Top 10 Richest Men in the World, their backgrounds and what made them so successful

richest men in the world

Top 10 Richest Men in the World

Who are the world’s wealthiest people? That is a question that many of us have asked ourselves, whether out of curiosity or envy. 

For some, it’s merely interesting to find out who the richest people on earth are. For others, it may offer an insight into how they might one day become equally wealthy.

Either way, learning about the lifestyles and fortunes of these powerful individuals can be captivating.

In article, we will take a look at the top 10 richest men in the world and what makes them stand out from everyone else.

From their businesses to their personal philosophies, learn why these men are among the wealthiest people on earth.

List of Top 10 Richest Men in the World

Do you want to know who the wealthiest men in the world are? It’s no surprise that some of the most successful entrepreneur or businessmen have made their way onto this list.

We all know how money can make a difference in our lives, but have you ever wondered just how much money the wealthiest people on earth actually have?

This article takes a look at the 10 richest men in the world, their individual wealth and what they do with it.

From billionaires to centimillionaires, this list is sure to give you an insight into the lavish lifestyles of some of the wealthiest people alive.

If you want to know who are these remarkable individuals and what made them so successful, read on!

Here, we’ll explore the top 10 richest men in the world, their backgrounds and what made them so successful.

From tech moguls to real estate tycoons, these men have all achieved great wealth – find out how they did it and what other lessons we can learn from their success stories!

1. John D. Rockefeller

John D. Rockefeller (1839 – 1937) was an American industrialist and philanthropist. He is widely considered the wealthiest American of all time, and the richest person in modern history.

Rockefeller’s net worth is estimated at $340 billion in today’s dollars—roughly 2% of the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP) at the time of his death. 

As one of the country’s first billionaires, Rockefeller became a leading figure in Big Oil and was instrumental in solidifying the Standard Oil Company as a monopoly.

He also founded several other major companies, including Chase Bank and Standard Oil Company of New York.

His philanthropy helped found many notable institutions, including University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, and General Education Board.

2. Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie was born in Scotland in 1835, and came to the United States with his family at the age of 13.

He began working in a Pittsburgh cotton mill, and then became a telegraph operator after he learned Morse code.

In 1865, he started his own business, which manufactured railroad cars. He sold this business in 1900 for $480 million.

Carnegie began investing in steel companies in the early 1880s, and by 1901, he owned the largest steel company in the world.

He continued to expand his business empire, and by the time of his death in 1919, he was worth an estimated $310 billion (in today’s dollars).

3. Cornelius Vanderbilt

Cornelius Vanderbilt was an American businessman and philanthropist who built his wealth in the shipping and railroad industries.

He is one of the most famous entrepreneurs of the 19th century, and his story is an inspiring rags-to-riches tale.

Born into a poor family in New York City, Vanderbilt started out working on his father’s ferry boat. He quickly learned the ropes of the shipping business, and by the age of 16, he was running his own ferry service.

From there, he went on to build a massive shipping empire. He also made wise investments in other businesses, including railroads.

At the time of his death, Vanderbilt was one of the richest men in America. He was known for his generous philanthropy, and he left a large portion of his fortune to charitable causes.

4. John Jacob Astor

John Jacob Astor was an American businessman and fur trader who made his fortune in the early days of the American West.

He is best known for his role in the development of New York City as one of the first major metropolises in the United States.

Born in 1763 in Rhinebeck, New York, Astor was the son of a German butcher who had immigrated to America in 1750.

Astor’s father died when he was just a teenager, and he was forced to take over the family business. In 1784, at the age of 21, he sold the business and used the proceeds to finance a voyage to England.

In England, Astor learned about the fur trade and decided to enter that business upon his return to America.

He established several successful trading posts in upstate New York and along the Missouri River. He also invested heavily in real estate, especially around Manhattan. By 1800, he was one of the wealthiest men in America.

During the War of 1812, Astor’s fur business suffered greatly from British blockade of American ports.

Many of his properties were destroyed by British troops during their occupation of New York City. However, Astor quickly rebuilt his fortune after the war and continued to invest heavily in New York real estate. He also diversified his businesses into other areas such as shipping and wine making.

Astor died Rich Man Listin 1848 at age 84, leaving behind a vast fortune that he had accumulated over a lifetime of business and investments. His son, William B. Astor, would go on to become one of the wealthiest men in America and the first millionaire in New York City.

5. Bill Gates

With a net worth of over $90 billion, Bill Gates is not only the richest man in America, but also the richest man in the world.

Bill-Gates

The Microsoft co-founder has held the top spot on Forbes’ list of the world’s billionaires for 18 out of the last 23 years.

Gates has been increasingly giving away his fortune in recent years, and his philanthropic work includes a major focus on global health and education.

In January 2018, Gates and Warren Buffett launched the Giving Pledge, which asks billionaires to commit to giving away at least half of their wealth during their lifetime or upon death.

6. Warren Buffett

Born in 1930, is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is considered one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net worth of over US$85 billion as of February 2020, making him the fourth-wealthiest person in the world.

Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and developed an interest in business and investing at a young age.

He began his career as a paperboy and then took on various odd jobs before eventually landing a job at his father’s brokerage firm.

Buffett later attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. After graduating, he worked as an investment salesman before starting his own investment partnership in 1956.

Warren Buffett

In 1965, he became the majority shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway and went on to acquire and oversee a number of other businesses over the years.

Buffett is known for his frugality and simple lifestyle, which belies his immense wealth. He is also a noted philanthropist, having pledged to give away 99% of his fortune to charity.

7. Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world, with a net worth of $112 billion. He is the founder and CEO of Amazon, which he started in 1994. He also owns The Washington Post and Blue Origin.

Bezos was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and raised in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Princeton University in 1986 with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science. After working on Wall Street for D. E. Shaw & Co., he quit his job to move to Seattle and start Amazon.

Amazon was originally a bookstore, but soon expanded to sell other items such as music, DVDs, furniture, and clothing.

Jeff Bezos

In 2002, Bezos launched Amazon Web Services, which provides cloud computing services to businesses and government agencies. AWS is now a $7 billion business and is one of the main reasons why Amazon has been so successful.

In 2013, Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. He has since invested heavily in its digital transformation, making it one of the most successful media companies in the world.

Bezos is also passionate about space exploration. He founded Blue Origin in 2000 with the goal of making it possible for people to live and work in space.

The company has made significant progress towards this goal and is currently developing reusable rockets that can take humans to space.

8. Amancio Ortega

Amancio Ortega is a Spanish billionaire businessman and fashion executive. He is the founder and former chairman of Inditex, a global fashion group that includes the brands Zara, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Pull&Bear, Stradivarius, Bershka, and Zara Home.

As of March 2021, Ortega’s net worth was estimated to be $85.2 billion, making him the second-richest person in Europe and the fourth-richest person in the world. 

Ortega was born in Spain in 1936 to a working-class family. He started working at a young age and later founded Inditex in 1963.

Ortega is known for his frugal lifestyle; he is a billionaire but does not own a yacht or private jet like many other billionaires do. 

In recent years, Ortega has been gradually selling his shares in Inditex and investing in real estate. As of March 2021, he owned stakes in several companies including Pontegadea Inmobiliaria (his real estate company), Pelayo (an insurance company), Tiendas Cortefiel (a Spanish clothing retailer), and Clinica UGT (a health clinic). He also owned a minority stake in The Economist Group.

9. Bernard Arnault

Bernard Arnault is the chairman and CEO of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods company. He is also the richest man in France and one of the richest men in the world, with a net worth of over $100 billion.

Arnault was born in 1949 in Roubaix, France. His father was a businessman who owned a construction company.

Arnault started his career working for his father’s company. He later studied engineering at the École Polytechnique in Paris.

After graduation, Arnault joined the family business. He began to expand the business into other areas, such as textiles and distribution. In 1984, he created LVMH, which stands for Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy.

The company quickly became successful, and today it owns over 70 brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Fendi.

Arnault is known for his aggressive business tactics. He has been involved in several high-profile takeover battles, including an unsuccessful attempt to take over Hermès International in 2010.

In 2017, he successfully acquired Christian Dior Couture from its parent company, making LVMH the largest fashion group in the world.

Arnault is also a major art collector. He has amassed one of the largest private art collections in the world, which includes works by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons.

10. Carlos Slim Helu

Carlos Slim Helu is the richest man in the world, with a net worth of $77.1 billion. He is a Mexican business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the chairman and CEO of Telmex, America Movil, and Grupo Carso.

Slim was born in Mexico City on January 28th, 1940. His father was Julián Slim Hélu, a Lebanese migrant to Mexico who founded the successful retail company Misión Laicas de México. His mother was Dona Soumaya Domit Gemayel, from a Maronite Christian family from Lebanon.

He began his studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) but soon dropped out to help his father run the family business after his death in 1953.

In 1966, he founded Inmobiliaria Carso with real estate investments. In 1972, he created Grupo Galas as a holding company for various industrial investments.

In 1976, he acquired control of Teléfonos de México (Telmex), which was then a state-owned monopoly telephone service provider in Mexico with over 80% market share.

After privatizing Telmex in 1990, he expanded America Movil into a mobile phone empire with over 270 million customers and 70% market share in Latin America by 2013.

He has also been active in other sectors such as mining, construction and retail. He is the owner of some of the largest companies in Mexico, including the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México, Hoteles Royal and Grupo Sanborns.

Slim has also been involved in philanthropy. Through his non-profit organization, Fundación Carlos Slim Helú, he has donated billions of dollars to educational institutions, health care organizations and other charities.

The top 10 richest men in the world are a testament to how far hard work and dedication can take you.

From Jeff Bezos to Elon Musk, these individuals have achieved immense success by transforming their ideas into reality.

Each of these individuals has made significant contributions to society and have created new opportunities for countless more people to follow in their footsteps.

Whether you aspire to reach dizzying heights of wealth or simply want an inspiring example of what’s possible with a little bit of hard work, these ten billionaires provide an awe-inspiring look at the possibilities available when pursuing your dreams.

We hope this article has provided some useful information about these wealthy individuals, as well as providing some inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the business world.

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