Eleven Filipinos are among the world’s top 1,000 billionaires based on the 2015 list of the prestigious international financial publication Forbes Magazine.
However, only Henry Sy, the country’s richest man who owns the country’s giant conglomerate SM Group, made it to the first 100 richest persons’ list. The 90-year-old Sy – founder of SM Investments Group, the parent company of real estate giant SM Prime Holdings, Inc. – was ranked the 73rd richest in the world with a net worth of $14.1 billion.
WORLD’S RICHEST
Worldwide, Bill Gates is once again the world’s richest after his fortune grew $3.2 billion since last year to $79.2 billion. He has topped the list for 16 of the last 21 years.
The second richest Filipino is John Gokongwei Jr., 87, whose business interests in the country span across airlines, retail, food, and beverage. Ranked 254th on the list, the worth of Gokongwei stood at $5.9 billion. Gokongwei owns JG Summit Holdings, Inc. and airline Cebu Air, Inc.
Next is port magnate Enrique Razon Jr., 54, after securing the 291th spot with a net worth of $5.1 billion. Razon owns the listed International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and Solaire operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp.
The fourth Filipino who made it to the list is Alliance Global Group, Inc. founder Andrew Tan, 62, with a net worth of $4.8 billion, ranking 330th. Tan also owns property firm Megaworld Corp.
Lucio Tan of LT Group, Inc., 80, is fifth with a net worth of $4.4 billion, ranking 369th, while Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co.’s George Ty, 82, had the same ranking with the same amount of net worth.
The other Filipinos on the list are David Consunji, 93, ranked 405th with $4.1 billion net worth; Jollibee Foods Corp.’s Tony Tan Caktiong who got the 690th spot with $2.7 billion; retail magnates Lucio and Susan Co, 60, who are the 810th richest people with a combined worth of $2.3 billion; and Robert Coyiuto Jr., 62, with $1.9 billion, ranking 1054th.
Former Senate President Manuel Villar Jr., 65, who currently chairs one of the country’s largest home developers Vista Land and Landscapes Inc., almost made it to the list, ranking 1,190th as the world’s richest.
$7.05-TRILLION NET WORTH
Added together, including those from various parts of the world, the total net worth for this year’s billionaires is $7.05 trillion, up from $6.4 trillion last year.
According to Forbes Magazine, 1,191 members, or roughly two-thirds of the list, were self-made billionaires; 230 inherited their wealth; another 405 inherited at least a portion but are still growing it.
Earlier, three Filipinas also made it to the fourth annual Asia’s Power Businesswomen list of Forbes Magazine, which recognized 50 powerful female corporate heads in the region who are driving change across diverse industries.
To make it to the list, candidates have to be active in the upper levels of the corporate world in Asia, wield significant power, and have access to robust financial resources.
Among the 50 top Asian businesswomen are Sy’s daughter Teresita Sy Coson, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) chairman Helen Yuchengco Dee, and Zenaida Rustia Tantoco, the chairman and chief executive officer of specialty retailing giant SSI Group.
WORLD LIST
Second richest in the world is Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim, thanks to his $77.1 billion, ahead of American investor Warren Buffett, with $72.7 billion.
The so-called Oracle of Omaha was the biggest gainer of the Forbes list this year, up $14.5 billion from last year riding on the rising share price of his Berkshire Hathaway.
In fourth was Amancio Ortega, founder of the Inditex fashion group that includes Zara clothing retail shops. He counts a fortune of $64.5 billion.
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg jumped five spots to land in number 16, the first time he made it within the exclusive circle of the world’s 20 richest people.
Jack Ma, whose Alibaba online marketplace made the biggest global IPO ever last year, was ranked among the world’s 50 richest people, along with two other Chinese nationals.
The number of billionaires is growing steadily, breaking an all-time record this year, with 1,826 – up from 1,645 last year.
The rise of the dollar against the euro, along with plunging oil prices, had a significant impact on this year’s list
No comments:
Post a Comment