This document provides a summary of the top 10 entrepreneurs in the world by net worth. It lists each entrepreneur's name, net worth, and a brief description of how they made their fortune and any notable business ventures or investments. The top entrepreneur is Bill Gates, with a net worth of $40 billion from founding Microsoft, despite stock losses over the past year. Carlos Slim Helu comes in third with a net worth of $35 billion primarily from his stake in America Movil. Warren Buffett ranks second with a net worth of $37 billion as the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
2. 10. AMANCIO ORTEGA
NET WORTH: US$18.3 BILLION
A railway workers son, Amanico Ortega started out as
a gofer in a shirt store. With then-wife Rosalia
Mera, also now a billionaire, they started making
dressing gowns and lingerie in their living room. That
business went on to become one of the worlds most
successful apparel manufacturers, and, today, Inditex
has more than 4,000 stores in 71 countries, with sales
of US$12.3 billion.
Ortega is chairman of Inditex, and the company
exported its cheap chic Zara stores to four new markets
last year: Ukraine, South Korea, Montenegro and
Honduras. The companys stock went up by one per
cent in the past 12 months, but its fortune went down
because of a weak euro.
His daughter, Marta, works for Inditex, and recent
speculation suggests she is being groomed to
eventually replace her father.
3. 9. THEO ALBRECHT
NET WORTH: US$18.8 BILLION
Theo Albrecht runs the discount supermarket group, Aldi
Nord. The firm is holding up amid the economic
downturn, and sales were expected to hit US$31 billion in
2008.
After World War II, he and older brother Karl transformed
their mothers corner grocery into Aldi. The brothers split
ownership in 1961, and Karl took the stores in southern
Germany, plus the rights to the brand in the U.K., Australia
and the U.S. Theo got the northern Germany stores and the
rest of Europe. Unable to operate Aldi stores in the U.S.
Theo became a recluse after being kidnapped for 17 days in
1971, and is said to collect old typewriters and love golf.
4. 8. LAKSHMI MITTAL
NET WORTH: US$19.3 BILLION
Indian immigrant, Lakshmi Mittal, heads the worlds largest
steel company, ArcelorMittal, which was formed via hostile
takeover three years ago.
Mittal started out in the family steel business in the 1970s,
and branched out on his own in 1994, initially buying up
steel mills on the cheap in Eastern Europe. His company
bought a 19.9 per cent stake in Australias Macarthur Coal
last year. He also owns pieces of Mumbais Indiabulls
Group, Londons RAB Capital, and owns stake in, and sits
on the board of Goldman Sachs.
On top of his company stakes, Mittal also holds substantial
cash and owns a 12-bedroom mansion in Londons posh
Kensington neighbourhood.
5. 7. MUKESH AMBANI
NET WORTH: US$19.5 BILLION
Ambani oversees Reliance Industries, Indias most valuable
company by market cap, despite stock falling by 40 per cent
in the past year.
Ambanis late father, Dhirubhai, founded Reliance and built
it into a massive conglomerate. After he died, Mukesh and
his brother, Anil, ran the family business together for a brief
time. But the siblings feuded over control, and their mother
eventually brokered a split of the assets.
Ambani and his family have moved into a new 27-storey
home which he built at a reported cost of US$1 billion. He is
an ardent fan of Bollywood films, and his
wife, Nita, oversees a school named after his father.
6. 6. KARL ALBRECHT
NET WORTH: US$21.5 BILLION
Germanys richest person, Karl Albrecht owns discount
supermarket giant Aldi Sud. The retailer is faring well amid
the economic downturn, and analysts expect its 2008 sales to
be up by 9.4 per cent to US$33.7 billion. Sales in the U.S.
were up an estimated 20 per cent last year to US$7
billion, and the retailer plans to open 75 U.S. stores in
2009, including the first in New York City.
With younger brother, Theo, the brothers transformed their
mothers corner grocery store into Aldi after World War II.
The brothers split ownership in 1961, and Karl took the
stores in southern Germany, plus the rights to the brand in
the U.K., Australia and the U.S, while Theo got northern
Germany and the rest of Europe.
Karl has retired from daily operations and is fiercely private;
little is known about him other than that he apparently raises
orchids and plays golf.
7. 5. INGVAR KAMPRAD & FAMILY
NET WORTH: US$22 BILLION
Ingvar Kamprad peddled matches, fish, pens, Christmas
cards and other items by bicycle as a teenager. He started
selling furniture in 1947 and opened his first Ikea store 50
years ago; the storess name being a combination of initials
of his first and last name, his family farm and the nearest
village.
Although he retired in 1986, Kamprad, the companys
senior advisor, still reportedly works tirelessly on his
brand. The discount furniture retailer now sells 9,500 items
in 36 countries, and prints catalogues in 27 languages. Ikea
revenues were up by seven per cent to US$27.4 billion in the
2008 fiscal year. Ellisons three sons all work at the
company.
But despite his massive fortune, the thrifty entrepreneur flies
economy class, frequents cheap restaurants and furnishes his
home mostly with Ikea products.
8. 4. LAWRENCE ELLISON
NET WORTH: US$22.5 BILLION
Database titan, Lawrence Ellison, continues to engulf the
competition. His company, Oracle, a major enterprise
software company, has racked up 49 acquisitions in the past
four years.
Ellison bought BEA Systems for US$8.5 billion last
year, and is still sitting on US$7 billion in cash. His revenues
have gone up 11 per cent to US$10.9 billion in the six
months ended November 30 last year, and his profits are also
up 11 per cent to US$2.4 billion. However, his stocks have
gone down by 25 per cent in the past 12 months.
A Chicago native, Ellison studied physics at the University
of Chicago, but didnt graduate. He started Oracle in 1977
and went public 1986, a day before Microsoft.
Ellison owns the 453-foot Rising Sun; a smaller leisure boat
than a superyacht.
9. 3. CARLOS SLIM HELU & FAMILY
NET WORTH: US$35 BILLION
The economic downturn and plunging peso shaved US$25
billion from the fortune of Latin Americas richest man; the
global recession testing his ability to live up to the principles
he sets for his employees: Maintain austerity in times of fat
cows.
Slim Helus biggest holding is his US$16 billion stake in
America Movil, Latin Americas largest mobile phone
company with 173 million customers. America Movil and
Telmex are reportedly planning to jointly invest US$4 billion
to bolster telecom infrastructure in Latin America.
Slim Helu is a baseball statistics enthusiast and art collector .
10. 2. WARREN BUFFET
NET WORTH: US$37 BILLION
The son of a Nebraska politician who delivered newspapers
as a boy, Buffet filed his first tax return at age 13, claiming a
US$35 deduction for a bicycle. He studied under value
investing guru Benjamin Graham at Columbia University
and took over textile firm Berkshire Hathaway in 1965.
Today, Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate holding
company invested in insurance (Geico, General
Re), jewellery (Borsheims), utilities (MidAmerican
Energy), and food (Dairy Queen, Sees Candies). It also has
non-controlling stakes in Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola and
Wells Fargo.
Last year, Americas most beloved investor was the worlds
richest man. This year, he has to settle for second place after
losing US$25 billion in 12 months, with shares of his
company Berkshire Hathaway down 45 per cent since last
March .
11. 1. WILLIAM GATES III
NET WORTH: US$40 BILLION
Software visionary and chairman of software giant
Microsoft, Bill Gates regains the title as the worlds richest
man, despite losing US$18 billion in the past 12 months.
His organisations assets were US$30 billion in January, and
an annual letter praised endowment manager Michael Larson
for limiting the companys losses last year to 20 per cent.
While Gates has retired from full-time work with
Microsoft, he still remains Microsofts chairman. He sells
shares each quarter and redeploys proceeds via investment
vehicle Cascade, with more than half of the companys
fortune invested outside Microsoft. Microsofts stock has
gone down by 45 per cent in past 12 months.
A creative capitalist, Gates wants companies to match
profit-making with doing good.