivals in profit margins, market capitalization and R&D budget, but
its sales growth is slowing to a (recently) single-digit percentage pace.
Like elder statesman of computing, IBM, has been investing heavily in its
own stock. Diversifies methodically, selling 20 million shares every quarter,
reinvesting through Cascade Investment. Big stakes in Canadian National
Railway, Republic Services, Berkshire Hathaway. Philanthropy, via $29 billion
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed at fighting infectious disease
#2 Warren Buffett
Age: 75
Fortune: self made
Source: Berkshire Hathaway
Net Worth: 42.0
Country Of Citizenship: United States
Residence: Omaha, Nebraska, United States,
North America
Industry: Investments
Marital Status: widowed, 3 children
University of Nebraska Lincoln, Bachelor
of Arts / Science
Columbia University, Master of Science
|
|
Revered investor took it on the chin over
Berkshire Hathaway's General Re insurance unit; SEC threatened civil fraud
suit against General Re Chief Joseph Brandon over questionable transaction
with American International Group. Also got it for his board seat at Coca-Cola,
where his "independence" might be compromised by Berkshire's ownership
of Dairy Queen, which buys lots of Coke products. Buffett: "Do they want
us to favor Pepsi?" At Berkshire set in place two governance reforms: regular
meetings of directors without Buffett present; whistleblower line for employees.
Sitting on $43 billion in cash, hoped to make some big acquisitions last
year, "but I struck out." Instead, invested in foreign currencies: $21
billion bet against the dollar and in favor of various other currencies.
"In no way does our thinking about currencies rest on doubts about America."
Newspaper delivery boy filed first 1040 at age 13; claimed $35 deduction
for bicycle. Studied under Benjamin Graham at Columbia. Applied value-investing
principles to build Berkshire Hathaway. Portfolio includes utilities (MidAmerican
Energy Holdings), insurance (Geico, General Re), apparel (Fruit of the
Loom), flight services (FlightSafety, NetJets). Also chunks of American
Express, Coca-Cola, Gillette, Wells Fargo. Instructs managers to run a
business as if it's the only asset the manager's family will own over the
next 100 years. Prefers his investors to buy equities only after careful
analysis. "If they insist on trying to time their participation in equities,
they should try to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when
others are fearful." Says he underestimated the severity of certain stocks'
overvaluation during the tech bubble. "I talked when I should have walked."
No matter. Since taking control of Berkshire 40 years ago, has delivered
compound annual return of 22%. "No wonder we tap-dance to work."
#5 Lakshmi Mittal
Age: 55
Fortune: inherited and growing
Source: Steel
Net Worth: 23.5
Country Of Citizenship: India
Residence: London, United Kingdom, Europe
& Russia
Industry: Manufacturing
Marital Status: married, 2 children
St Xavier's College Calcutta, Bachelor
of Arts / Science
|
|
The steel titan now oversees the world's largest
steel company, Mittal Steel. In December 2004 he merged his Ispat International
with Ohio-based International Steel Group in a $4 billion (in cash and
stock) deal. Owns 87.4% of the $28.1 billion (2005 sales) company. An early
year double-digit drop in US and European steel prices and fourth-quarter
increased spending on coal and iron ore and lower prices helped lead to
a 28% drop in 2005 profits to $3.4 billion. On Jan 27, Mittal made a $23.7
billion hostile bid for largest rival, Luxembourg-based Arcelor, in an
effort to spark more world steel consolidation and enable Mittal Steel
to sell higher grade steel to company's like Ford Motor. Arcelor employing
numerous techniques to either fend it off or get a higher price: bought
a large stake in a Chinese steel company; enlisted the French government
to take up its cause; Luxembourg (the biggest shareholder) introduced a
new takeover law; and Arcelor doubled its dividend. |