Top 10 Countries with the Most Billionaires in the World

The number of Italian billionaires on Forbes' list of the world's richest people has increased by 13 in the two years during the pandemic. The government organization stated: 'From March 2020 to November 2021, the number of Italian billionaires on the Forbes list increased by 13, and the total value of the super-rich increased by 56%, reaching 185 billion euros at the end of November last year.' The list of Italy's richest has been dominated this year by names such as Leonardo del Vecchio (Luxottica), Giovanni Ferrero (Nutella), Stefano Pessina (Walgreens Boots), and media mogul and former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi three times.

With an estimated net worth of around $35.1 billion, Giovanni Ferrero surpasses another Italian entrepreneur, Leonardo Del Vecchio, founder of the world's largest eyewear company Luxottica, with assets of up to $26 billion. Among the new entries are Agnelli heir John Elkann, with a personal fortune of two billion dollars; glass king Sergio Stevanato ($1.9 billion); supermarket tycoons Giuliano and Marina Caprotti ($1.7 billion each); steel magnates Antonio and Emma Marcegaglia ($1.4 billion each).

Current population: 60,303,040 people
Current number of billionaires: 51 people
Richest individuals: Leonardo Del Vecchio, Maria Franca Fissolo Ferrero, Stefano Pessina, Massimiliana Landini Aleotti,...

Data from Forbes' 'real-time billionaires' list as of April 7 compared to snapshots provided by their annual billionaire report last year shows a significant increase in this wealth. Together, 47 Canadian billionaires currently control a total wealth of USD 270 billion. Among the wealthiest, Thomson's wealth increased by USD 14.4 billion, Shopify's Tobias Lutke rose by USD 8.8 billion, and BC's Jim Pattison increased by USD 7.2 billion. Last year, Pattison's grocery store chain, along with the chain of billionaire Galen Weston, famously resisted pandemic frontline worker wage increases while their profits soared.

According to a report by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), the top 1% wealthiest individuals control 26% of Canada's wealth in 2016. Recent academic research suggests that figure could be even higher at 29% of wealth. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives published research showing the richest families in Canada hold, on average, wealth 4,448 times that of typical families. These 87 families collectively hold more wealth than over 12 million Canadians combined.

Current population: 38,331,370 people
Current number of billionaires: 64 people
Richest individuals: David Thomson, David Cheriton, Joseph Tsai, Galen Weston, Mark Scheinberg, James Irving,...

Although the wealth of billionaires in the United Kingdom may pale in comparison to those in the United States, the rich in this country continue to get richer, with Forbes reporting that, as of spring 2021, there are now 56 billionaires in the United Kingdom, up from 45 a year ago. A recent report states that, collectively, these 56 tycoons are estimated to be worth USD 213.9 billion, up from USD 152.9 billion on last year's list, making the wealthy billionaires of the United Kingdom richer by over USD 61 billion compared to a year ago.

Although only the 113th richest person in the world according to Forbes' 2021 list, James Ratcliffe is the richest person in the United Kingdom. As the founder, chairman, and majority owner of the chemical conglomerate Ineos, he earned USD 6 billion last year, accumulating a total net worth of USD 17 billion. Despite gaining USD 2 billion from last year, the Hinduja brothers have been surpassed by Sir Ratcliffe for the top spot in the Forbes list this year.

Current population: 68,521,968 people
Current number of billionaires: 56 people

Richest individuals: James Ratcliffe, Hinduja Brothers, Michael Platt, James Dyson, Ian and Richard Livingstone, Lord Anthony Bamford and family,...

On February 24, 2022, Forbes released its annual list of the 50 richest people in Hong Kong. While Hong Kong's economy rebounded by 6.4% last year with increases in exports and domestic consumption, strict Covid-19 regulations significantly impacted the Hang Seng Index, which fell 16% over the past 12 months, according to reports. Forbes added that the total wealth of the city's 50 richest individuals slightly decreased from USD 331 billion to USD 328 billion.

Retaining the title of the richest person in Hong Kong for the second consecutive year is Li Ka-shing, also known as the 'superman,' with a net worth of USD 36 billion. Although he resigned as Chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings in May 2018, he remains a senior advisor and is revered as one of the most influential and respected entrepreneurs in Asia. The 94-year-old billionaire stepped down as Chairman of Henderson Land Development in May 2019, replaced by his two sons, Peter Lee Ka-kit and Martin Lee Ka-shing, who took on the roles of Chairman and Co-CEO. His net worth is USD 34.2 billion.

Current population: 7,605,281 people
Current number of billionaires: 47 people

Richest individuals: Li Ka-shing, Lee Shau Kee, Peter Woo,...

In 2022, Jorge Paulo Lemann was ranked by Forbes as the richest person on the world billionaires list in Brazil. The business magnate and investor, controlling shareholder of Anheuser-Busch InBev, has a net worth of $15.4 billion USD, making him the wealthiest person in the country. Following him is the co-founder of Facebook, Eduardo Saverin, with an estimated net worth of around $10.6 billion USD. The top billionaires in Brazil are concentrated in the retail, financial, and private equity sectors.

Another highlight on the Brazil billionaires list is the female president of the retail chain Magazine Luiza, Luiza Helena Trajano, currently holding the title of the richest woman in Brazil. In the overall ranking, Luiza Helena is currently the 8th wealthiest individual in the country. Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook and owner of the technology investment firm B Capital Group, makes his first appearance at the third position on the ranking, with his wealth increasing by 61% compared to the previous year.

Current population: 215,258,087 people
Current number of billionaires: 65 people

Richest individuals: Joseph Safra, Jorge Paulo Lemann, Eduardo Saverin, Marcel Herrmann Telles, Carlos Alberto Sicupira,...

The millionaire and billionaire ranks in Germany have truly surged in recent years. The Federal Statistical Office of Germany announced this week that the number of Germans taxed with an annual income over €1 million has risen by 1,900 to 24,700 based on the latest figures from 2017. When it comes to wealth, business capital, savings, and investments, the numbers skyrocket: Over 2 million Germans have a net worth of $1 million USD according to Credit Suisse's Global Wealth Report 2020. It also ranks Germany third globally in the number of individuals worth $50 million or more.

According to Forbes' 2021 billionaires list, Germany ranks 4th in the world with 136 billionaires. The disparity between income and wealth-based figures hints at the saying, 'wealth begets wealth': those who tend to have more, or even the most, later on. Currently, the top 10% in Germany own two-thirds of the wealth. It is one of the wealthiest regions of Germany. Germany has a new billionaire, the finance mogul and TV personality Carsten Maschmeyer, making his debut on Forbes' billionaires list with an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion USD (0.9 billion Euros).

Current population: 84,262,438 people
Current number of billionaires: 136 people

Richest individuals: Beate Heister and Karl Albrecht Jr, Susanne Klatten, Dieter Schwarz, Stefan Quandt, Klaus-Michael Kuehne,...

Vladimir Lisin, the chairman of the steel-producing company NLMK Group in Russia, has a net worth exceeding $18 billion, making him the richest person in Russia in 2022. Vladimir Potanin, chairman of the private investment company Interros and co-owner of the mining and metallurgy company Nornickel, ranks second. In the global billionaire rankings led by Elon Musk, Lisin and Potanin are at the 87th and 97th positions, respectively. Russia's wealthiest individuals lost over $38 billion in 2022 due to Western sanctions against Russia.

The top 10 tycoons in Russia have a combined net worth of $186 billion, equivalent to the market capitalization of major publicly traded companies like McDonald's and AMD. Russia's ultra-rich also count among the largest owners of private jets and mega-yachts, some of which are facing law enforcement scrutiny as part of measures to penalize Russia. The fifth richest person in Russia, Alisher Usmanov, owns Dilbar, the world's largest motor yacht by gross tonnage. The 512m-long yacht, reportedly valued at $800 million, employs a crew of 84 full-time members.

Current population: 146,046,225 people
Current number of billionaires: 117 people

Richest individuals: Vladimir Lisin, Vladimir Potanin, Pavel Durov, Leonid Mikhelson, Alexey Mordashov, Mikhail Fridman,...

China has more billionaires than ever, and the wealthiest individuals also have larger fortunes. The combined net worth of China's 626 billionaires, totaling $2.5 trillion, is double last year's total when China's tycoons on the list were worth $1.2 trillion. The average net worth of a billionaire from the eastern nation is $4 billion—up 33% from last year. The top 10 companies are valued at $447 billion, nearly double the $224 billion they had a year ago. Chinese billionaires now account for nearly 1/5 of the total wealth on the list, with 2,755 billionaires amassing a total net worth of $13.1 trillion.

Despite the pandemic, the top ten richest billionaires in China have nearly doubled their fortunes compared to 2019. In 2020, China was home to 626 billionaires, a figure that increased from 388 in 2019 and second only to the U.S., which had 724 billionaires. China's soaring stock market and rapid recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic led to 205 newcomers, while 53 others left the list in previous years, continuing this trend of turnover. In 2022, China had 689 billionaires, trailing only the U.S.

Current population: 1,449,250,978 people
Current number of billionaires: 698 people

Richest individuals: Zhang Yiming, Robin Zeng, Ma Huateng, Jack Ma, Colin Zheng Huang, He Xiangjian,...

Mukesh Ambani is dubbed the richest individual in India with a net worth exceeding 7.1 trillion Indian rupees in 2021. The business magnates and philanthropists of Indian origin, Sirchand, Gopichand, Prakash, and Ashok Hinduja, are known as the non-resident Indians (NRIs) with the highest total net worth of 1.5 trillion rupees in 2020. From Forbes' 2019 Billionaires List, only 12 women made it into the top 100 richest individuals globally. However, it's noteworthy that all of them gained wealth through inheritance, divorce, or marrying into wealth.

The gender wage gap is a global issue, so it's not surprising that women are absent from the list of the top 10 richest individuals in India. Interestingly, in a separate ranking of the wealthiest women in India, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, daughter of Shiv Nadar and CEO of HCL Technologies, led the race with a net worth of nearly 550 billion rupees. According to the World Economic Forum's global gender pay gap report, the gender gap in economic participation and opportunities for women is the second-largest in all sub-indices.

Current population: 1,403,632,820 people
Current number of billionaires: 237 people

Richest individuals: Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar, Hinduja brothers, Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, Cyrus S Poonawalla,...

A notable statistic is that in the tech industry, the average age to become a CEO is only 30.8. 86% of the top 400 billionaires in the United States are men. Notable names include Bezos, Musk, and Gates as mentioned earlier. Despite the percentage difference, there are a few female billionaires near the top of the richest list. For example, Alice Walton assumed her billionaire status inheriting Walmart's fortune from her father - as well as her brothers Jim and Rob.

Another leading female billionaire in the United States, Mackenzie Scott, played a crucial role in founding Amazon in 1994 and received the majority of her wealth in a divorce settlement with Bezos. Scott notably has donated billions of her wealth to disadvantaged communities, local community centers, and colleges. Jacqueline Mars, along with her brother John and their late brother Forrest Jr., inherited their stake in Mars Inc. in 1999.

Industries that produce the most American billionaires include real estate, hedge funds, and private equity. These industries have helped build massive fortunes for some American billionaires like Warren Buffett and Thomas Peterffy. The finance industry is famously associated with wealth; however, many of the wealthiest billionaires on the Forbes 400 list are also tied to the technology and retail sectors.

Current population: 334,464,117 people
Current number of billionaires: 724 people

Richest individuals: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Larry Ellison,...