Top winners include some household names, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, and Latin American telecom billionaires.
Amid falling stock markets, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the covid-19 pandemic, the collective wealth of the world’s billionaires has shrunk by $400 billion (367.78 billion euros) since last year, according to Forbes’ 2022 list. But not everyone had a difficult year.
Just ask Elon Musk, whose fortune grew by $68 billion (€62.52 billion) since the 2021 release, to an estimated $219 billion (€201.36 billion), which made him the world’s richest person, his first time at the top of Forbes’ annual ranking. Musk’s biggest fortune comes even after he sold $16 billion worth of Tesla stock at the end of 2021 and paid taxes on his capital gains, as a result of an increase in the share price over the past year. He is the biggest winner, in dollar terms, this year.
The popularity of buying and selling cryptocurrency partly fueled the rise of the second-biggest gainer. Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, co-founded the Binance cryptocurrency exchange which is worth an estimated $65 billion (59.76 billion euros), or $63.1 billion (58.02 billion euros). ) more than last year. That’s a big jump, but it’s partly because Forbes got new information about CZ’s stake in Binance (at least 70%, according to sources, though the company won’t comment), combined with a much higher revenue estimate. higher, as Binance’s trading volume has skyrocketed.
Here are the top 10 billionaires with the biggest earnings over the past year:
Elon Musk
Net worth: 219 billion dollars (201.36 billion euros)
Profit since April 2021: 68 billion dollars (62.52 billion euros)
Source of wealth: Tesla, SpaceX+
Country: USA
The wealth of the rocket and electric car entrepreneur grew by 68 billion dollars (62.52 billion euros) last year. That followed a $126 billion gain between the 2020 and 2021 world billionaire lists. In early 2022, Musk’s fortune briefly topped $300 billion (275.84 billion euros), only to drop back to 219 billion dollars (201.36 billion euros) by the 2022 Forbes list. That was still enough to make him the richest person in the world.
Chang Peng Zhao
Net worth: 65 billion dollars (59.76 billion euros)
Profit since April 2021: 63.1 billion dollars (58.02 billion euros)
Source of wealth: cryptocurrency exchange
Country: Canada
Known as CZ, Changpeng Zhao is the CEO of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, of which he owns approximately 70%. Zhao’s net worth increased last year due to new information about his involvement with him and the success of the trade. Zhao announced in January that Binance plans to spend $200 million (€183.89 billion) to buy a minority stake in Forbes through a SPAC transaction.
Gautam Adani
Net worth: 90 billion dollars (82.75 billion euros)
Profit since April 2021: 39.5 billion dollars (36.32 billion euros)
Source of wealth: Infrastructure
Country: India
With shares in six publicly traded companies outperforming India’s benchmark index in 2021, Adani’s net worth increased by more than $39 billion (€35.86 billion), making him the 11th richest person in the world and the second richest person in Asia, behind only fellow Indian Mukesh Ambani. Chairman of the Adani Group, Adani has companies operating in power generation, coal, and real estate. India’s largest private port operator, Adani Group, owns 74% of Mumbai International Airport.
Rodolfo Saade And family
Net worth: 41.4 billion dollars (38.07 billion euros)
Profit since April 2021: 30.5 billion dollars (28.04 billion euros)
Source of wealth: messaging
Country: France
Saadé’s wealth increased due to increased demand from shipping logistics company CMA CGM, a private company in which he and his family have a 73% stake. The increase in value of the company makes Saadé the third richest person in France.
Michael Bloomberg
Net worth: 82 billion dollars (75.40 billion euros)
Profit since April 2021: 23 billion dollars (21.15 billion euros)
Source of wealth: Bloomberg
Country: USA
The former New York mayor’s net worth has risen nearly 40% since last year as estimated revenue from his financial information and media company, Bloomberg LP has risen. He owns 88%.
Steve Ballmer
Net worth: 91.4 billion dollars (84.04 billion euros)
Profit since April 2021: 22.7 billion dollars (20.87 billion euros)
Source of wealth: Microsoft
Country: USA
The former Microsoft CEO turned Los Angeles Clippers owner saw his wealth grow by a third last year, largely due to a 32% rise in Microsoft stock value. The value of his NBA team also increased by 17%, to 3.3 billion dollars (3.03 billion euros).
Warren Buffett
Net worth: 118 billion dollars (108.50 billion euros)
Profit since April 2021: 22 billion dollars (20.23 billion euros)
Source of wealth: Berkshire Hathaway
Country: USA
Despite having donated around 4 billion dollars (3.68 billion euros) to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and four other foundations in mid-2021, Buffett’s wealth increased by almost 23% in the last year. His conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway reached a market valuation of 700 billion dollars (643.62 billion euros) in January and continued to rise.
Larry Page
Net worth: 111 billion dollars (102.06 billion euros)
Profit since April 2021: 19.5 billion dollars (17.93 billion euros)
Source of wealth: Google
Country: USA
The Google co-founder is the sixth richest person in the world. In 2021, Page sold shares of Google parent Alphabet for the first time since 2017. The shares rose more than 26% last year.
Carlos Slim Helu
Net worth: 81.2 billion dollars (74.66 billion euros)
Profit since April 2021: 18.4 billion dollars (16.92 billion euros)
Source of wealth: telecommunications
Country: Mexico
The richest person in Mexico, who has risen and fallen on the Forbes billionaires list for many years, is now the 13th richest person in the world. The billionaire is 18.4 billion dollars (16.92 billion euros) richer than last year, after a 42% increase in the shares of his Latin American telecommunications company América Móvil. Slim sold his 10% stake in The New York Times at the end of 2020 when the shares were trading at more than $40 (36.78 euros) per share. He had exercised warrants to buy those shares in 2015 for more than $6 (5.52 euros) each.
Sergey Brin
Net worth: 107 billion dollars (98.38 billion euros)
Profit since April 2021: 18 billion dollars (16.55 billion euros)
Source of wealth: Google
Country: USA
The Google co-founder is funding the development of zero-emission aircraft. Like Page, he began selling Alphabet shares in 2021 after a three-year hiatus. The increase of 18 billion dollars (16.55 billion euros) in Brin’s net worth was driven by the increase in the value of Alphabet shares and follows a profit of almost 40 billion dollars (36.78 billion euros) between the Forbes lists of 2020 and 2021.
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