Top 10 of the richest people in the world

1. Bill Gates with 54.4 billion euros - No surprise. Bill Gates net worth: Bill Gates is an American business magnate, chairman of Microsoft, philanthropist, author, and one of the richest people in the world who has a net worth of $72.7 billion dollars. Gates co-founded the software company Microsoft with Paul Allen, and is known as one of the premiere entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. Gates graduated from Lakeside School in 1973, scoring 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT, and enrolled at Harvard College in the autumn of 1973.With the release of the MITS Altair 8800 based on the Intel 8080 CPU, Gates and Allen saw this as the opening they needed to create their own computer software company. The creators of the new microcomputer, Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS), formed a partnership with Gates and Allen using their Altair emulator that ran on a minicomputer, and then the BASIC interpreter. The trade name "Microsoft" was registered November 26, 1976. During the first five years of the Microsoft company, Gates personally reviewed every line of code the company shipped, often rewriting code as needed. On November 20, 1985, Microsoft launched its first retail version of Microsoft Windows.
   Gates and his wife combined three family foundations to create the charitable Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, the largest transparently operated charitable foundation in the world. Gates announced on June 15, 2006 that he would transition out of his day-to-day role at Microsoft over the next two years in order to dedicate more time to philanthropy.
   
2. Vladimir Putin with 52.4 billion euros - Vladimir Putin net worth: Vladimir Putin is a Russian politician who was born in the Soviet Union and has a net worth of $70 billion dollars. The current Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin also served as the President of the Russian Federation from December 1999 until May 2008. Successful in overhauling Russia's economic environment, he was often criticized for his handling of human rights and foreign policy issues.
   In addition to his net worth he's amassed a reputation as one of the most infamous politicians in the world, with many in the west calling the circumstances under which he has continued to hold office in Russia "undemocratic." Still, he has been fairly popular among the Russian people themselves ever since he began serving as president in late 1999 after the surprise resignation of Boris Yeltsin. Putin's career in politics began after serving in the KGB, being appointed head of the Committee for External Relations of the Saint Petersburg Mayor's Office. From there, his political fortunes continued to rise until he eventually won the 2000 Russian presidential election. His public image is fairly unique for a politician, largely characterized by his "macho," outdoorsy image, having been famously photographed shirtless and engaging in other dangerous or extreme sports and activities. He is also famous for his "Putinisms," aphorisms that come from his unique use of the Russian language (similar to how George W. Bush is famous for his malapropisms here in the United States). One example of a "Putinism" occurred during an interview with American journalist Larry King, who asked him what happened to a Russian submarine that had been lost in an explosion – Putin answered simply, "she sank."
   
   
3. Carlos Slim Helu with 50 billion euros - Carlos Slim Helu net worth: Carlos Slim Helu is a Mexican businessman and one of the richest people in the world who has a net worth of $66.8 billion. Carlos Slim Helu was born January 28, 1940 in Mexico City, Mexico. He is a businessman, philanthropist, and engineer largely focused on the telecommunications industry in Mexico. Slim has a substantial influence over the telecommunications industry in Mexico and much of Latin America. He controls Telefonos De Mexico, TelCel, and America Movil. He maintains an active involvement in the companies, but his three sons Carlos, Marco Antonio, and Patrick, run the firms on a day to day basis. Slim was able to raise money for a telecommunications business by purchasing standby letters of credit which allowed him to obtain guaranteed loans which provided the capital.On August 8, 2007 Fortune magazine reported that Slim had surpassed Bill Gates in wealth. This marked the first time in 16 years that the wealthiest person in the world has not been from the United States, the Middle East, or Europe and was from an "emerging economy". Slim has been awarded the Entrepreneurial Merit Medal of Honor from Mexico's Chamber Of Commerce. He is a "gold patron" of the American Academy of Achievement and a Commander in the Belgian Order Of Leopold II. Slim was named CEO of the year in 2003 by "Latin Trade" magazine, and one year later CEO of the decade by the same magazine.
   
   
4. Warren Buffett with 44.9 billion euros - Warren Buffett net worth: Warren Buffett is one of the richest people in the world who has a net worth of $60 billion. Warren Buffett is arguably the most famous and successful investor in history. If you had invested $10,000 with Warren Buffett in 1966, today you would have $300 million! That same $10,000 invested in the S&P would be $140,000. Warren Buffett has pledged to give away 99% of his net worth to charity. 83% of the money will go to The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. That equates to roughly $41 billion which makes it the largest charitable gift in human history. Buffett's philanthropy has inspired other billionaires to pledge at least 50% of their net worth to charity in their lifetimes as well, a truly remarkable accomplishment.The 78 year-old Warren Buffett is notorious for investing in products he actually uses. For example, he owns Fruit of the Loom because he enjoyed their shirts and underwear. Warren has made headlines recently after his love of a specific brand of suit led him to invest in the Chinese firms Trands Co. He's not the only powerful guy sporting Trands: Former Chinese President Hu Jintao and billionaire Bill Gates are also big fans of the brand. The Oracle of Omaha and CEO of financial powerhouse Berkshire Hathaway also recently made a video commemorating the apparel company's 30th anniversary and took the opportunity to gush about his nine Trands suits. The best part? Even though the cheapest Trands suit costs $880, Buffet hasn't paid a dime for his wardrobe though he claims he has asked for a bill. It's not a bad investment for Trands' founder and Buffett gal-pal Li Guilian, whose stock has risen 70% since the video went public.
   
   
5. Amancio Ortega with 42.7 billion euros - Amancio Ortega net worth: Amancio Ortega Gaona is a Spanish fashion executive and entrepreneur who has a net worth of $57 billion. Amancio Ortega has accumulated this net worth through many years in the fashion industry and is most notable as the founder and owner of retail store Zara. Amancio Ortega Gaona has been characterized by his extreme secrecy and low profile despite the fact that he is the fifth richest person in the world behind Carlos Helu, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Ingvar Kamprad, Bernard Arnault and Larry Ellison. Amancio is the richest person in Spain and the second richest person in all of Europe. Ortega has never given a public interview, and in contrast to his work in the world of high fashion is most often seen in a pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt. Make no mistake, though: His low profile does not mean that he is a "do nothing" executive. He is said to have a major hands-on role in his company the Inditex group, which includes such respected fashion brands as Zara, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Zara Home, Kiddy's Class, Tempe, Stradivarius, Pull and Bear/Often and Bershka. At 75 years old, though, Gaona has shown signs of slowing down. He recently announced his retirement from the day to day operations of Inditex, and that by the vice president and CEO of Inditex, Pablo Isla, will be taking his place at the head of the company.
   
6. Ingvar Kamprad with 40 billion euros - Ingvar Kamprad net worth: Ingvar Kamprad is a Swedish businessman who founded IKEA and has a net worth of $53 billion dollars. Ingvar Kamprad was born in Sweden March 30, 1926. He went into business early in life and is known for his frugality and tendency towards penny pinching. Kamprad began his career as a salesman at a very young age, buying matches in bulk and selling them at a discount. From there, it wasn't long before he began selling other items, including fish, Christmas tree decorations, seeds, ballpoint pens, and pencils. Eventually he added furniture to the mix, and the largely mail-order business that would eventually become IKEA was born. Kamprad is also well-known for his surprisingly low-key lifestyle given his massive net worth. He only travels by economy class commercial airplanes, and is reported to recycle tea bags and keep salt and pepper from restaurants for himself. This fastidious sense of cost consciousness is reflected in IKEA, which is known for its cost saving measures and its low prices compared to other furniture dealers. It is also reflected in this quote from Kamprad, which also doubles as his personal and corporate philosophy: "It is not only for cost reasons that we avoid the luxury hotels. We don't need flashy cars, impressive titles, uniforms or other status symbols. We rely on our strength and our will!"
   
7. David Koch with 34.1 billion euros - David Koch net worth: David Koch is a chemical engineer, political activist, businessman, and philanthropist who has a net worth of $45.6 billion. David Koch is an executive vice president and co-owner, (with older brother Charles), of conglomerate Koch Industries, the second largest privately held company in the U.S. Koch provides funds towards conservative and libertarian political causes, and is a patron of the arts. Koch is rumored to be linked to the right-wing conservative group the Tea Party movement, which opposes the majority of U.S. President Barack Obama's legislative agenda and policies. David Koch was the vice-presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party in the 1980 presidential election. As a philanthropist Koch has pledged and/or donated over $600 million to medical research, education, and the arts since 2000.
   
8. Charles Koch with 34.1 billion euros - Charles Koch net worth: Charles Koch is an American business magnate who has a net worth of $45.6 billion. Charles Koch (pronounced "coke") is a political activist, businessman, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Koch Industries, Inc. and co-owner (with younger brother David) of the Koch business. Koch provides funds towards libertarian and conservative political causes. Charles Koch is rumored to be linked to the right-wing conservative group the Tea Party movement, opposing much of U.S. President Barack Obama's legislative agenda and policies. Charles Koch supports and funds libertarian and free-market organizations. Koch co-founded the Cato Institute with Edward H. Crane and Murray Rothbard in 1977. Koch industries is the 2nd largest privately held company in the US. He is also an author and philanthropist and co-founded three charities.
   
9. Larry Ellison with 30.7 billion euros - What is Larry Ellison's net worth? Larry Ellison is the founder/CEO of Oracle with a net worth of $41 billion. Ellison's $38.2 billion net worth makes him the seventh richest person in the world behind Carlos Helu, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Ingvar Kamprad, Bernard Arnault and Amancio Gaona. Coming in as the seventh richest person in the world isn't the ideal outcome for an uber-competitive captain of industry, but in the case of Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, he can't really complain. At least he can say he's the third richest person in America!Unlike pals Warren and Bill, Larry's consumption tends to be on the conspicuous side. He is an avid sailor, a love that he feeds as a major financer of the BMW Oracle Racing syndicate and former owner of the world's sixth largest yacht the $200 million Rising Sun. Ellison sold The Rising Sun to music mogul David Geffen in 2010. The Oracle database guru and licensed pilot also has a taste for highly expensive cars and planes. His collection includes a Maclaren F1 (only six of these cars are in the U.S.), an Audi R8 and a fighter jet.
   Ellison lives in a $200 million house in Silicon Valley. The mansion is modeled after a 16th century Japanese estate. It spans 45-acres and features a main house, a two-bedroom guest house, three cottages, a barn converted to a gym and a man-made lake and two waterfalls. After the local township assessed his property at a value of $173 million and handed Ellison the tax bill, he challenged the value and won, receiving a 60% tax cut on his "$70 million" property.
   Mr. Ellison's personal life is also a bit complex. He has been married four times and has a total of five children. His current wife, romance novelist Melanie Craft, is 25 years his junior and has produced three of his children in the last four years. Larry also supports his adult children David and Megan. In 2008, he reportedly purchased a $13 million home for his 20-something daughter in Los Angeles. You know, just a pied a terre. It all sounds a little excessive, but for the third richest person in America, there's plenty of money to make everyone happy. Except for Larry: he wants to be number one.
   
   
10. Christy Walton with 28.5 billion euros - Christy Walton net worth: Christy Walton is an American billionaire who is the richest woman in the world and has a net worth of $38 billion. Christy Walton was the wife of the late John T. Walton who was the son of the late WalMart founder Sam Walton. After the death of her husband John, Walton inherited his fortune of $15.7 billion dollars. Walton owns a stake in a solar power company First Solar, and holds shares of Wal-Mart. Walton currently resides in Jackson, Wyoming. Walton donated her seven acre San Diego home to Cross Border Philanthropy. Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer with 2 million employees and 7,300 stores, serving 200 million customers. Christy Walton is the richest woman in the world due to inheriting money from her late husband, one of the heirs of the Wal-Mart fortune, and from their investment in First Solar.
     
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
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