The billionaires who have made the most money in 2016
24 August 2016
Sky-high incomes
The past eight months have delivered plenty of financial ups and downs for the billionaires of the world, and while some mega-rich individuals have lost cash – notably Carlos Slim and Wang Jianlin – others have been raking it in. Here are 2016's biggest money-makers so far, as compiled by Bloomberg.
Gina Rinehart: up £1.9 billion
In the news recently for losing around half her body weight, Australia's richest woman has gained a hefty £1.9 billion since January, increasing her massive mining fortune to £9.4 billion.
Lee Shau Kee: up £2 billion
The Hong Kong real estate tycoon, who is now worth £15.5 billion, has benefited from rising land prices and several big-money construction contracts this year, inflating his fortune by a cool £2 billion.
Jorge Paulo Lemann: up £2 billion
Brazil's wealthiest man, investor Jorge Paulo Lemann is £2 billion richer this year, as he works with fellow billionaires Carlos Alberto Sicupira and Marcel Herrmann Telles on brewing giant AB Inbev's takeover of SABMiller.
Takemitsu Takizaki: up £2.2 billion
Now worth £8.8 billion, the former chairman of Keyence, a global supplier of sensors and factory components, has made a whopping £2.2 billion this year. Takizaki has a 27% stake in the company and the Keyence share price has been surging throughout 2016.
Dieter Schwarz: up £2.2 billion
The big boss of the super-successful Lidl supermarket chain and Germany's richest man, Dieter Schwarz has cleaned up to the tune of £2.2 billion this year, and is now worth £16.2 billion.
Henry Sy: up £2.4 billion
The wealthiest man in the Philippines, Henry Sy controls a vast business empire, which includes real estate, healthcare and mining. His net worth has skyrocketed £2.4 billion to £12 billion in the space of just eight months.
Bernard Arnault: up £2.4 billion
Now boasting a fortune of £27 billion, the chairman and CEO of LVMH is worth £2.4 billion more today than he was back in January. LVMH companies have remained buoyant despite falling demand for luxury products in the lucrative Asian market.
Ron Perelman: up £2.6 billion
Investment genius Ron Perelman has amassed a £13.2 billion fortune over the years via his company MacAndrews & Forbes as a result of his shrewd financial choices, and his earning streak has continued in 2016.
Stefan Quandt: up £2.6 billion
The German tycoon owns a sizeable stake in BMW, as well as substantial holdings in several large German companies. His net worth has increased by £2.6 billion to £13.3 billion this year.
Vladimir Lisin: up £2.7 billion
Russian oligarch Vladimir Lisin has made an absolute mint in 2016, raising his net worth to £8.5 billion. He owns a chunk of Novolipetsk Steel, Russia's premier steel producer, which has been delivering record output this year.
Kjeld Kristiansen: up £2.8 billion
LEGO billionaire Kjeld Kristiansen has enjoyed a similar boost to his net worth – his current fortune stands at £9.3 billion. Kristiansen and his family control LEGO outright, and have profited handsomely from buoyant company performance in 2016.
Jack Ma: up £2.8 billion
The chairman of China's answer to Amazon hasn't done too badly either this year – Alibaba stock has been on the rise since February, and the company has just posted strong Q2 financial results. Needless to say, Ma's fortune has soared to £25.7 billion.
Sheldon Adelson: up £2.9 billion
Casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson has increased his net worth by £2.9 billion to £20.6 billion this year. Adelson owns a 10% stake in Las Vegas Sands, which has seen its stock surge since late June thanks to booming trade in Macau and Las Vegas.
Warren Buffett: up £2.9 billion
The investment guru and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway has been doing what he does best this year – making piles of money. Buffett has already raked in £2.9 billion in 2016, and his net worth now stands at £50.9 billion.
Amancio Ortega: up £2.9 billion
Spanish retail magnate Amancio Ortega has held on to his place as the world's second richest person, amassing £2.9 billion since January. The boss of clothing giant Zara is now worth a staggering £59 billion.
Lakshmi Mittal: up £2.93 billion
This year, Q2 profits have risen sharply for steel giant ArcelorMittal, global steel prices have increased and Lakshmi Mittal, who owns 38% of the world's largest steel making company, has seen his net worth expand by £2.93 billion to £10.3 billion.
Alberto Baillères: up £3.5 billion
Latin America's wealthiest man, Alberto Baillères has the rising price of metals to thank for the mammoth hike in his net worth this year. The Mexican mining magnate is now worth £10.7 billion, up from £7.2 billion in January.
Susanne Klatten: up £3.6 billion
BMW heiress Susanne Klatten is richer than her brother Stefan – the wealthiest woman in Germany put a portion of her inheritance into renewable energy and her eco investments are clearly paying off. Klatten's net worth has soared to £14.7 billion in 2016.
Andrey Melnichenko: up £3.63 billion
Russian industrialist Andrey Melnichenko has more than doubled his fortune this year to £8.3 billion, leapfrogging up the rich list. His majority holdings in fertiliser colossus EuroChem and leading Russian energy companies have netted him £3.63 billion since January.
Larry Ellison: up £3.9 billion
It's been a stellar year for tech billionaires. Oracle's Larry Ellison has pulled in £3.9 billion over the last eight months following strong company performance, and now enjoys a net worth of £34.5 billion.
Bill Gates: up £3.9 billion
The richest person in the world just keeps getting richer. Bill Gates is currently worth £68.6 billion, up from £64.7 billion in January, making him £9.5 billion better off than the second richest, Amancio Ortega.
Liliane Bettencourt: up £4.1 billion
The richest woman in the world, Liliane Bettencourt has amassed an additional £4.1 billion so far this year. Now worth £29.6 billion, the French beauty tycoon owns just under a third of L'Oréal, hence her outrageous fortune.
Alice Walton: up £4.3 billion
Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton has seen her fortune rise by £4.3 billion this year to a humongous £20.9 billion. Apart from a brief dip in May, shares in the retail leviathan have been rising sharply all year, boosting the Walton family fortune no end.
Harold Hamm: up £4.7 billion
Harold Hamm has almost doubled his money this year. Worth £5.3 billion in January, he currently has a fortune of £10 billion. The oil and shale gas magnate is making a mint from the fracking revolution.
Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi: £4.7 billion
Thai Beverage chairman Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi has received a super-impressive boost to his net worth in 2016. The Thai Beverage stock price has risen steadily all year, more than doubling the big boss's fortune to £11.7 billion.
Rob Walton: up £4.7 billion
Like his sister Alice, Wal-Mart heir Rob Walton has made a huge amount of money this year. The supermarket magnate is now worth £27.9 billion, up from £23.2 billion at the start of 2016.
Jim Walton: up £4.7 billion
The wealthiest of the Wal-Mart clan, Rob Walton is currently worth £28.2 billion having seen his personal fortune grow by £4.7 billion this year as shares in Wal-Mart continue on their winning streak.
Ingvar Kamprad : up £5.4 billion
Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad is so careful with his money, he buys most of his clothes from flea markets and thrift stores. He really needn't be. This year, his net worth jumped from £28.1 billion to £33.5 billion.
Jeff Bezos: up £5.44 billion
Surpassing Warren Buffett to become the third richest person in the word, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has had a bumper year so far. Amazon has reported much better than expected financial results in 2016, driving up its share price to record highs, hence the CEO's generous remuneration.
Mark Zuckerberg: up £7.1 billion
Facebook stock has also been soaring this year, hitting record highs. It's no surprise then that chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who owns a controlling stake in the social media behemoth, has seen his net worth leap from £35.4 billion to £42.5 billion in 2016.
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