UAE’s Richest Individuals Advance on Global Billionaires List

The latest annual list of the world’s wealthiest people was released by the American business magazine Forbes. In 2015 the ranking includes a record number of 1826 billionaires. Their aggregate net worth is estimated at $7.05 trillion, which is $55 million more compared to 2014.

For the 16 time in the history of the billionaires list, Bill Gates tops the ranking. The net worth of Microsoft’s cofounder is presently calculated at $79.2 billion. Gates is followed by Carlos Slim Helu with a wealth of $77.1 billion. Even though the telecom mogul managed to increase his wealth by $5.1 billion in just twelve months, he still could not catch up with Gates. Warren Buffett ($72.7 billion) climbed on the list by one position, landing on the 3rd spot and leaving Amancio Ortega 4th. Buffett is also the biggest net worth gainer this year. In a matter of only a year, the billionaire increased his fortune by $14.5 billion. The top five is wrapped up with Larry Ellison, who maintained his last year’s position on the ranking with a net worth of $54.3 billion.

Just like in 2014, UAE has four representatives on the billionaires list. All of them are based in Dubai and all of them advanced on the ranking. Members of royal families and heads of states are not included as their financial status is ranked in a separate list.

UAE’s richest individual is once again Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Ghurair who has a total net worth of $6.4 billion. For just twelve months, he climbed 75 spots. As a result, he is now 220th on the list. Just 10 spot behind, at the 230th position, is Majid Al Futtaim. The billionaire’s main source of wealth is real estate and retail and for barely a year, he climbed nearly 100 slots.

Just like in 2014, Saif Al Ghurair is the third richest person in the United Arab Emirates. His wealth has increased to $3.4 billion, which places him at the 512 position on the global ranking. Abdulla Al Futtaim, with a total wealth of $3.2 billion, climbed an impressive 137 spots and is currently the world’s 557th richest individual.

The richest people on the planet:

• Bill Gates – $79.2 billion
• Carlos Slim Helu & family – $77.1 billion
• Warren Buffett – $72.7 billion
• Amancio Ortega – $64.5 billion
• Larry Ellison – $54.3 billion
• Charls Koch – $42.9 billion
• David Koch – $42.9 billion
• Christy Walton & family – $41.7 billion
• Jim Walton – $40.6 billion
• Liliane Bettencourt – $40.1 billion

For the first time ever, the ranking features 197 women. That is a raise by 15% compared to last year. Even more impressive is the fact that 29 of them are self-made billionaires.

The latest billionaires list includes 290 newcomers. The majority of them, 71 individuals, are from China. The youngest billionaire today is the 24-year-old Evan Spiegel (1250) with a net worth of $1.5 billion. David Rockefeller Sr., aged 99, is the oldest individual on the ranking.