Biographies of the richest and most successful people in the world - success stories, photos, quotes and sayings. Biography and thoughts of the richest people in the world - instructions for those who want to be a billionaire Biographies of rich and successful people

The number of world billionaires has doubled in 10 years. In 2017, there were 1810 people on the list, and in 2018 this figure rose to 2208. However, in 2018 there were 55 fewer billionaires in the world. There are currently 2,153 people with a combined fortune of $8.7 trillion.

On average, billionaire wealth increases by $900 billion a year, or $2.5 billion a day. At the same time, the entire capital of the poor population, which is 3.8 billion people, is equal to the fortunes of 26 rich people, and 3.4 billion people live on the verge of poverty, receiving less than $ 5.5 a day.

However, the stock market has fallen seriously several times this year, resulting in a decline in the number of dollar millionaires, although it has been stable since 2008. Due to another fall in US stock indices 10 the richest people the world have lost nearly $18 billion. As a result of trading on August 14, key indices fell by 3%. After that, the fortune of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos decreased by $3.5 billion, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg - by $3.2 billion, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of LVMH Bernard Arnault - by $3 billion. Before that, according to the results of trading on August 5, the richest people in the world lost $ 23 billion.

More than half of all dollar millionaires live in the USA, Japan, Germany and China.

Most often, millionaires move to Australia, the USA and Canada. Last year, 12,000 dollar millionaires came to Australia, 10,000 to the US, and 4,000 to Canada.

According to the consulting firm Capgemini, in 2018 there were 18 million people in the world whose net worth exceeded $1 million. The total amount of capital decreased to 68.1 trillion dollars.

In the United States of America, the number of millionaires has surpassed the number of people living in Sweden or Portugal, according to the consulting company Spectrem Group.

The population of Sweden is 10 million people, while the population of Portugal is almost 10.2 million people. There are 11.8 million people living in the United States, whose fortune is estimated at $1 million. The number of millionaires in America has been growing for 10 years in a row. However, in 2018, the growth of the number of rich people in America slowed down due to the ambiguous political situation and the state of the global economy.

At the same time, the number of rich people who own assets estimated at 5-25 million dollars increased by 3.5% to 1.397 million people. The wealth of the 173,000 richest Americans exceeds $25 million.

Current TOP-5 Forbes ranking

The American financial magazine Forbes, since 1987, publishes an annual list of the richest people in the world. The list does not include people with an “unclear” origin of capital, as well as dictators and members of their families.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is considered the richest person in the world. His fortune is already estimated at 112 billion dollars. According to the humanitarian and charitable organization Oxfam, just 1% of Bezos' total net worth is equal to the health care budget in Ethiopia of 105 million people. Jeff Bezos is best known as the owner of the Amazon retailer. In addition, he owns the aerospace company Blue Origin and Publishing House The Washington Post.

In addition to him, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Bernard Arnault and Mark Zuckerberg were in the top five. Zuckerberg hit the top of the rankings for the first time in 2017, becoming the youngest billionaire in the world, because then he was only 31 years old.

In 2017, Gates had $75 billion, Buffett had $60.8 billion, Bezos had $45.2 billion, and Zuckerberg had $44.6 billion. Amanicio Ortega ($67 billion) and Carlos Slim Elu ($50 billion) were also in the top five.

In addition, in 2019, Bloomberg updated the ranking of wealthy families. According to Bloomberg, the 25 richest families have concentrated $1.4 trillion in their property. In the first place in the list of the richest families in the world is the Waltons. This family controls the Walmart supermarket chain.

In total, the capital of the entire Walton family is $191 billion. In the last year alone, this amount has grown by $39 billion. Nearly 9,000 Walmart Stores Inc. work in 15 countries, and thanks to this, the Waltons become richer by 4 million dollars every hour.

In second place are the heirs of Frank Mars, founder of the confectionery company Mars Inc. The capital of the Mars family for the year grew to 126.5 billion dollars. Third place went to the Koch brothers, owners of the petrochemical company Koch Industries. Their fortune is estimated at 125 billion dollars.

In fourth place is the ruling dynasty of Saudi Arabia, Al Saud, whose capital is $100 billion. The top five is closed by brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, heirs of the founder of Chanel with a capital of $57.6 billion.

The richest Ukrainians

He is followed by Konstantin Zhevago. His fortune rose by $400 million to $1.6 billion.

A little lower on the list is Yuriy Kosyuk, a Ukrainian entrepreneur, the owner of a controlling stake in the company and director of MHP S.A., chairman of the board of Myronivsky Hliboproduct OJSC with a capital of $1.5 billion. This means that in a year he has become more money for 300 million dollars.

Victor Pinchuk, who occupies the next position, enriched himself by 100 million to 1.4 billion dollars.

The following are Gennady Bogolyubov and Igor Kolomoisky, who spent money over the year, but did not receive a profit. Bogolyubov's fortune has decreased from 1.4 billion to 1.2 billion dollars, and Kolomoisky - from 1.1 billion to 1 billion dollars.

Vadim Novinsky also became a billionaire, taking 2057th place in the general list.

According to income declarations for 2018, the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine recorded an increase in hryvnia millionaires. If at the end of 2017 there were 742 such citizens, then at the end of last year their number increased to 1120 people.

The consulting company New World Wealth conducted a study, according to which it turned out that more than a hundred dollar millionaires left Ukraine in the whole of 2018. However, the outflow of Ukrainian millionaires is not as serious as in other countries. In the overall ranking, Ukraine fell into a position between Venezuela and Egypt.

According to a study by the international consulting company Wealth-X, Ukraine is in the top 10 countries in which the number of millionaires is growing rapidly.

At the end of 2018, there were more than 22 million people worldwide whose financial situation is estimated at between $1 million and $30 million. Ukraine managed to close the top ten leading countries in terms of the growth in the number of millionaires. New millionaires appear in Ukraine every year by 9.2% more often. Nigeria became the absolute leader in this list with an increase of 16.3%.

The most successful entrepreneurs in history

Among the most successful entrepreneurs who have left their mark on history is the Rothschild family, whose fortune is now estimated at $ 350 billion. Mining enterprises, winemaking, investing in banks, agricultural land and private assets helped them accumulate such capital.

John Rockefeller became the world's first dollar billionaire on September 29, 1916. He earned $340 billion (in today's equivalent) in his lifetime, founded the Standard Oil Company, and invested in railroads, steel mills, shipping companies, and real estate firms.

Andrew Carnegie is an industrialist with American and Irish roots who owns the steel company Carnegie Steel, whose assets would now amount to $ 310 billion.

Henry Ford, American automaker, left his mark on history as successful businessman and wise man of his time. Billions were brought to him by the Ford Motor company he founded, which has many branches in various countries of the world. His net worth would be $199 billion by today's standards.

Cornelius Vanderbilt, who also founded a dynasty of entrepreneurs, actually changed the course of American history. His main profitable business there have been investments in railway actively developing at the time. In total, during his life he earned 185 billion dollars in terms of the level of our days.

Ranked 8th on the Forbes Top 10, Michael Bloomberg donated to charity at this moment about $ 4 billion. The main areas of his assistance are contributions to the development of art, educational goals and medical research, in particular, therapy and cancer diagnosis.

The Koch brothers, co-owners of the Koch Industries holding, actively donate funds to the development of education in the United States, and in 2014 one of the squares of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was named after David Koch in gratitude for the allocated funds for its reconstruction.

Successful people and charity

Many of the success stories of wealthy people include lines about charitable donations and sponsorships of organizations that do not bring in significant profits.

For example, Bill Gates founded his own charitable foundation, thanks to which he donated more than $ 39 billion to educational programs, vaccination in developing countries, AIDS research, aid to refugees and the fight against polio.

Michael Bloomberg, who has been in the top 10 for several years in a row, has donated about $4 billion to charity. His main areas of assistance are contributions to the development of the arts, educational goals and medical research, in particular cancer therapy and diagnosis.

The Koch brothers, co-owners of the Koch Industries holding, actively donate funds to the development of education in the United States, and in 2014 one of the squares of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was named after David Koch in gratitude for his help in the reconstruction of the museum.

Bitcoin Billionaires

In 2017, the first bitcoin billionaires appeared in the world. They were Americans, twin brothers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, who are known to the general public for accusing Mark Zuckerberg of stealing the Facebook idea.

Part of the money that Zuckerberg paid them as part of the settlement agreement, they invested in Bitcoin in 2013. The total investment amounted to $11 million.

There are 19 names in the first "crypto list" of Forbes.

The second place was taken by the co-founder of Ethereum and former director Goldman Sachs Joseph Lubin. They counted 1-5 billion dollars from him.

The bronze was taken by the creator of the largest crypto exchange Binance, Changpeng Zhao. He has from 1.2 to 2 billion dollars in cryptocurrency.

It is difficult to find a person who does not want to live in abundance. And if some have to work hard every day to earn a penny, then fate has given others huge fortunes in the form of an inheritance.

1. Wealth without happiness is an empty jingle of coins

Unfortunately, most of us are not the minions of fate, and there is no end in sight to our daily chores. But many rich people created their first capital thanks to resourcefulness, the correct use of their talents, on which their entire biography was built. And thoughts, as time shows, are united in one thing - to work as much as possible with the mind and not be lazy.

The famous French writer and philosopher Stendhal believed that a person lives on earth not in order to become rich, but in order to become happy. Achieving high prosperity does not mean finding peace and joy in life. Direct proof of this is the biographies of the richest people in the world. Many billionaires, drowning in luxury, still remained lonely and unhappy.

2. Biography and thoughts of the richest people in the world, also kind

The successful people of this world are known to everyone. Bill Gates, for example, has been one of the leaders for a number of years. Where did you start? I just loved technology, was fond of computers and created the Microsoft program. He simply took a risk, but he risked deliberately, realizing that the product is necessary for users of personal computers. His main motto is not to stop there. It was he who suggested that intellectual property has a shelf life of bananas.

Let's look at another successful lady. Oprah Winfrey, a black American, lived in a poor family, went to a simple school. Only self-improvement, curiosity and a diligent attitude to everything she does led her to the bench of the Faculty of History. Perhaps it was the biography and thoughts of the richest people in the world, which she learned about from history books, that taught her a lot. “Don't give up on your dreams. Don't be disappointed in yourself. Your perseverance will pay off anyway!” are her words. They are a direct confirmation of her determination. A sharp mind, a desire to delve deeper into the fate of people, the purity of speech made her OWN program the most popular and in demand among viewers. So not all biographies of the richest people in the world are full of gifts of fate.

3. Acquired or appropriated?

I don’t really want to find out how the Russian magnates got rich, the thing is that here, in addition to intelligence and resourcefulness, the “freebie” effect worked. Many Russian rich people have become owners of the property left over from the Soviet period: factories, plants, combines, etc. The biography and thoughts of the richest people in the world in relation to Russian billionaires lose their instructiveness and meaning. Everything was earned fraudulently in the dashing 90s by appropriating foreign or state capital.

Another thing is the American billionaire Donald Trump. He was brought up in an ordinary family with four children. Donald was a difficult child, and in order to curb the boy's hard temper at least a little, he was placed at the Military Academy at the age of 13. And there he learned discipline and rigidity. He perfectly described his temper with the words: “In business, it is better to be impudent, even impudent, than tough and intractable.” The study gave him a morale start and Donald decided to be more aggressive in order to get the result he wanted. The owner of numerous casinos and hotels scattered around the world, began with the fact that, with the support of the state, together with his father, he reconstructed the Commodore Hotel. The biography of the richest people in the world - Donald and Fred Trump - tells that there are no easy ways to wealth. Life rewards those who are not afraid of difficulties.

The biography of the richest people in the world often begins precisely with moral and psychological shocks. The main thing is to be able and not to deviate from the intended goal.

In this section, we have collected biographies of the richest and successful people peace. The goal is to understand what helped them earn millions and billions of dollars, what skills and abilities they have, what qualities they develop in themselves and what values ​​they are guided by.

As one of them said, in order to become a millionaire, you must first become a person in a million. And we will add from ourselves, to become a person in a million, you need to study history successful individuals, try to get into their heads and learn to think like them. We hope our materials will help you with this. We wrote them primarily for ourselves.

The section is constantly updated, so bookmark the page or subscribe to the site news to learn about the release of new biographies.

Bill Gates is the legendary founder who owns the most popular operating system in the Windows world. He is the richest man on the planet for more than a decade, he is also a charismatic business leader, innovator, knight of Great Britain and the father of three children. What events from the biography of Gates and the qualities of his character helped him become what he is?

Warren Buffett is the genius of the financial world, the most successful and unsurpassed investor in the world, who is also one of the richest people on the planet. Do you want to know the secrets of his success?

Steve Jobs, co-founder of the company "", as well as several other companies, including animation studio Pixar, an innovative businessman who gave the world many interesting, intelligent toys such as iPods, iPhones, iPads, Macs and more.

Henry Ford

Ray Kroc - American entrepreneur, founder of McDonald's, a chain of restaurants fast food. For the contribution of a businessman to the formation and development of the industry Catering, Time magazine in 1998 included him in the TOP 100 most significant people XX century.

Thomas Edison is a famous American inventor and businessman, co-founder of General Electric Corporation. For the period of his professional activity, Thomas received 1093 patents at home and about 3000 outside the United States. He improved the telegraph and telephone, designed the phonograph. Thanks to his perseverance, millions of incandescent bulbs lit up in the world.

Coco Chanel is an outstanding fashion designer, the founder of a Fashion House, who proved that elegance is impossible without convenience. Her design fantasy includes a little black dress, pantsuit, chain bag and other branded items that create a sophisticated style.

Walt Disney is a legendary American artist, producer and director. The creator of the first musical and feature-length cartoons in the history of cinema, released about 700 cartoons, won 29 Oscars and 4 Emmys, received honorary degrees from Yale and Harvard Universities, and was awarded the highest civilian government award in the United States - the Medal of Freedom. On the Hollywood Walk of Fame, two stars are dedicated to Disney, one for the development of television, the other for his contribution to the cinema.

Richard Branson is one of the most brilliant and talented businessmen in the world, a billionaire, the founder of the international corporation Virgin, a champion in aeronautics, and the owner of his own island.

Donald Trump is an American construction magnate, owner of the Trump Organization, who later became President of the United States. Also known as the owner of the Miss Universe beauty pageant, host and executive producer of the reality show The Candidate. Time magazine named him Person of the Year in 2016.

Madonna is one of the most successful women in the world who was able to break through to the top from poverty itself. There was a period in Madonna's life when she spent the night in attics, and sometimes even checked the contents of trash cans in search of food. But it didn't break her. What helped our heroine to break through to the very top and become one of the most influential women on the planet?

Elon Musk is an American entrepreneur, inventor, co-founder of PayPal, founder and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, member of the Board of Directors of SolarCity. The Model S electric car released by Tesla accelerates to 96 km / h in 2.28 seconds. For his contribution to the commercialization of space, Elon Musk was awarded the Heinlein Prize and received $ 0.5 million (2011). He was named "Businessman of the Year" by Fortune (2013) and "CEO of the Year" by The Wall Street Journal (2013).

Mark Zuckerberg

Pavel Durov is a Russian businessman, programmer, developer and co-founder social network"VKontakte", led VKontakte as CEO from 2006 to 2014, currently the founder and head (CEO) of the Telegram messenger.

Phil Knight is an American businessman, co-founder of Nike, which has an annual income of $20 billion. He is the richest resident of his native state of Oregon, and in 2015 he was in the TOP-20 richest people on the planet.

Mary Kay is an American entrepreneur and founder of Mary Kay Inc., a company specializing in the production and sale of cosmetics and skin care products.

George Soros - influential investor, financial guru, founder charitable foundations in 25 countries, father of five children, and also the man "who collapsed the Bank of England", a supporter of the legalization of marijuana, a master of market speculation.

Robert Kiyosaki is an investor, entrepreneur, financial advisor, and author of the best-selling Rich Dad vs. Poor Dad series. He is not one of the richest people on the planet, but at the same time, his fortune will seem fabulous to many. We are primarily interested not in his condition, but in what helped him become financially free and independent.

Carlos Slim Elu - what is the secret to the success of the richest man in the world? What needs to be done to achieve such heights? What skills and qualities do you need to develop in yourself in order to climb the podium of wealth and fame?

Zhou Qunfei is the most rich woman China and the richest woman in the world who made a fortune from scratch, as well as the youngest self-made woman billionaire. Founder and CEO from Lens Technology. The company is included in the Global 2000 lists, among its customers are Apple and Samsung corporations.

There are a lot of billionaires in the modern world, and there is nothing surprising here, but it is precisely how they achieved their financial perfection that really delights. Not all of them are flashy spenders, as we see them in Hollywood reports. In fact, many of them surround themselves with the humble trappings of life. We have collected best advice about the attitude to money from the richest people on the planet.

1. Michael Bloomberg

Personal net worth: 34.3 billion

Know what is good for you and follow it.

Michael Bloomberg is well known as one of the most controversial mayors. New York, and majority shareholder of Bloomberg L.P., a global member information company financial markets. One of the things no one knows about is that in the last 10 years Michael has only bought two pairs of shoes. These are two pairs of black loafers that go perfectly with all the suits that the billionaire feels most comfortable in.

He realized what was good for him and invested what could be spent on an unnecessary pair of shoes in really useful things.

2. Bill Gates

Personal net worth: 79 billion

Making financial mistakes is a common occurrence in life. We all do it, with the difference that those who reach financial heights in life not only make mistakes, but also learn from them. Bill Gates, well known as one of the richest men in the world once said.

It's good to enjoy your success, but it's more important to remember your mistakes..

3. Ingvar Kamprad

Personal net worth: 53 billion

Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, believes that many expenses are absolutely useless, even if money burns your pocket. Like many other super wealthy people, he chooses to fly economy class instead of a private jet. In his memoirs, Kamprad writes:

We don't need flashy cars that inspire titles, uniforms or other status symbols. We truly rely on our own strength and will.

4. Warren Buffett

Personal net worth: 66.1 billion

Buy a house that suits your needs.

Warren Buffett is a classic example of the golden rule. He still lives in Omaha, Nebraska, in a house he bought in 1958 for $31,500. Despite a billion-dollar fortune in his account, Buffett sees no point in living in an incredible mansion. He feels happy in his modest 5-room home located in the heart of America.

5. Oprah Winfrey

Personal Capital: 2.9 billion

This simple advice worked important role in Oprah's life. Now this advice has become an aphorism

You become what you believe in. Where you are in your life right now is based on what you used to believe..

Realizing what really brings you joy and then helps you achieve the highest results.

6. Richard Branson

Personal net worth: 5.1 billion

Set goals and do everything to achieve them.

British billionaire and founder of the VirginGroup, Richard Branson started his journey with a list of goals. The goals on this list were not even realistic, but he set them and did everything to achieve them. He knew that goal setting was the key to success.

7. Carlos Slim Elu

Personal net worth: 78.5 billion

Put off your youth.

Carlos Slim, a Mexican businessman who, like Bill Gates, was recognized as the richest man on the planet, shares the most important tips for financial success. Start saving money as early as possible! The sooner you start saving money and manage it wisely, the better it will be for you in the future, regardless of the position that you hold and will hold.

8. John Codewell

Personal net worth: 2.6 billion

Don't neglect public transport.

A businessman from England has achieved his success in the industry mobile communications, but this does not mean at all that he uses an expensive car and flaunts his condition. In fact, he enjoys walking, riding his bike and using public transport.

9. David Cheriton

Personal net worth: 1.7 billion

Learn to do things on your own.

David Cheriton was one of the first Google investors and is enjoying the results of his $100,000 investment in 1998. However, he rejects the barber and cuts his own hair. Even such a seemingly insignificant amount can be useful in other areas of life. Just think how much money you give to other people when you can do the same things yourself.

10. Mark Zuckerberg

Personal net worth: 30 billion

Be humble.

Even the founder of Facebook lives frugally in many aspects of life. One example is his car, a $30,000 Acura sedan. He can afford absolutely any car or even a whole ship, but instead he chooses a modest and practical car.

11. John Donald MacArthur

Personal Capital: 3.7 billion

Make a budget and stick to it.

MacArthur was the sole shareholder of the Bankers Life and Casualty Company. Despite living in an era of Hollywood glitz and glamour, MacArthur eschewed expensive purchases and lived very modestly. He never owned luxury goods, had no press agents, and had an annual budget of $25,000.

12. Rose Kennedy

Financial condition at the time of death is unknown.

Be creative and look for cost alternatives.

Rose Kennedy is better known as the matriarch of the infamous family. But her money-saving tactics were amazing. Especially when you consider the wealth amassed by the family. Instead of buying stacks of recycled paper, she preferred to wait until the end of the year and buy old desk calendars that were losing their relevance. As a rule, it cost less than waste paper. it good example saving even in small things.

13. Thomas Boone Pickens

Personal Capital: 1 billion

Make a shopping list and don't take more cash than you need.

Oil magnate and billionaire Pickens always practices one sure way to save money. He never carries more money in his wallet than he needs. He makes a shopping list before heading to the store. And buys only what is on this list. And the amount of money in his wallet will not allow him to break this rule. You can't spend money you don't have, can you?

14. Jim Walton

Personal net worth: 34.7 billion

You don't need all the latest and greatest.

Jim Walton, the youngest son of WalMart founder Sam Walton, leads a modest lifestyle. That's what his father always taught him. In spite of financial success, he still drives a pickup truck that is over 15 years old. He understands what needs to be received from your vehicle everything and without a trace. Not driving around in the most luxurious and expensive car you can buy.

15. Donald Trump

Personal Capital: 3.9 billion

Donald Trump has earned his success with his hard work. Many losers think that Trump is just lucky in the world of finance. But Trump says luck comes from hard work.

If your work brings you results, then most likely people will say that you are just lucky. Maybe it is because you are lucky to have brains to work with.!

16. Robert Kuok

Personal Capital: 11.5 billion

Use all the possibilities that you have.

Robert Kuok, Malaysia's richest man, lives by the rules he learned from his mother. Never be greedy, don't take advantage of others, and always have high morals when it comes to dealing with money. Robert says that in order to be successful in financial plan, you must be brave and always take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Even when others doubt your abilities.

17. Li Ka-shing

Personal Capital: 31 billion

Live modestly.

Li is the richest person in Asia and one of the ten richest people in the world. Li owns an empire that spans 52 countries with 270,000 employees. He believes that his incredible success lies in a simple and modest life. When you first begin your journey, you must train yourself to live modestly and not boast of your wealth.

18. Jack Ma

Personal Capital: 10 billion

The client always comes first.

Jack Ma, billionaire founder of Alibaba Group, believes that customers should always be the number one priority. They are followed by employees, and the last in this chain should be shareholders. Ma believes that a person's attitude to how he lives his life is more important than his abilities.

19. Howard Schultz

Personal Capital: 2.2 billion

I never wanted to be one of the billionaire list. I have never defined myself by my wealth. I always try to define myself and my values.

Howard Schultz, chairman of the board of directors of Starbucks, said that a person's values ​​are much more important than their capital.

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