Billionaires who’ve lost the most and made the most money in 2017
lovemoney staff
27 November 2017
This year's biggest losers and most impressive gainers
This year has been an annus horribilis for some of the world's mega-rich and a stellar one for others. Using Bloomberg data, we reveal the billionaires who've lost the most and made the most money so far in 2017.
Andrew Forrest, current net worth: $4.01 billion (£3.1bn), -$606 million (£461m)
This year's 30th biggest loser, Australian mining magnate and big-time philanthropist Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest is not as loaded as he was at the start of the year. Forrest is down $606 million (£461m) since January 1.
Gennady Timchenko, current net worth: $10.8 billion (£8.2bn), -$687 million (£523m)
Kremlin-linked Russian oligarch Gennady Timchenko is having a pretty bad year too. Targeted US and EU sanctions have eaten into the profits of Volga Group, his private investment vehicle, decreasing his net worth by $687 million (£553m).
Jeffery Hildebrand, current net worth: $8.56 billion (£6.5bn), -$708 million (£539m)
Jeffery Hildebrand is the CEO and sole shareholder of private oil and gas company Hilcorp, which has lost revenue due to the stubbornly low oil price, partly explaining the drop in the boss's net worth this year.
Carl Icahn, current net worth: $19.8 billion (£15.1bn), -$764 million (£582m)
Financier and corporate raider Carl Icahn hasn't had the best year to date. On top of being investigated by the FBI over his advisory role to President Trump, the elite hedge fund manager is minus $764 million (£582m) as shares in his eponymous conglomerate have stagnated.
Travis Kalanick, current net worth: $5.87 billion (£4.5bn), -$785 million (£598m)
Scandal-hit ex-Uber boss Travis Kalanick is also having a nightmare 2017. Not only has he lost his job, the fired executive is $785 million (£598m) poorer in 2017 – Kalanick still owns 12% of Uber, which has been struggling of late.
Garrett Camp, current net worth: $5.87 billion (£4.5bn), -$785 million (£598m)
Likewise, Uber co-founder Garrett Camp has seen his net worth decrease by $785 (£598m). Camp holds a similar quantity of stock in the ridesharing app, which has been beset by problem after problem in 2017.
Ray Hunt, current net worth: $5.8 billion (£4.4bn), -$870 million (£662m)
As is the case with several energy tycoons in this round-up, oilman Ray Hunt, who inherited his father's commodities company back in 1974, is less rich this year. The persistent low price of oil is mostly to blame for Hunt's $870 million (£662m) loss.
Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, current net worth: $5.41 billion (£4.1bn), -$895 million (£681m)
Scion of the Louis-Dreyfus dynasty, Swiss billionaire Margarita Louis-Dreyfus has lost $895 million (£681m) in 2017. Louis-Dreyfus is the majority owner of the family's international trading house, which has reported reduced profits two years running.
Leonid Mikhelson, current net worth: $16.3 billion (£12.4bn), -$958 million (£729m)
Western sanctions and a fall in the value of the rouble haven't done Russia's richest person Leonid Mikhelson any favours this year. The major shareholder of gas giant Novatek is down a hefty $985 million (£729m) in 2017.
George Kaiser, current net worth: $12.3 billion (£9.4bn), -$960 million (£731m)
Like Jeffery Hildebrand and Ray Hunt, George Kaiser has lost money this year partly as a result of the low price of oil. Kaiser is the owner of Oklahoma-based Kaiser-Francis Oil. He also controls the BOK Financial Corporation, which has performing poorly all year.
Marian Ilitch, current net worth: $5.95 billion (£4.5bn), -$1.02 billion (£776m)
Down just over $1 billion (£763m), Little Caesar's Pizza co-founder Marian Ilitch's net worth currently stands at $5.95 billion (£4.5bn). If it's any consolation, it still makes her America's richest self-made woman.
Dilip Shanghvi, current net worth: $11.7 billion (£8.9bn), -$1.12 billion (£853bn)
The year 2017 isn't likely to be remembered with fondness by Indian tycoon Dilip Shanghvi, at least from a financial point of view. Shares in Sun Pharmaceuticals, the company he founded, have been falling all year, as has his net worth.
Christoffel Wiese, current net worth, $4.77 billion (£3.6bn), -$1.15 billion (£875m)
One of South Africa's wealthiest people, retail tycoon Christoffel Wiese has had $1.15 billion (£875m) shaved off his net worth this year. The Pepkor boss has made a series of ill-advised investments of late, hence the drop.
Jude Reyes, current net worth: $4.62 billion (£3.5bn), -$1.29 billion (£982m)
Jude Reyes' wealth derives from Reyes Holdings, the food and drinks distribution company he runs with his brother Christopher. A downturn in fortunes for the firm has translated to a $1.29 billion (£982m) drop in Reyes' net worth.
Christopher Reyes, current net worth: $4.62 billion (£3.5bn), -$1.29 billion (£982m)
Christopher Reyes and his brother Jude own identical stakes in their eponymous company. As a result, the siblings, who inherited the family firm from their father David 'Duke' Reyes, are down the same amount of money in 2017.
Charles Butt, current net worth: $5.77 billion (£4.4bn), -$1.37 billion (£1bn)
H-E-B supermarket boss Charles Butt is $1.37 billion (£1bn) poorer in 2017, but some of the losses have been intentional. Renowned for his generosity, Hutt has donated $100 million (£76m) to Texas schools and millions of dollars to Hurricane Harvey relief projects this year.
Stefan Persson, current net worth: $21.5 billion (£16.4bn), -$1.5 billion (£1.1bn)
The H&M share price has been showing a downward trend since February 2015, and the wealth of company chairman and principal shareholder Stefan Persson has been falling as a result. Since January 1, $1.5 billion (£1.1bn) has been wiped off his net worth.
Sergey Galitsky, current net worth: $5.97 billion (£4.6bn), -$1.65 billion (£1.3bn)
Sergey Galitsky is the founder and co-owner of Russia's largest retailer Magnit, which has been having a rough time of late. Profit forecasts are disappointing, the share price is falling and the company's market cap has been slashed. Needless to say, Galitsky's net worth has taken a battering.
Stefano Pessina, current net worth: $11.9 billion (£9.1bn), -$1.66 billion (£1.3bn)
The vice chairman, CEO and chief shareholder of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Monaco-based Stefano Pessina has lost $1.66 billion (£1.3bn), much of it since September when the Walgreens Boots Alliance share price plummeted.
José Marinho, current net worth: $4.79 billion (£3.7bn), -$1.67 billion (£1.3bn)
Together with his brothers João and Roberto, José Marinho holds a majority stake in Brazilian media giant Grupo Globo, Latin America's largest media company. The conglomerate hasn't been performing spectacularly well in 2017, hence the drop in Marinho's wealth.
João Marinho, current net worth: $4.82 billion (£3.7bn), -$1.69 billion (£1.3bn)
José Marinho's brother João has lost $1.69 billion (£1.3bn), a rather substantial portion of his total net worth, as Grupo Globo underperforms. Nevertheless, his current fortune of $4.82 billion (£3.7bn) makes him one of Brazil's richest people.
Roberto Marinho, current net worth: $4.82 billion (£3.7bn), -$1.69 billion (£1.3bn)
Ditto, the eldest Marinho sibling has been dealt a similar blow to his finances. Roberto Marinho is $1.69 billion (£1.3bn) poorer since January 1. But, like his two brothers, he's still one of the wealthiest people in Brazil.
Charlie Ergen, current net worth: $15.8 billion (£12bn), -$1.79 billion (£1.4bn)
Colorado's richest person, Charlie Ergen's net worth has been going up and down like a yo-yo in recent years as the share price of his company Dish Network fluctuates. Following a rally at the beginning of the year, the share price has been declining since July, as has Ergen's fortune.
Harold Hamm, current net worth: $13.2 billion (£10.1bn), -$1.84 billion (£1.4bn)
Energy tycoon Harold Hamm has a knack of making money, losing it and making it back again, a talent that should come in useful in the near future. The oil and gas titan has lost a total of $1.84 billion (£1.4bn) so far in 2017.
Patrick Drahi, current net worth: $8.38 billion (£6.4bn), -$1.96 billion (£1.5bn)
Moroccan-born businessman Patrick Drahi heads Netherlands-based telecoms firm Altice, which went public in June in the US. Following its American IPO, the share price has fallen precipitously, as has Drahi's net worth.
Bruce Halle, current net worth: $3.98 billion (£3bn), -$2.25 billion (£1.7bn)
Arizona's richest person Bruce Halle has lost 36% of his net worth this year, which makes him 2017's second-biggest loser in percentage terms. The magnate derives his wealth from Discount Tire, the auto parts chain he built from scratch.
Wang Jianlin, current net worth: $28 billion ($21.4bn), -$2.4 billion (£1.8bn)
While he's a long way from falling on hard times, Chinese real estate mogul Wang Jianlin is $2.4 billion (£1.8bn) poorer in 2017. A crackdown on heavily leveraged companies has come at the worst time possible for his indebted Dalian Wanda conglomerate, sending shares in the firm tumbling.
Zong Qinghou, current net worth: $4.86 billion (£3.7bn), -$2.41 billion (£1.8bn)
Chinese soft drinks magnate Zong Quinghou has fared even worse this year. Wahaha, the drinks colossus he heads, has lost a third of its revenue in recent years as sales have gone flat. This abysmal performance has reduced Qinghou's fortune by $2.41 billion (£1.8bn) in 2017 alone.
Prince Alwaleed Al Saud, current net worth: $17 billion (£13b), -$2.75 billion (£2.1bn)
Though plenty of billionaires have lost obscene amounts of money this year, at least they're not also in custody like Saudi Prince Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal. The richest person in the Middle East was arrested earlier this month as part of an anti-corruption drive in the kingdom.
George Soros, current net worth: $8 billion (£6.1bn), -$17.2 billion (£13.2bn)
Legendary investor-turned-mega philanthropist George Soros has lost the most money this year, but for all the right reasons. Last month, the Hungarian-born financier transferred the lion's share of his fortune to his charity, the Open Society Foundation.
Bill Gates, current net worth: $88.7 billion (£67.6bn), +$6.34 billion (£4.8bn)
Now for the 30 biggest gainers. First up is Bill Gates, who despite boosting his fortune by $6.34 billion (£4.8bn) in 2017, is no longer the richest person in the world by Bloomberg's real-time reckoning.
Serge Dassault, current net worth: $21.6 billion (£16.5bn), +$6.4 billion (£4.9bn)
French heir Serge Dassault takes the number 29 spot. The companies that form the Dassault Group have been enjoying bumper profits and rising share prices all year, boosting the big boss's fortune no end.
Takemitsu Takizaki, current net worth: $17.4 billion (£13.3bn), +$6.74 billion (£5.1bn)
The honorary chairman of Japan's Keyence, a factory automation equipment supplier, Takemitsu Takizaki has made a whopping $6.74 billion (£5.1bn) this year. Takizaki has a 27% stake in the company and the Keyence share price has been surging throughout 2017.
Sheldon Adelson, current net worth: $34.9 billion (£26.6bn), +$6.76 billion (£5.2bn)
Casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson has increased his net worth by $6.76 billion (£5.2bn) since January 1. Adelson owns a 10% stake in Las Vegas Sands, which has seen its stock increase in a big way this year on the back of the success of its Macau operations.
Lee Shau Kee, current net worth: $25.1 billion (£19bn), +$6.82 billion (£5.2bn)
The Hong Kong property boom has shown no signs of abating in 2017 and its number one real estate baron Lee Shau Kee is laughing all the way to the bank. Kee is up a cool $6.82 billion (£5.2bn) this year, taking his net worth to $25.1 billion (£19bn).
Gong Hongjia, current net worth: $12.1 billion (£9.2bn), +$6.98 billion (£5.3bn)
The share price of Chinese security tech firm Hikvision has almost doubled since the start of the year, and its vice chairman and second-largest shareholder Gong Hongjia isn't complaining. His net worth has risen by $6.98 billion (£5.3bn) in 2017.
Elon Musk, current net worth: $19.8 billion (£15.1bn), +$7.16 billion (£5.5bn)
Visionary billionaire Elon Musk has his fingers in many pies, all of which have been doing fantastically well this year. Tesla, his electric car maker, has seen its stock surge, its subsidiary SolarCity is thriving while SpaceX, Musk's aerospace outfit, has skyrocketed in value.
Li Shufu, current net worth, current net worth: $10.8 billion (£8.2bn), +$7.74 billion (£5.9bn)
Li Shufu, the chairman of Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Volvo Cars, may want to crack open the bubbly this year. The booming automaker gained majority control of Malaysia's Proton earlier this year and its value has soared, as has Shufu's net worth.
Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers, current net worth: $44 billion (£33.5bn), +$7.78 billion (£5.9bn)
The heir to the L'Oréal cosmetics empire, Françoise Bettencourt-Meyers is $7.78 billion (£5.9bn) richer this year following the death of her mother, L'Oréal matriarch Liliane Bettencourt, as well as an increase in the company's share price.
Lee Kun Hee, current net worth: $22 billion (£16.8bn), +$7.89 billion (£6bn)
Staying with heirs, Samsung's Lee Kun Hee has added $7.89 billion (£6bn) to his net worth so far this year. Despite trouble at the top at Samsung and the arrest and conviction of Lee's son Lee Jae-yong for corruption, Samsung shares have been rising steadily throughout 2017.
Steve Ballmer, current net worth: $34.3 billion (£26.1bn), +$7.91 billion (£6bn)
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer must thank his lucky stars he wasn't tempted to offload his shares in the company. Microsoft stock is trading at an all-time high, massively increasing its former boss's net worth.
Sun Hongbin, current net worth: $9.53 billion (£7.3bn), +$8.05 billion (£6.1bn)
The founder and chairman of one of China's leading property developers, Sun Hongbin is $8.05 billion (£6.1bn) richer in 2017, one of the biggest gainers in terms of percentage. The share price of his Sunac China Holdings has been surging all year and its revenues are up 26%.
Tony Zhang, current net worth: $16.5 billion (£12.6bn), +$8.14 billion (£6.2bn)
Tony Zhang (pictured on the left) is the co-founder and second-largest shareholder of China's Tencent, the world's fifth-biggest internet company. With the company flourishing, Tencent stock has risen to an all-time high this year.
Jim Walton, current net worth: $42.9 billion (£32.7bn), +$8.59 billion (£6.6bn)
Walmart scion Rob Walton is currently worth $42.9 billion (£32.7bn) having seen his personal fortune grow by $8.59 billion (£6.6bn) in 2017. The retail giant's stock price has been on the up all year.
Alice Walton, current net worth: $42.2 billion (£32.2bn), +$8.99 billion (£6.9bn)
The youngest Walton sibling, Alice Walton has seen her net worth increase by $8.99 billion (£6.9bn) in 2017, on the back of the rising Walmart share price, which has actually been trending upwards since October 2015.
Rob Walton, current net worth: $43.5 billion (£33.2bn), +$9.14 billion (£7bn)
The eldest Walton sibling has been just as fortunate. Thanks to the rising Walmart share price, the supermarket magnate is now worth $43.5 billion (£33.bn), $9.14 billion (£7bn) of which has been added since January 1.
François-Henri Pinault, current net worth: $25.6 billion (£19.5bn), +$10.6 billion (£8.1bn)
The chairman of high-end retail conglomerate Kering, which counts brands like Gucci and Alexander McQueen in its portfolio, François-Henri Pinault, pictured right with his wife Salma Hayek, is up $10.6 billion (£8.1bn) this year, as shares in the luxury retail group have surged.
Sergey Brin, current net worth: $50.9 billion (£38.8bn), +$11.7 billion (£8.9bn)
Google stock is trading at a record high, with the price having doubled since 2015. Needless to say, the search engine's major shareholders, who include co-founder and Alphabet president Sergey Brin, have been raking it in this year.
Yang Huiyan, current net worth: $19.4 billion (£14.8bn), +$12.2 billion (£9.3bn)
The richest woman in Asia, Yang Huiyan owns a 55% stake in Country Garden Holdings, a major Chinese property developer. The firm's share price has tripled in 2017, adding $12.2 billion (£9.3bn) to Yang's fortune.
Carlos Slim, current net worth: $62.1 billion, +$12.2 billion (£9.3bn)
Mexican mogul Carlos Slim may no longer be the world's richest person but he has a lot to celebrate right now. Following a drop in his net worth last year, Slim is $12.2 billion (£9.3bn) richer in 2017.
Larry Page, current net worth: $52.2 billion (£36.8bn), +$12.2 billion (£9.3bn)
Google co-founder Larry Page, who currently serves as CEO of Alphabet, holds around a million more class C shares than Sergey Brin. Page's net worth is up $12.2 billion (£9.3bn) in 2017 as Google shares have climbed.
Larry Ellison, current net worth: $55.7 billion (£42.5bn), +$14.1 billion (£10.8bn)
Big-spending Oracle boss Larry Ellison won't have to tighten his belt anytime soon. The tech tycoon is $14.1 billion (£10.8bn) better off this year. Despite a few minor wobbles, Oracle shares have been trending upwards since the beginning of the year.
Jack Ma, current net worth: $47.5 billion (£36.2bn), +$14.2 billion (£10.8bn)
The chairman of China's answer to Amazon, Jack Ma just gets richer and richer. Alibaba has reported record revenues this year and shares in the online retailer have almost doubled in price since January 1.
Mukesh Ambani, current net worth: $38.3bn (£29.2bn), +$15.5 billion (£11.8bn)
India's wealthiest person, Mukesh Ambani is up $15.5 billion (£11.8bn) this year. Reliance Industries, the conglomerate he heads, is going strong and its share price has risen considerably in 2017.
Wang Wei, current net worth: $20.3 billion (£15.5bn), +$15.6 billion (£11.9bn)
The founder and chairman of Chinese delivery firm SF Express and a former delivery man, Wang Wei cashed in spectacularly in February when his courier company was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange with a market cap of over $30 billion (£22.8bn).
Pony Ma, current net worth: $39.2 billion (£29.9bn), +$18.4 billion (£14bn)
Pony Ma founded internet firm Tencent in 1998 along with Tony Zhang and remains its major shareholder. Given the company is positively booming right now and its stock has climbed to an all-time high, Ma's wealth has mushroomed in 2017.
Bernard Arnault, current net worth: $60.1 billion (£45.8bn), +$20.9 billion (£15.9bn)
Now boasting a fortune of $60.1 billion (£45.8bn), the chairman and CEO of LVMH is worth $20.9 billion (£15.9bn) more today than he was back in January. LVMH companies have been posting bumper revenues and the group's share price has been on the up all year.
Mark Zuckerberg, current net worth: $76.1 billion (£58bn), +$26.1 billion (£19.9bn)
Apart from the odd blip at times, the Facebook share price has been increasing steadily since 2012, making its co-founder, chairman and CEO very rich indeed. This year alone, Mark Zuckerberg has added $26.1 billion (£19.9bn) to his net worth.
Jeff Bezos, current net worth: $96.1 billion (£73.3bn), +$30.7 billion (£23.4bn)
Knocking Bill Gates off the top spot, Jeff Bezos is now the richest person in the world according to both Bloomberg and Forbes. The Amazon share price has risen almost 50% since the beginning of January, boosting its major shareholder's net worth by $30.7 billion (£23.4bn).
Hui Ka Yan, current net worth: $41.5 billion (£31.7bn), +$34.1 billion (£26bn)
This year's biggest gainer, Hui Ka Yan is now Asia's richest man. Like fellow Chinese property developing tycoons Sun Hongbin and Yang Huiyan, Hui is cashing in on the construction boom in the country: the share price of his Evergrande property group has risen four-fold since January 1.
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