You don't have to be a financial wizard to make the Forbes list of the world's billionaires, but being financially savvy can go a long way.
It's true that there are super-wealthy people from all walks of life, even from soy sauce, palm oil, or even raged car piles, but financial means, whether private equity, hedge funds, or venture capital, are the most common ways the world's richest people make their fortunes.
In fact, nearly one-sixth of the world's billionaires (just over 15%) come from the financial and investment industries. The 427 billionaires come from a variety of countries, including Estonia, Kazakhstan, Japan and the United States, up from 372 a year ago, including 37 new billionaires such as Ben Navarro, founder of the financial group Sherman Financial Group, who is worth $1.5 billion, and Cristina Junqueira of Nubank, a Brazilian digital bank. $1.4 billion) and Antonio Gracias ($1.1 billion), founder and CEO of investment firm Valor Equity Partners, among others.
The industry's billionaires also include bankers, fintech founders and full-time investors, with a combined net worth of $2.17 trillion. Nearly two-thirds of them have seen their net worth increase compared to 2023, with Warren Buffett having the biggest increase at $27 billion, thanks to the record high share price of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate he holds.
At the same time, the tech sector also saw the emergence of 342 billionaires, an increase of 29 from last year, moving up one spot and making it the industry with the second most billionaires.
Jeff Bezos remains the richest tech mogul (Elon Musk is not among them, as his wealth comes mainly from Tesla, so Forbes attributes him to manufacturing). Mark Zuckerberg is second in the industry, and his net worth increased by $116.2 billion to $177 billion as of March 8, when the list was locked. Overall, the tech sector has the highest total net worth of $2.6 trillion, $430 billion more than the second-ranked finance and investment sectors.
Manufacturing is the third most billionaire sector, with 328 billionaires born this year, and the industry with the most new billionaires this year (49), from countries such as Cyprus, Indonesia and Brazil.
The richest of the new manufacturing billionaires are siblings Albert Chao, James Chao and Dorothy Chao Jenkins, shareholders in Westlake Corporation, a company that produces low-density polyethylene and other types of plastics used in food packaging. Another newcomer to keep an eye on is D.R.L. Don Levin, founder of Enterprises, the company behind the well-known tobacco paper brands E-Z Wider, OCB and JOB.
The fashion retail sector ranks fourth with 285 billionaires, including up-and-coming billionaire Christian Louboutin, founder of the famous red-soled shoe brand Luboutin, whose shoes have been worn by celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Heidi Klum and Lenny Kravitz. The food and beverage industry has 210 billionaires, ranking fifth, with new faces including Todd Graves of fast-food chain Raising Cane's.
Here are the top 10 industries with the most billionaires in 2024:
(Data as of March 8, 2024)
1. Finance and investment
Number of billionaires: 427
Ratio: 15%
- The richest man in the industry:
Warren Buffett, net worth $133 billion, is the CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway
2. Technology
Number of billionaires: 342
Ratio: 12%
- The richest man in the industry:
Jeff Bezos, worth $194 billion, is the founder of Amazon and the majority shareholder of The Washington Post and rocket company Blue Origin
3. Manufacturing
Number of billionaires: 328
Ratio: 12%
- The richest man in the industry:
Reinhold Wuerth, a $33.6 billion company, is chairman of the Würth group, a manufacturer of screws and fasteners
4. Fashion and retail
Number of billionaires: 285
Ratio: 10%
- The richest man in the industry:
Bernard Arnault and his family, also the world's richest man with a net worth of $233 billion, is the chairman and chief administrative officer of the luxury group LVMH
5. Snacks and drinks
Number of billionaires: 210
Ratio: 8%
- The richest man in the industry:
Zhong Sui, with a net worth of 62.3 billion US dollars, is the chairman of Nongfu Spring and the actual controller of Wantai Biotechnology
6. Diversification
Number of billionaires: 201
Ratio: 7%
- The richest man in the industry:
Mukesh Ambani, a net worth of $116 billion, is chairman of Reliance Industries, which operates in petrochemicals, oil and gas, retail and telecommunications
7. Medical
Number of billionaires: 197
Ratio: 7%
- The richest man in the industry:
迪利普·桑哈维（Dilip Shanghvi），身家226亿美元，印度市值最高药企太阳制药（Sun Pharmaceutical Industries）创始人兼总经理
8. Real estate
Number of billionaires: 190
Ratio: 7%
- The richest man in the industry:
Lee Shau Kee, with a net worth of US$27.7 billion, is the founder and chairman of Sun Hung Kai and Henderson Land Development, two of Hong Kong's largest real estate developers
9. Media and Entertainment
Number of billionaires: 104
Ratio: 4%
- The richest man in the industry:
Rupert Murdoch and his family, worth $19.5 billion, are honorary chairmen of News Corp., one of the world's largest media companies
10. Energy
Number of billionaires: 98
Ratio: 4%
- The richest man in the industry:
Harold Hamm and his family, worth $18.5 billion, are the founder and chairman of Continental Resources, the largest unlisted oil company in the United States
文:Grace Chung
翻译：Vivian
This article is translated from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/gracechung/2024/04/13/how-most-billionaires-made-their-money/?sh=2c44414e36fc