The rich and famous have always been fascinating to common people like ourselves. Right now, the most wealthy people on Earth are providing goods and services you may not even be aware that you partake in, thus contributing to their success. Most of these companies we’ve heard of, but the people behind them are the real powerhouse.
Check out more about the richest people on Earth right now, and maybe someday your name will be added to the list.
1. The Walton family: Net Worth — $174.5 billion
Walmart
It only makes sense the wealthiest people on earth right now, The Walton family, are the founders of the world’s largest retailer Walmart. As of January 31, 2018, Walmart has 11,718 stores and clubs in 28 countries, operating under 59 different names.
Walmart is the world’s largest company by revenue as well as the largest private employer in the world with 2.3 million employees.
2. Charles & David Koch: Net Worth — $120.3 billion
Koch Industries
Charles is chairman and CEO of US firm Koch Industries, while David is vice president. Koch Industries are involved in the manufacturing, refining, and distribution of petroleum, chemicals, energy, fiber, intermediates and polymers, minerals, fertilizers, pulp and paper, chemical technology equipment, ranching, finance, commodities trading, and investing.
The firm employs 120,000 people in 60 countries, with about half of its business in the United States.
3. Jeff Bezos: Net Worth — $112.4 billion
Amazon
Jeff Bezos is the founder, chairman, and CEO of online shopping retailer Amazon. The company began as an online bookstore and has expanded to a variety of products and services, including video and audio streaming. It is currently the world’s largest Internet sales online company, as well as the world’s largest provider of cloud infrastructure services via its Amazon Web Services arm.
Amazon has separate retail websites for the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, Japan, China, India, and Mexico. In 2016, Dutch, Polish, and Turkish language versions of the German Amazon website were also launched. Amazon also offers international shipping of some of its products to certain other countries
4. Bill Gates: Net Worth — $90.3 billion
Microsoft
Gates made his fortune co-founding PC software company Microsoft. Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution.
Gates led the company as CEO until stepping down in January 2000, but he remained as chairman and created the position of chief software architect for himself. In June 2006, Gates announced that he would be transitioning from full-time work at Microsoft to part-time work and full-time work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which was established in 2000.
5. Warren Buffett: Net Worth — $84.2 billion
Berkshire Hathaway
Buffett 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.
Buffett is a notable philanthropist, having pledged to give away 99 percent[10] of his fortune to philanthropic causes, primarily via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He founded The Giving Pledge in 2009 with Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, whereby billionaires pledge to give away at least half of their fortunes.
6. Bernard Arnault and family: Net Worth — $72.2 billion
LVMH
Arnault is the Chairman and CEO of luxury goods company, LVMH. In January 1989, he spent $500 million to gain control a total of 43.5% of LVMH and 35% of voting rights, thus reaching the “blocking minority” that he needed to stop the dismantlement of the LVMH group. On January 13, 1989, he was unanimously elected chairman of the executive management board.
The company was formed in 1987 under the merger of fashion house Louis Vuitton with Moet Hennessy, a company formed after the 1971 merger between the champagne producer Moët & Chandon and Hennessy, the cognac manufacturer. It controls around 60 subsidiaries that each manage a small number of prestigious brands. The subsidiaries are often managed independently.
7. Mark Zuckerberg: Net Worth — $71.2 billion
Zuckerberg is the chairman, CEO, and co-founder of social networking giant Facebook. The massive digital conglomerate Facebook has more than 2.2 billion monthly active users as of January 2018. Its popularity has led to prominent media coverage for the company, including significant scrutiny over privacy and the psychological effects it has on users.
On May 1, 2018, Facebook announced its plans to launch a new dating service. According to Mark Zuckerberg: “There are 200 million people on Facebook that list themselves as single, so clearly there’s something to do here”. In time we’ll see if this risky endeavor pays off or leads or more data breaches.
8. The Mars family: Net Worth — $70.9 billion
MARS
The world’s biggest confectioner, Mars, is still owned by descendants of Frank C. Mars, headed now by Jacqueline. The American global manufacturer provides goods such as confectionery, pet food, and other food products along with animal care services.
Mars, Incorporated has developed a reputation across its leading markets to be an excellent training ground for managers. In the United Kingdom, for instance, many CEOs of large companies learned their trade at Mars, Inc., including former Mars executives Allan Leighton, the former appointed CEO of the supermarket chain Asda and then the British postal service Royal Mail, and Justin King, former CEO of the retailer Sainsbury’s.
9. Amancio Ortega: Net Worth — $70.3 billion
ZARA
Ortega opened the first Zara store in 1975 and later incorporated the chain into holding company Inditex, of which he owns 59%. He is the founder and former chairman of Inditex fashion group, best known for its chain of Zara clothing and accessories retail shops.
Ortega keeps a very low profile and is known for his preference for a simple lifestyle. Until 1999, no photograph of Ortega had ever been published. He refuses to wear a tie and typically prefers to wear a simple uniform of a blue blazer, white shirt, and gray trousers, none of which are Zara products.
There are over 6,500 Zara stores located across 88 countries. Zara’s retail development strategy selects the best located and most expensive real estate locations in the world to open its flagship stores. The success speaks for itself.
10. Carlos Slim Helu: Net Worth — $67.3 billion
Self-made billionaire and telecoms magnate Slim is also Mexico’s richest man. He derived his fortune from his extensive holdings in a considerable number of Mexican companies through his conglomerate, Grupo Carso.
His conglomerate includes education, healthcare, 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.
