Money makes the world go round, and for some individuals, it has made them incredibly wealthy. From tech entrepreneurs to business magnates, these people have amassed a fortune beyond imagination. In this blog post, we'll be taking a look at the top 10 richest persons in the world right now and explore what they did to get there. Whether you're curious about their net worth or want to know how they built up their wealth – buckle up because we're going on a ride through the lives of billionaires!
Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is the founder and CEO of Amazon, one of the world’s largest online retailers. He is also the owner of The Washington Post. Bezos has a net worth of $131 billion, making him the richest person in the world.
Bezos was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and raised in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Princeton University in 1986 with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science. After working on Wall Street for a few years, he quit his job to start Amazon in 1994. Initially an online bookstore, Amazon soon began selling other items such as music, DVDs, and electronics. The company has now grown to become a trillion-dollar business, with operations in more than 30 countries around the world.
In addition to his business success, Bezos is also known for his philanthropy. He has donated billions of dollars to charities and causes such as education and medical research.
Bill Gates
Bill Gates is an American business magnate, investor, author, and philanthropist. He is best known as the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of chairman, CEO and chief software architect, while also being the largest individual shareholder until May 2014. He has authored or co-authored several books.
Gates has been ranked as one of the richest persons in the world since 1987 by Forbes magazine. As of November 2020, Gates had a net worth of US$106 billion, making him the second-wealthiest person in the world behind Jeff Bezos. Since 1996, Gates has been included in the Forbes list of The World's Billionaires and was ranked as the wealthiest from 1995 to 2007, again in 2009, and has been since 2014. In October 2017, he was surpassed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as the richest person in the world.
As of January 2021, Bill Gates had a net worth of $124 billion dollars making him once again number 2 on the list of richest people in the world behind Jeff Bezos who had a net worth of $182 billion dollars.
Bernard Arnault
Bernard Arnault is a French businessman and entrepreneur. He is the chairman and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH, the world’s largest luxury-goods company. He is also the richest person in France and the fourth richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$84.6 billion as of 2020.
Arnault was born in 1949 in Roubaix, France. His father, Jean Arnault, was a civil engineer and his mother, Marie-José Jaouen, was a teacher. Arnault began his career working for his father’s construction company. In 1976, he joined Électricité de France (EDF), where he worked for seven years before moving to Financière Agache, a luxury goods holding company owned by French conglomerate Compagnie Générale des Eaux (now Vivendi).
In 1984, Arnault led a management buyout of Financière Agache and merged it with another holding company he controlled, Compagnie Financière Saint Honoré SA. The new company was renamed as LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SE after acquiring Moët & Chandon Champagne and Hennessy Cognac from fellow French conglomerate Havas in 1987. Under Arnault’s leadership, LVMH has grown to become the world’s largest luxury-goods company, with sales of US$41.4 billion in 2018.
Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett is an American investor, business magnate, and philanthropist. He is considered one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net worth of over $84 billion as of 2019.
Buffett was born in 1930 in Omaha, Nebraska and started his investing career when he was just 11 years old. He eventually took over his father's investment firm, Buffett Partnership, Ltd., and began making a name for himself on Wall Street. In 1962, he founded Berkshire Hathaway, a holding company that would become one of the most successful businesses in history.
Over the course of his career, Buffett has made some very savvy investments that have earned him a fortune. He's also been known for his charitable giving, donating billions of dollars to various causes over the years.
Amancio Ortega
Amancio Ortega is a Spanish billionaire businessman and fashion executive. He is the founder and former chairman of Inditex, a clothing company that operates the Zara chain of stores. As of March 2019, Ortega has an estimated net worth of $62.7 billion, making him the second-richest person in Europe and the fourth-richest person in the world.
Ortega was born in Busdongo de Arbás, León, Spain, on 28 March 1936 to Antonio Ortega Rodríguez and Josefa Pérez Alonso. He has four siblings: Rosalia, Antonio, José María, and Paloma. His father was a railway worker and his mother was a housewife. He dropped out of school when he was 14 years old to work as a shop hand for Gala, a local dressmaker in La Coruña, Galicia. In 1972, he founded Confecciones Goa with his then-wife Rosalía Mera Goyenechea; the company specialized in dressing gowns and lingerie. The company grew rapidly, and by 1985 it had annual revenues of €20 million. In 1986 he founded Inditex with mergers including Zara (1985), Massimo Dutti (1991), Bershka (1998), Oysho (1999), Stradivarius (1999), Pull & Bear (2000), Uterquelle (2000), Mango (2002), and Tally Weijl (2003).
Mark Zuckerberg
- Mark Zuckerberg is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Facebook. He started Facebook in 2004 from his Harvard dorm room.
2. Zuckerberg is now one of the richest people in the world with a net worth of over US$50 billion as of March 2017.
3. He makes most of his money from Facebook, which is currently the world's largest social network with over 1.86 billion monthly active users as of December 2016.
4. Zuckerberg has also invested in many other startups including WhatsApp (which he acquired for US$19 billion in 2014), Oculus VR (which he acquired for US$2 billion in 2014) and Asana (a project management software company).
Jim Walton
Jim Walton is the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He currently serves as chairman and CEO of Arvest Bank Group, Inc., which he co-founded in 1961. Jim Walton has a net worth of $39.7 billion as of March 2021.
Jim Walton was born in 1948 in Arkansas. He attended The University of Arkansas, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. After graduation, he joined his father's company, Walmart, and began working in the retail stores. In 1975, he was promoted to president of Wal-Mart Stores Division. He held this position until 1988 when he was named CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
In 2005, Jim stepped down as CEO but remained on the board of directors. In 2015, he became chairman of the board. Under his leadership, Walmart has become the world's largest retailer with over 11,000 stores in 27 countries.
Jim Walton is married and has four children. His son, Steuart, is a member of Walmart's board of directors.
Alice Walton
Alice Walton is the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. She is the heiress to the Walmart fortune and is currently the richest woman in America with a net worth of $45 billion. Alice has been a director of Walmart since 2013 and also serves on the board of directors for Arvest Bank Group, Inc. and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
Rob Walton
Rob Walton, the eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, is the chairman of Walmart and has a net worth of $44.2 billion. He started working for his father's company in 1969 and became the CEO of Walmart in 1988. Under his leadership, Walmart became the largest retailer in the world. He stepped down as CEO in 2015 but remains chairman of the board.
Walton has been a major philanthropist, donating billions of dollars to various causes. He has also been an active political donor, contributing to both Republican and Democratic candidates and causes.
Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer is an American businessman and the former CEO of Microsoft. He is currently the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. Ballmer was born in Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Harvard University in 1977.
He began his career at Procter & Gamble before joining Microsoft in 1980. He quickly rose through the ranks at Microsoft, becoming its first business manager and then its 30th employee. He eventually became CEO in 2000, a position he held for 14 years. Under his leadership, Microsoft’s annual revenue grew from $25 billion to $70 billion.
Ballmer retired from Microsoft in 2014 and purchased the Los Angeles Clippers that same year for $2 billion. He is currently worth an estimated $41.2 billion, making him the 17th richest person in the world.
Conclusion
The top 10 richest persons in the world represent some of the wealthiest individuals in history. They have achieved immense success by investing wisely and taking risks, often with great payoffs. Each one of these billionaires has made their fortune through a unique set of strategies and investments, but they all share one thing: ambition. Whether you aspire to join this exclusive club or just want to learn more about how they got where they are today, studying the stories behind these amazing entrepreneurs is sure to provide valuable insights into business and wealth creation.
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