Hart, Chandlers among Forbes' 1126 billionaires
The latest list of the world's richest has 128 new entrants as the global recession cuts some fortunes.
Hot Topic
Hawke’s Bay
Three NBR Rich Listers – Graeme Hart and the Chandler brothers – have made it on to Forbes magazine’s latest ranking of the world’s billionaires.
Mr Hart, who owns a global packing empire, is listed at 178 with a fortune of $US5.7 billion.
He heads off investment banker Richard Chandler, at 230 with wealth of $US4.6 billion, and his brother Christopher Chandler at 1153 ($US1 billion).
Mexican telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim Helú tops the list for the third year in a row but the gap between him and Microsoft founder Bill Gates is closing again.
Mr Slim’s fortune, at $US69 billion, is down $US5 billion, while Mr Gates has added $US5 billion to his and is now up to $US61 billion as Microsoft shares hit a 10-year high.
The top 10 list is virtually identical to a rival compilation put out by Bloomberg earlier in the week.
Amancio Ortega, the man behind fashion chain Zara, moved into the top 5, despite having stepped down as chairman last year.
India’s Lakshmi Mittal, who runs the world’s largest steel company, ArcelorMittal, was the biggest loser. His fortune plummeted by $US10.4 billion, knocking him out of the top 10 for the first time since 2004.
He is ranked 21. That left an opening for Hong Kong’s Li Ka-shing, now ranked at 9, who reclaims title of richest Asian for the first time since 2004, despite a $US500 million drop in his own net worth.
Eighteen Australians make the list, led by mining magnate Gina Rinehart at 29 with a fortune of $US18 billion.
Fifty-eight countries are represented on the list of a record 1226 billionaires whose average fortune is $US3.7 billion.
Some 128 billionaires are new to the Forbes rankings this year, including Colombia's Alejandro Santo Domingo, 35, the richest new billionaire in the world ($US9.5 billion) and the face of Santo Domingo Group after last year's death of his father.
NBR staff
Thu, 08 Mar 2012
Thu, 08 Mar 2012
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
Hart, Chandlers among Forbes' 1126 billionaires
19277