By Omoh Gabriel
Alhaji Aliko Dangote Nigerian born billionaire commodity merchant, industrialist has again made it on the list of the world richest men alive, according to a Forbes World Richest Billionaires released on Wednesday 10 March 2010. But his friend and arch rival Femi Otedola has however dropped out of the list probably due to the stock market crash that has gravely eroded his fortune.
Dangote, who hails from the northern part of the country has been in business for many years with interest in almost all sectors of the economy, including politics where he is known to be one of the financial backers of the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party.
Dangote’s net worth was put by Forbes at $2.1 billion This is the third time that the 52 year old Chairman of Dangote group of companies would be making the list. He was listed as the 463 in the world.
Meanwhile some well known South African billionaires also made the list. Nicky Oppenheinmer, a citizen of Johanesburg, South Africa was listed as 154 in the Forbes list of World’s richest billionaires 2010. He runs De Beers, world’s largest producers of Diamond. He accumulated his fortune from inheritance. He is married with a child. His estimated fortune is put at $5.0 billion
Patrice Motsepe, a self made billionaire was listed as 421 with an estimated net worth of $2.3 billion. The South African is married to a beautiful lady who runs African Fashion International and together they have 3 children. He major business interest s mining.
Johann Rupert Family, another South African also has an estimated net worth of $2.3 billion. Also listed as 421 on the world richest list 2010, is Johann who deals in Luxury goods.
Meanwhile, Carlos Slim Helu, a Mexican born billionaire has been declared the 2010 Forbes World’s richest man alive, ahead of Bill Gates. He has a net worth of $50.3 Billion. Bill Gate has $50 Billion dollar as total net worth.
Mexico’s Carlos Slim beat Bill Gates and Warren Buffett for the top spot on Forbes magazine’s annual list of billionaires, becoming the first person from outside the U.S. to lead the rankings in 16 years.
The net worth of Slim, 70, who built a telecommunications empire after buying Mexico’s state-run phone monopoly two decades ago, rose $18.5 billion to $53.5 billion. Gates, 54, chairman of Microsoft Corp., fell to second as his net worth increased $13 billion to $53 billion. Buffett, 79, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., was third with $47 billion, a rise of $10 billion.
Slim is the first person other than Gates, last year’s richest person, or Buffett to top the list since 1994, which was also the last time a billionaire from outside the U.S. led the ranking: Japanese real estate tycoon Yoshiaki Tsutsumi.
Asia’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani, 52, of India, chairman of Mumbai-based refiner and energy explorer Reliance Industries Ltd., was ranked fourth with $29 billion, up from $19.5 billion last year, when he was seventh.
Lakshmi Mittal, 59, also of India, the chief executive officer of the world’s biggest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, rose to fifth from eighth. Mittal’s net worth increased $9.4 billion to $28.7 billion as shares of his company have almost doubled in the past year.
Larry Ellison, 65, chief executive of Oracle Corp., fell to sixth from fourth as his net worth increased $5.5 billion to $28 billion. Bernard Arnault, 61, of France, chairman and chief executive of luxury goods maker LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, rose to seventh from 15th as his net worth jumped $11 billion to $27.5 billion.
Brazilian mining magnate Eike Batista, 53, had the biggest increase in net worth, rising to $27 billion from $7.5 billion and boosting his rank to eighth from 61st. Spain’s richest man, Amancio Ortega, 73, chairman and founder of clothing retailer Inditex SA, rose to ninth from 10th as his net worth jumped $6.7 billion to $25 billion. Karl Albrecht, a co-founder of discount retailer Aldi Group, rounded out the list’s top 10, falling to 10th from sixth place as his net worth rose $2 billion to $23.5 billion.
The number of billionaires climbed to 1,011 from 793 last year, although still below the rankings’ high of 1,125 in 2008. Their cumulative net worth increased to $3.6 trillion from $2.4 trillion, and the average jumped $500 million to $3.5 billion as the world economy began to rebound from its worst slump since the Great Depression.
The list includes billionaires from 55 countries. The U.S. has the most with 403, up from 359 last year, while Europe follows with 248. The Asia-Pacific region has 234 people in the rankings, up from 130 in 2009, including 62 newcomers. The Forbes rankings are based on information including stakes in publicly traded and privately held companies; real estate holdings; and investments in items such as art, gems and yachts; and compiled as of the close of U.S. markets on Feb. 12.
