Jeff Bezos validates ‘richest person of the world’

New York - Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has gotten its ‘richest man in the world’ title re-assured as his personal worth increased by 24 billion to 123 billion dollars. Inditex and Fast Retailing founders have also made it to the top 30 wealthiest people worldwide.

Bloomberg Billionaires Index has been just updated, gathering the 500 largest fortunes in the world. The year that just ended left the richest group of people losing a collective 451 billion dollars, according to Belgian newspaper ‘De Tijd’.

Many members of this index have suffered from falling stock markets, weaker consumer’s confidence and a generally challenging trading environment. This gloom has affected even the best positioned within the ranking. Take Bezos, for example. According to Bloomberg data, his assets increased by 24 billion dollars to 123 billion dollars over the past year. However, he lost about 45 billion dollars in the last three months of 2018.

Amazon and Inditex founders make it to the top 10 of Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2018

Two fashion industry moguls made it to the top 10 of the Blomberg Billionaires Index this year: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Zara’s owner group Inditex founder, Amancio Ortega. Other names from the industry making it to the ranking were Alibaba and Fast Retailing founders in Asia.

All American billionaires contributed 76 billion dollars. In Asia, Chinese billionaires lost just under 76 billion dollars together.

Jeff Bezos’ current worth is estimated at 125 billion dollars, that’s it 25.9 billion dollars more than a year ago. Amancio Ortega follows next within the fashion niche, with a total net worth of 58.7 billion dollars, having lost 16.7 billion dollars over the past year.

Next up in the ranking are the Walton family, owners of Walmart. Combined, their fortune today is set at 130.2 billion dollars. They have registered a total year-on-year drop of 7.82 billion dollars. The youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton co-manages Walton Enterprises, which together with another family holding company controls about half of Walmart, the world's largest retailer.

Asian billionaires climb positions led by Jack Ma and Tadashi Yanai

The richest Chinese is Alibaba founder Jack Ma, holding the 19th place in the ranking. Trailing Ma we can find Tadashi Yanai. Japan's richest person is the chairman and biggest shareholder of Fast Retailing, the largest clothing retailer in Asia and parent of Uniqlo.

Number 66 in the list is Stefan Persson. The chairman and largest shareholder of Hennes & Mauritz, the world's second-biggest retailer of private-label apparel. The Stockholm-based company had revenue of 23.3 billion dollar in the year to November, 30, 2017.

With an estimated personal fortune of 13.9 billion dollars and placed 76th in the ranking, Henry Cheng is the chairman of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery, a Hong Kong-based jeweler with sales of 7.6 billion dollars in the year to March 2018.

Les Wexner, founder of L Brands, also made it to the index, although dropping positions due to a 1.82 billion dollars loss year to date. Sandra Ortega, Inditex’s founder’s oldest daughter, comes next in the list.

Holch Povlsen, CEO of Denmark’s Bestseller, follows at distance, holding the 432nd place. Privately held, the group sells clothing under the Jack & Jones and Vero Moda labels and last reported revenue of 3.3 billion euros in the year to July 2018.

Image: Jeff Bezos, Amazon Corporate