2,257 BILLIONAIRES IN WORLD, UP 69 TO ANOTHER NEW RECORD
TOTAL WEALTH UP 16% TO US$8 TRILLION, EQUIVALENT TO 10.7% OF GLOBAL GDP
BILL GATES AND WARREN BUFFETT ONE AND TWO IN WORLD, WEALTH UP 1% AND 15% TO US$81BN AND US78BN
JEFF BEZOS OF AMAZON ADDS US$20BN TO STORM INTO 3RD PLACE; MARK ZUCKERBURG BREAKS INTO TOP 5 FOR FIRST TIME
LOGISTICS AND RETAIL TOP PERFORMING SECTORS, LED BY WANG WEI, 46, OF SF EXPRESS; MANUFACTURING & REAL ESTATE WORST PERFORMING
CHINESE BILLIONAIRES PULL AWAY FROM USA, GERMANY OVERTAKES INDIA FOR THIRD PLACE
BEIJING BEATS NYC TO BE BILLIONAIRE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD FOR SECOND YEAR, FOLLOWED BY HK. SHENZHEN POWERS PAST LONDON TO GRAB FOURTH PLACE.
LEADING AUTHORITY ON GLOBAL WEALTH RELEASES HURUN GLOBAL RICH LIST 2017
Key Findings
1. 2257 BILLIONAIRES IN WORLD, UP 69 ON LAST YEAR; UP 55% OR 804 OVER LAST 5 YEARS. RUPERT HOOGEWERF, HURUN REPORT CHAIRMAN & CHIEF RESEARCHER, SAID “BILLIONAIRES ARE CONCENTRATING WEALTH AT A SUPERCHARGED RATE.”
2. GOING UP: 1,037 SAW WEALTH INCREASE + 343 NEW FACES. GOING DOWN: 740 SAW WEALTH DECREASE + 276 DROPPED OFF LAST YEAR’S LIST
3. CHINESE BILLIONAIRES PULL AWAY FROM USA, 609 TO 552, UP 41 AND 17 RESPECTIVELY.
4. GERMANY OVERTAKES INDIA FOR THIRD PLACE, RISING 27, WHILST INDIA DOWN 11,
5. BILL GATES, 61, HOLDS ONTO TOP SPOT WITH US$81BN, JUST MANAGING TO HOLD OFF WARREN BUFFET’S 15% CHARGE TO US$78BN.
6. FASTEST RISER. JEFF BEZOS OF AMAZON UP US$19BN TO US$72BN, AT ONE POINT IN LAST YEAR CHALLENGING BILL GATES FOR TOP SPOT.
7. TECHNOLOGY KEY SOURCE OF WEALTH; REAL ESTATE DROPS TO FOURTH PLACE, BEHIND MANUFACTURING AND INVESTMENTS.
8. 23 NEW ENTRANTS TO THE TOP 100, LED BY CHINESE EXPRESS DELIVERY KING WANG WEI, 46, OF SF EXPRESS, UP FIVE-FOLD TO 25th WITH US$27BN. ELON MUSK BREAKS INTO TOP 100 FOR FIRST TIME.
9. LOGISTICS AND RETAIL FASTEST GROWING SECTORS FOR BILLIONAIRES THIS YEAR. HOOGEWERF SAID, “THE NEW ECONOMY IS DRIVING AN EXPLOSION IN PARCEL DELIVERIES, CREATING MORE NEW WEALTH THAN ANY OTHER SECTOR.”
10. WOMEN MAKE UP 15% OF THE LIST. OF THE 152 SELF-MADE FEMALE BILLIONAIRES, CHINESE LED THE WAY WITH A STAGGERING 79.5%. THE RICHEST WOMAN IS LILIANE BETTENCOURT, 94, OF L’OREALWITH US$37BN. THE RICHEST SELF-MADE WOMAN IN THE WORLD IS BEIJING REAL ESTATE QUEEN CHEN LIHUA WITH US$7.2BN. HOOGEWERF SAID, “CHINA IS INDISPUTABLY NOW THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO BE A FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR.”
11. TWO THIRD SELF-MADE. ONE-THIRD INHERITED. MOST CHINESE ON THE LIST ARE SELF-MADE.
12. 9% FIRST GENERATION IMMIGRANT BILLIONAIRES, LED BY SERGEY BRIN OF GOOGLE, WHO WAS BORN IN RUSSIA AND EMIGRATED TO THE USA.
13. 652 BILLIONAIRES OF CHINESE ORIGIN, OR 29% OF HURUN LIST. CHINESE MAKE UP 20% OF WORLD POPULATION.
14. POLITICAL BILLIONAIRES. DONALD TRUMP LEADS A NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES IN POLITICS. 115 CHINESE BILLIONAIRES ARE SITTING IN THE CHINESE PARLIAMMENT AS DELEGATES TO THE NPC OR CPPCC.
15. OPRAH WINFREY, BILL GATES AND DONALD TRUMP HAVE BIGGEST SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWINGS FROM USA. IN CHINA, WANG SICONG, SON OF CHINA’S NUMBER ONE WANG JIANLIN, AND JACK MA OF ALIBABA HAVE BIGGEST SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWINGS.
16. 78 FORTY OR UNDER, OF WHICH 46 SELF-MADE. YOUNGEST IS HUGH GROSVENOR, 26, WHO INHERITED US15BN FROM HIS FATHER GERALD. THE YOUNGEST SELF MADE BILLIONAIRE IS EVAN SPIEGEL, 26, OF SNAPCHAT, WORTH US$5BN
17. 3% ARE FOURTH GENERATION OR MORE: 72 BILLIONAIRES COMING FROM 43 COMPANIES.
18. 19 BILLIONAIRES DIED FROM LAST YEAR’S LIST. RICHEST WAS FORREST MARS JR WITH US$28BN. YOUNGEST WAS UK LANDLORD GERALD GROSVENOR AGED 63.
19. ASIA PIPPED NORTH AMERICA AGAIN IN TERMS OF TOTAL WEALTH CREATED, US$2.98TN COMPARED WITH US$2.78TN.
20. CHINESE STOCK EXCHANGES ATTRACTED DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF BILLIONAIRES THAN USA STOCK EXCHANGES, 433 COMPARED WITH 215.
21. CHINESE STAR SIGNS. BILLIONAIRES BORN IN THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE PULLED AWAY FROM SECOND-PLACED HORSES. MONKEYS HAD THE BEST YEAR, SHOOTING UP 3 PLACES TO THIRD. PIGS AND ROOSTERS PROPPED UP THE BOTTOM.
(7 March 2017, Beijing, China) Hurun Report today released the Hurun Global Rich List 2017, a ranking of the US dollar billionaires currently found in the world. Wealth calculations are a snapshot of 15 January 2017. This is the sixth year that Hurun Report has released a ranking of the dollar billionaires in the world, the so-called ‘Nine-Zero Club’.
The List at a glance
The Hurun Global Rich List 2017 ranked 2,257 billionaires from 68 countries and from 1811 companies in another record-breaking year for the world’s billionaires.
Total wealth increased by 16% to US$8.0 trillion, equivalent to 10.7% of global GDP, and up from 7% of global GDP five years ago. Hoogewerf said, “Global wealth is being concentrated in the hands of the billionaires at a rate far exceeding global growth.”
It has been generally another good year for the billionaires of the world. 1,037 saw their wealth increase and there were 343 new faces. 740 individuals saw their wealth decrease and a further 276 dropped out of last year’s list.
Chinese billionaires led the USA for the second year running, with 609 compared with 552. Hoogewerf said “China and the USA have half the billionaires in the world.”
It has been a good year for Germany, which surged past India into third place. India lost 11 billionaires mainly on the back of demonetisation, and Russia lost a further 12 billionaires despite a 30% appreciation of Ruble to the Dollar.
The average age is 64, same as last 3 years.
Rupert Hoogewerf, Chairman and Chief Researcher of Hurun Report, said, “The world today has 5000 dollar billionaires, assuming that for every one we have found we have missed at least one. While some billionaires go to extraordinary lengths to conceal their wealth, for the most part it is that they are discreet and prefer operating under the radar.”
Hoogewerf continued, “Billionaires are up again in the last year, on the back of a strong US dollar, which rose 14% on average against major currencies, coupled with strong stock market performances on Nasdaq and London, up 24% and 26% respectively. The DAX was up 22% and the Shanghai Stock Exchange returned a growth of 7%. On top of that we have had Brexit, Donald Trump’s election, a surge in property values in China, demonetisation in India and a 67% boom in the Brazilian stock markets.”
Top Ten – Hurun Global Rich List 2017
8 of the Top 10 are from the US. Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Warren Buffett led the charge, adding US$19bn, US$11bn and US$10bn respectively. The world’s Top 10 has no new faces this year.
Name / Wealth US$bn / Change YOY / Source of Wealth / Age / Country of residence1- / Bill Gates / 81 / 1% / Microsoft / 61 / USA
2- / Warren Buffett / 78 / 15% / Berkshire Hathaway / 86 / USA
3↑ / Jeff Bezos / 72 / 37% / Amazon / 53 / USA
4↓ / Amancio Ortega / 69 / 8% / Zara / 80 / Spain
5↑ / Mark Zuckerberg / 58 / 23% / Facebook / 32 / USA
6↑ / Larry Ellison / 48 / 4% / Oracle / 72 / USA
7↓ / Carlos Slim Helu & family / 46 / -8% / America Movil / 76 / Mexico
8- / David Koch / 43 / -2% / Koch Industries / 76 / USA
8- / Charles Koch / 43 / -2% / Koch Industries / 81 / USA
10- / Michael Bloomberg / 42 / 13% / Bloomberg / 74 / USA
Source: Hurun Research Institute 2017
↑ Rank increase yoy ↓ Rank decrease yoy - No Rank change yoy
Bill Gates, 61, is still the richest man in the world, despite only growing 1% to US$81bn. In December 2016, he launched a US$1 billion fund to invest in new forms of clean energy with aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to almost zero.
Warren Buffett, 86, held onto second place, increasing his wealth to US$78bn, up US$10bn after a surge in the Berkshire Hathaway share price. So far Buffett has donated US$17bn to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, making him one of the world’s top 3 most generous philanthropists, along with Bill Gates and George Soros.
Jeff Bezos, 53, of Amazon, has broken into the Top 3 for the first time, and at one point threatening even to take the Number One slot away from Bill Gates. His wealth surged to US$72bn, up 37%. Bezos cashed out US$671 million from selling 1% of his stake in Amazon.
Amancio Ortega, 80, of Zara, has dropped down one place to fourth with US$69bn. Ortega’s daughter Sandra Ortega Mera also makes the list with US$5.8bn.
Mark Zuckerberg, 32, the youngest of the Top 10, shot up to fifth, his highest ranking yet, after a US$11bn surge in his fortune to US$58bn. Zuckerberg, along with wife Priscilla Chan, announced he plans to give away 99% of his Facebook stock.
Larry Ellison, 72, of Oracle, was sixth with US$48bn, up 4%. Ellison invests into real estate around the world, including a Rhode Island estate and historic gardens in Kyoto.
Carlos Slim Helu, 76, the Mexican telecom tycoon, dropped out of the Top 5 after an 8% drop in wealth to US$46bn. He hit major headwinds this year mainly due to the weaker Mexican peso. Slim holds a 17% stake in The New York Times and announced the launch of a new television channel “made by Mexicans, for Mexicans” in the US this year.
The Koch brothers Charles and David held onto two slots in the Top 10 and are major supporters of the Republican Party.
With a net worth of US$42bn, Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City, 74, saw his wealth increase by 13% to keep him in the Top 10.
Where they live
The ‘Big Two’ are Greater China and the USA with 609 and 552 billionaires respectively, amounting to half of the billionaires on the planet. It has been a good year for Germany, which surged past India into third place. UAE and Indonesia broke into the Top 20 for the first time. Bangladesh contributed a billionaire for the first time, to take the countries that the billionaires reside in to 68 countries.
Beijing is the ‘Billionaire Capital of the World’ for the second year running, ahead of New York. Shenzhen surprised many adding 16 billionaires to propel it into fourth place, just behind HK. Seven of the Top 20 billionaire capitals are in Greater China. California is the USA state with the most billionaires, of which over half are from the Bay Area. Hoogewerf said, “Shenzhen and HK now have the highest concentration of wealth in the world, ahead even of California.”
Table: Where they live
Country / No of billionaires / Change in No. of billionaires / City / Number of billionaires / Change in No. of Billionaires1- / Greater China / 609 / 41 / 1- / Beijing / 94 / -6
2- / USA / 552 / 17 / 2- / New York / 86 / -9
3↑ / Germany / 109 / 27 / 3↑ / Hong Kong / 72 / 7
4↓ / India / 100 / -11 / 4↑ / Shenzhen / 62 / 16
5↓ / UK / 89 / 7 / 5↓ / Moscow / 59 / -7
6↑ / Switzerland / 77 / 11 / 6↓ / London / 55 / 4
7↓ / Russia / 68 / -12 / 6↓ / Shanghai / 53 / 3
8- / France / 50 / -1 / 8↓ / Mumbai / 42 / -3
9- / Brazil / 43 / -6 / 9↑ / Paris / 36 / 6
10- / Japan / 42 / 0 / 9- / Hangzhou / 36 / 4
11- / Italy / 41 / 4 / 11↑ / Seoul / 30 / 3
12- / Canada / 35 / 0 / 12↓ / San Francisco / 29 / 1
13↑ / South Korea / 34 / 3 / 13↑ / Sao Paulo / 25 / 1
14↓ / Turkey / 29 / -5 / 13↓ / Istanbul / 25 / -3
15↓ / Singapore / 28 / -4 / 13↑ / Taipei / 25 / 2
16- / Australia / 27 / -3 / 13↑ / Bangkok / 25 / 1
17- / Thailand / 26 / 0 / 17↓ / Singapore / 24 / -3
18- / Spain / 23 / 2 / 17↓ / Tokyo / 24 / -2
19* / UAE / 21 / 5 / 19- / Los Angeles / 23 / 2
20* / Indonesia / 17 / 3 / 20* / Guangzhou / 22 / 3
20↓ / Sweden / 17 / 1
Source: Hurun Research Institute 2017
↑ Rank increase yoy ↓ Rank decrease yoy - No Rank change yoy * New to Top 20
Greater China: No 1 with 609 billionaires, 41 more than last year. The combined net worth of the Chinese billionaires is US$1.6 trillion, 2.1% of the global GDP. Real Estate has generated most number of billionaires (120), followed by Manufacturing and TMT with 115 and 78 respectively. Led by Beijing, 5 Chinese cities make the top 10 cities and 7 the Top 20. Average age is 58, six years younger than the average of the list. China is the number 1 in the world in terms of generating self-made billionaires akin to “rags to riches” and is home to two-thirds of the world’s self-made female billionaires. A February IPO propelled Wang Wei, 46, of SF Express to third spot, with a five-fold growth in his wealth to US$27bn, just behind Wang Jianlin and Jack Ma. Corporate raider Yao Zhenhua of Baoneng saw the fastest growth on the list, rising almost eight-fold to US$15bn, but in February was barred from the insurance industry for ten years by the regulator.
USA: No 2 with 552 billionaires, up 17 on last year. Investments overtook tech to become the main source of wealth for American billionaires, with 121 and 112 billionaires respectively, followed by retail with 57. The combined wealth of the US billionaires was US$2.6 trillion, 3.4% of global GDP or just a bit more than the GDP of France. New York has the highest concentration of billionaires, with 86, followed by San Francisco and Los Angeles on 29 and 23 respectively. California is home to 133 billionaires, of which 74 live in the Bay Area. The USA is the world’s capital for immigrant billionaires. Two-thirds self-made, with one-third inherited. Average age of USA billionaires increased to 66, two higher than the average of the list.