Top 20 Richest persons in the world: Forbes billionaires (2018)

While Forbes updates their list of the world’s billionaires in real time as markets fluctuate, the magazine also releases a more static list each year. The total net worth of these money-makers when the 2018 list  was released in March was $7.67 trillion.

Here is the list of the 20 billionaires of the world:

20. Jack Ma (China)

(born,10 September 1964), known professionally as Jack Ma, is a Chinese business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a multinational technology conglomerate. As of March 2018, he is one of China’s richest men with a net worth of US$42.7 billion, as well as one of the wealthiest people in the world.Ma is seen as a global ambassador for Chinese business and as such is frequently listed as one of the world’s most powerful people by Forbes.

Founder and Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group

Age: 53
Net worth: $39 billion

19. Mukesh Ambani (India)

Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani (born 19 April 1957) is an Indian business magnate who is the chairman, managing director and largest shareholder of Reliance Industries Limited(RIL), a Fortune Global 500 company and India’s most valuable company by market value.He holds a 44.7% stake in the company. Reliance Industries Limited deals mainly in refining, petrochemicals, and in the oil and gas sectors. Reliance Retail Ltd., another subsidiary, is the largest retailer in India.He is the elder son of the late Dhirubhai Ambani and Kokilaben Ambani and the brother of Anil Ambani. As of January 2018, Mukesh Ambani was ranked by Forbes as 18th-wealthiest person in the world, with a net worth of $43.2 billion. In 2016, he was ranked 38, and is the only Indian businessman, on Forbes‘ list of the world’s most powerful people.As of 2016, Ambani has consistently held the title of India’s richest person on the magazine’s list for ten years.Through Reliance, he also owns the Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians.

Founder and Chairman, Reliance Industries

Age: 60
Net worth: $40.1 billion

18. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers & family (France)

Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is a French heiress and author of  Bible commentaries and works on Jewish-Christian relations. The only daughter and thus under French law the heiress of Liliane Bettencourt, her family owns the company L’Oréal.She married Jean-Pierre Meyers, the grandson of a rabbi murdered at Auschwitz. After marriage, Meyers decided to raise her children as Jewish. Her marriage caused controversy as a result of her grandfather, Eugène Schueller’s, trial for collaboration with the  Nazi government.Her mother died in September 2017 at a time when her mother’s net worth was about $39.5 billion, which makes Francoise Bettencourt Meyers among the top 20 richest people in the world overall and the richest woman in the world.

Chairwoman of family’s L’Oreal holdings and granddaughter of L’Oreal’s founder

Age: 64
Net worth: $42.2 billion

17. Ma Huateng (China)

Ma Huateng (born on October 29, 1971), also known as Pony Ma,is a Chinese business magnate, investor, philanthropist, engineer, internet and technology entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Tencent, Asia’s most valuable company, one of the largest Internet and technology companies, and the biggest investment, gaming and entertainment conglomerate in the world. The company controls China’s biggest mobile instant messaging service and its subsidiaries provide media, entertainment, payment systems, smartphones, internet-related services, value-added services and online advertising services, both in China and globally.
As of March 2018, he is China’s richest man, and the 14th wealthiest in the world, with a net worth of US$51.1 billion. On 21 November 2017, he surpassed both Larry Page and Sergey Brin to become the ninth richest man in the world, and the first Chinese to enter Forbes’ top 10 richest men list.

Chairman and CEO, Tencent Holdings

Age: 46
Net worth: $45.3 billion

16. Alice Walton (U.S.)

Alice Louise Walton (born October 7, 1949) is an American heiress to the fortune of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. She is the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton and Helen Walton, and sister of S. Robson Walton, Jim Walton and the late John T. Walton. As of May 2018, Walton had a net worth of $41.8 billion, making her the wealthiest woman in the world with Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, following as the 18th-richest person in the world.In September 2016, she was reported to own over US$11 billion in Walmart shares.

Wal-Mart heir; Chair, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Age: 68
Net worth: $46 billion

15. Rob Walton (U.S.)

Samuel Robson “Rob” Walton (born October 28, 1944) is an American businessman and is the eldest son of Helen Walton and Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, the world’s largest retailer. He served as Chairman of Walmart from 1992to 2015. As of March 2018, Walton had a net worth of $41.7 billion, making him the 17th richest person in the world.

Chairman, Wal-Mart Stores

Age: 73
Net worth: $46.2 billion

14. Jim Walton (U.S.)

James Carr Walton(born June 7, 1948) is the youngest son of Sam Walton, the founder of the world’s largest retailer, Walmart. As of March 2018, Walton was the 16th-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $41.9 billion.

Wal-Mart heir; Chairman and CEO, Arvest Bank Group, Inc.

Age: 69
Net worth: $46.4

13. Sergey Brin (U.S.)

Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin (born August 21, 1973) is a Russian-American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur. Together with Larry Page, he co-founded Google. Brin is the President of Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. As of April 1, 2018, Brin is the 13th-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$47.2 billion.

President, Google

Age: 44
Net worth: $47.5 billion

12. Larry Page (U.S.)

Lawrence Edward Page (born March 26, 1973) is an American computer scientist and Internet entrepreneur who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin.

Page is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc. After stepping aside as Google CEO in August 2001, in favor of Eric Schmidt, he re-assumed the role in April 2011. He announced his intention to step aside a second time in July 2015, to become CEO of Alphabet, under which Google’s assets would be reorganized. Under Page, Alphabet is seeking to deliver major advancements in a variety of industries.

CEO, Alphabet

Age: 44
Net worth: $48.8 billion

11. Michael Bloomberg (U.S.)

Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born on February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, engineer, author, politician, and philanthropist. As of February 9, 2018, his net worth was estimated at $50.8 billion,making him the 7th-richest person in the United States and the 10th richest person in the world. He has joined The Giving Pledge, whereby billionaires pledge to give away at least half of their wealth.Bloomberg is the founder, CEO, and owner of  Bloomberg L.P., a global financial services, mass media, and software company that bears his name, and is notable for its Bloomberg Terminal, a computer software system providing financial data widely used in the global financial services industry.

CEO, Bloomberg

Age: 76
Net worth: $50 billion

10. Larry Ellison (U.S.)

Lawrence Joseph Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is an American  businessman,  entrepreneur, and philanthropist who is co-founder, executive chairman and chief technology officer of Oracle Corporation.As of January 2018, he was listed by Forbes magazine as the fifth-wealthiest person in the United States and as the eighth-wealthiest in the world, with a fortune of $62.4 billion.
Ellison has donated up to 1% of his wealth to charity and has signed The Giving Pledge. In addition to his work at Oracle, Ellison has had success in yachting, through Oracle Team USA. He is a licensed aircraft pilot who owns two military jets.

Co-founder, Oracle

Age: 73
Net worth: $58.5 billion

9 David Koch (U.S.)

David Hamilton Koch (born May 3, 1940) is an American businessman, philanthropist, political activist, and chemical engineer. He joined the family business Koch Industries, the second-largest privately held company in the United States, in 1970. He became president of the subsidiary Koch Engineering in 1979, and became a co-owner of Koch Industries, with older brother Charles, in 1983, and served as an executive vice president until his retirement in 2018.Upon retirement in June 2018 due to health issues, Koch received the title of Director Emeritus. Koch is an influential libertarian. He was the 1980 candidate for Vice President of the United States from the United States Libertarian Party and helped finance the campaign. He founded Citizens for a Sound Economy.He and his brother Charles have donated to political advocacy groups and to political campaigns, almost entirely  Republican. As of March 2018, he was ranked as the 6th-richest person in the world, (tied with his brother Charles), with a fortune of $60.8 billion.

Executive Vice President, Koch Industries

Age: 77
Net worth: $60 billion

8.Charles Koch (U.S.)

Charles de Ganahl Koch (born November 1, 1935) is an American businessman, political donor and philanthropist. As of March 2018, he was ranked as the 6th-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $60.8 billion.
He is co-owner, chairman of the board, and chief executive officer of Koch Industriessince 1967, while his brother David Kochserves as executive vice president. Charles and David each own 42% of the conglomerate. The brothers inherited the business from their father, Fred C. Koch, then expanded the business.Originally involved exclusively in oil refining and chemicals, Koch Industries now includes process and pollution control equipment and technologies; polymers and fibers; minerals; fertilizers; commodity trading and services; forest and consumer products; and ranching. The businesses produce a wide variety of well-known brands, such as  A Stainmaster  carpet, the Lycra brand of spandex fiber, Quilted Northern tissue and Dixie Cup.

CEO, Koch Industries

Age: 82
Net worth: $60 billion

7. Carlos Slim Helu & family (Mexico)

Carlos Slim Helú (born January 28, 1940) is a Mexican business magnate, engineer, investor and philanthropist. From 2010 to 2013, Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world by the  Forbes  business magazine.He derived his fortune from his extensive holdings in a considerable number of Mexican companies through his  conglomerate, Grupo Carso.As of March 2018, he is the seventh-richest person in the world according to  Forbes  listing of  The World’s Billionaires  with a net worth estimated at $70.5 billion.His conglomerate includes education, health care, industrial manufacturing, transportation, real estate, media, energy, hospitality, entertainment, high-technology, retail, sports and financial services.He accounts for 40% of the listings on the Mexican Stock Exchange, while his net worth is equivalent to about 6 percent of Mexico’s gross domestic product.

Honorary Chairman, América Móvil

Age: 78
Net worth: $67.1 billion

6. Amancio Ortega (Spain)

Amancio Ortega Gaona (born on 29 March 1936) is a Spanish  billionaire businessman. He is the founder and former chairman of  Inditex  fashion group, best known for its chain of  Zara  clothing and accessories shops. As of March 2018, Ortega had a net worth of $68.4 billion, making him the second wealthiest person in Europe after  Bernard Arnault, and the sixth-wealthiest in the world.
Ortega is also the wealthiest retailer in the world.

Co-founder, Zara

Age: 81
Net worth: $70 billion

5. Mark Zuckerberg (U.S.)

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (born May 14, 1984) is an American technology entrepreneur and philanthropist best known for co-founding and leading  Facebook as its chairman and chief executive officer.Born in  White Plains, New York, Zuckerberg attended Harvard University, where he launched Facebook from his dormitory room on February 4, 2004, with college roommates  Eduardo Saverin,  Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.After the group began expanding the company across college campuses, it expanded rapidly, reaching one billion users by 2012. Zuckerberg took the company public in May 2012 with majority shares. His  net worth is estimated to be  US $66.4 billion as of April 19, 2018.Since 2010, Time  magazine has named Zuckerberg among the 100 wealthiest and most influential people in the world as a part of its Person of the Year  award.In December 2016, Zuckerberg was ranked 10th on  Forbes list of The World’s Most Powerful People.

Co-founder, Chairman and CEO, Facebook

Age: 33
Net worth: $71 billion

4. Bernard Arnault (France)

Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault(born 5 March 1949) is a French business magnate, an investor, and art collector. Arnault is the chairmanand chief executive officer (CEO) of  LVMH, the world’s largest luxury-goods company. He is the richest person in France and the fourth richest person in the world according to Forbes magazine, with a net worth of $85.8 billion, as of June 2018. In April 2018, he also became the richest person in  fashiontoppling  Zara’s  Amancio Ortega.

Chairman and CEO, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton

Age: 69
Net worth: $72 billion

3. Warren Buffett (U.S.)

Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30,1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist who serves as the chairman and CEO of  Berkshire Hathaway. He is considered one of the most successful investors in the world  and has a net worthof US$84 billion as of June 3, 2018, making him the third wealthiest person in the world.

CEO, Berkshire Hathaway

Age: 87
Net worth: $84 billion

2. Bill Gates (U.S.)

William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate, investor, author, philanthropist, humanitarian, and principal 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.Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. He has been criticized for his business tactics, which have been considered anti-competitive. This opinion has been upheld by numerous court rulings.

 

Co-founder, Microsoft

Age: 62
Net worth: $90 billion

1. Jeff Bezos (U.S.)

Jeffrey Preston Bezos (born Jorgensen; January 12, 1964) is an American technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, who is best known as the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of  Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer.On July 27, 2017, he became the world’s wealthiest person  when his estimated  net worth  increased to just over $90 billion. His wealth surpassed $100 billion for the first time on November 24 after Amazon’s share price increased by more than 2.5%. On March 6 2018, Forbes formally designated Bezos the wealthiest person in the world with a net worth of $112 billion, making him the first  billionaire  on the wealth index.

CEO,Amazon

Age: 54
Net worth: $112 billion