TOP TEN RICHEST PEOPLE

10. Karl Hans Albrecht

Karl Hans Albrecht (born 20 February 1920) is a German entrepreneur who founded the discount supermarket chain Aldi with his brother Theo. He is among the richest men in the world, with an estimated net worth in 2011 of $25.4 billion according to Forbes, which ranks him 10th in its 2012 list of billionaires – making him the oldest billionaire in the Top 20 list. Albrecht is the wealthiest person in Germany.

9. Li Ka-shing

Estimated worth: $25.5 bn

Sir Ka-shing Li, GBM, KBE, JP (born 13 June 1928 in Chaozhou,China) is a Hong Kong business magnate and philanthropist. He is the richest person of Asian descent in the world and the ninth richest person in the world with an estimated wealth of US $25.5 billion as of 2012. Presently, he is the chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) and Cheung Kong Holdings; through them, he is the world’s largest operator of container terminals and the world’s largest health and beauty retailer

8. Stefan Persson

Estimated worth: $26 bn

Stefan Persson (born 4 October 1947) is a Swedish business magnate. He is the current chairman and main shareholder in fashion company H&M, which was founded by his father Erling Persson Stefan took over the company in 1982 and served as its chief executive officer until 1998. According to Forbes magazine, Persson had a net worth US$26 billion in March 2012, making him the richest person in Sweden and the 8th richest person in the world.

7. Eike Batista

Estimated worth: $30 bn

Eike Batista (born November 3, 1956), is a Brazilian entrepreneur and president of the EBX Group , which includes five companies that trade on the BOVESPA’s Novo Mercado, a special segment of the Sao Paulo stock market where enterprises with the highest standards of corporate governance are listed. The EBX companies listed on the BOVESPA are: OGX (oil and gas), MPX (energy), LLX (logistics), MMX (mining) and OSX (offshore services
and equipment).

6. Larry Ellison

Estimated worth: $36 bn

Lawrence Joseph “Larry” Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Oracle Corporation, one of the world’s leading enterprise software companies. As of 2012, he is the third wealthiest American citizen, with an estimated worth of $36 billion.

5. Amancio Ortega

Estimated worth: $37.5 bn

Amancio Ortega (born March 28, 1936) is a Spanish fashion entrepreneur. He is the founder, along with his then-wife Rosalia Mera, and chairman of the Inditex Group. He is ranked by Forbes as Spain’s richest man; Europe’s second richest man; and the Fifth richest man in the world in 2012. He currently lives with his second wife in a discreet apartment building in the centre of A Coruna.

4. Bernard Arnault

Estimated worth: $41 bn

Bernard Arnault (born 5 March 1949) is a French business magnate who is best known as the chairman and CEO of the French conglomerate LVMH. According to Forbes Magazine, Arnault is the world’s 4th and Europe’s richest person, with a 2012 net worth of US$41 billion.

3. Warren Buffett

Estimated worth: $44 bn

Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as “legendary investor, Warren Buffett”, he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is consistently ranked among the world’s wealthiest people. He was ranked as the world’s wealthiest person in 2008 and is the third wealthiest person in the world as of 2012.

2. Bill Gates

Estimated worth: $61 bn

William Henry “Bill” Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen. He is consistently ranked among the world’s wealthiest people and was the wealthiest overall from 1995 to 2009, excluding 2008, when he was ranked third. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of CEO and chief software architect, and remains the largest individual shareholder, with 6.4 percent of the common stock. He has also authored or co-authored several books.

1. Carlos Slim Helu

Estimated worth: $69 bn

Carlos Slim Helu (born January 28, 1940) is a Mexican business magnate and philanthropist who as of 2012 is the richest man in the world, for the third year in a row. He is the chairman and chief executive of telecommunications companies Telmex and America Movil and has extensive holdings in other Mexican companies through his conglomerate, Grupo Carso SAB, as well as business interests elsewhere in the world. Slim’s estimated fortune soared to $59 billion,