Did you know that the world has almost 3,000 billionaires? According to a Forbes report published in 2022, there are 2,668 billionaires in the world — which is actually 87 fewer than 2021. If you were to combine all of the wealth of every billionaire on the planet, it would equal to about $12.7 trillion USD, which is a truly staggering number.
We all know the most famous billionaires, like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, or Bill Gates. But who are the lesser-known billionaires? So many people are unable to name more than a handful of billionaires, despite there being almost 3,000 of them.
In this article, we’re going to go over some of the world’s lesser-known billionaires, and what they have done to earn their respective fortunes. For all the billionaires on this list, their net worth will be reported in USD.
1. Mukesh Ambani
Mukesh is the richest billionaire in India, with an impressive $90.7 billion. He is based out of Mumbai, and has claimed his source of wealth from diversification. He built his starting fortune on oil and gas, but has since promised $80 billion with his company toward renewable energy.
India has 166 billionaires, and many have their own Wikipedia pages you can read up on like this Indian billionaire’s Wikipedia.
2. Andrés Bzurovski and Sergio Fogel
Andrés Bzurovski and Sergio Fogel both recently became the first Uruguayan billionaires after they took their company, dLocal, public on the NASDAQ. Their company facilities transactions between users in foreign countries and large companies such as Amazon, Netflix, and Microsoft.
Ironically, Uruguay was once home to the world’s “poorest” national leader. Jose Mujica was president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015, and gave away the vast majority of his pay, despite the difference it would have made in his life. It is estimated that he donated 90% of his salary to charity, opting to live with his wife at their farmhouse just outside Montevideo, growing flowers.
3. Eliodoro Matte
Eliodoro is a wealthy Chilean businessman who has inherited the Compania Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones from his father, and has facilitated the growth of the company to acquire a fortune of $1.03 billion.
The company Eliodoro runs began in 1855, when his family opened their first textile store in Santiago, Chile.
4. Aliko Dangote
Aliko Dangote claims the title of richest in Africa, with $14.1 billion to his name. He founded the company Dangote cement, which is the continent’s largest producer of cement. In addition to this, Aliko owns a very large stake in his company (85%).
With operations across 10 countries in Africa, Dangote Cement is a truly colossal company, with the ability to produce 48.6 metric tons of cement every year. Recently, the business has expanded to creating fertilizer, which just started in 2021. Additionally, the company has been constructing one of the world’s largest oil refineries since 2016.
5. Jorge Paulo Lemann
Jorge Lemann is the richest man in Brazil, with $14.7 billion in his pocket. He started his career by investing in various companies and startups, ultimately making a fortune with brewing companies such as AmBev, which is one of the most popular beer brands in Argentina and Brazil.
6. Gina Rinehart
Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, is the executive of a mineral mining company called Hancock Prospecting, which was founded by her father Lang Hancock. Born in Perth, Australia, Gina dropped out of her university to work with her father at Hancock Prospecting.
7. Bernard Arnault
The richest in Europe is the owner of a French fashion conglomerate, which oversees various fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Sephora. Bernard Arnault has a taste for the most expensive and fashionable products, as his company just recently purchased Tiffany & Co, an American Jewelry Company.
8. Miriam Adelson
Miriam Adelson is an Israeli physician, political donor, and owner of a casino. She has a net worth of $27 billion, and earned her fortune due to her marriage with the late Sheldon Adelson, who recently died in January 2021. After the inheritance of her $40 billion fortune, it has since dropped to $27 billion. She and her husband were among the highest donors to the Republican party and other conservative parties.
Key Takeaways
We hope this article was able to bring attention to some of the world’s lesser-known billionaires. All of these individuals have a truly mind boggling amount of money, and this article aimed to take some spotlight off the typical billionaires and onto the lesser-known ones.
