Saudi prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, one of the richest people in the Middle East, lost $1.2 billion in 48 hours from the moment of his arrest, Bloomberg calculated. The prince was among the Saudi ministers and members royal family, who were detained on November 4 on suspicion of corruption crimes.
Quotes of the prince's investment company Kingdom Holding fell by 9.9% on the first day after his detention, and at the close of trading on Monday they dropped to their lowest level since December 2011. As of Monday evening, Bloomberg estimated Al-Waleed's fortune at $17.8 billion. According to The Wall Street Journal, the prince has not yet been charged; he is suspected of money laundering.
The prince's investments through Kingdom Holding are not disclosed.
In an interview with CNBC in October, Al-Waleed admitted that he had invested in the banking group Citigroup, the microblogging service Twitter, the film company Twenty-First Century Fox and the Chinese online retailer JD.com. The businessman, in equal shares with Bill Gates, controls 95% of the Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts hotel chain (through the companies Kingdom Hotels and Cascade Investment, 5% is held by the founder of the chain, Isador Sharp). The Prince also owns some historic hotels, such as the George V in Paris and the Savoy in London, and modern hotels such as the Four Seasons Toronto.
Anti-Corruption Committee in Saudi Arabia created by order of King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. It was headed crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The committee began work on November 4. Already on November 5, it became known that several dozen people had been detained. They include 11 princes, four ministers, former ministers, their deputies and entrepreneurs. It was reported that all the detainees were placed in the 5-star Ritz Carlton hotel. This news caused the Saudi stock market to fall, but oil prices: Brent is trading above $64 per barrel for the first time in more than two years.
Many commentators describe what's happening in Saudi Arabia as a brutal consolidation of power, said Jon Treacy, co-publisher of the investment newsletter Fuller Treacy Money. However, in his opinion, a more nuanced approach is needed in assessments. Saudi Arabia has been at war or supporting military operations in Yemen, Iraq and Syria for at least three years, but oil prices during this period were significantly below the levels that would finance such significant expenses, Tricy recalls. He believes that Saudi Arabia should be viewed more as a feudal kingdom: “The aristocrats are in a privileged position because when it comes time to defend the kingdom from threats, both foreign and domestic, they are expected to rally around the crown and ensure everything necessary to maintain the status quo. The arrest of the princes, former ministers and officials, which came less than a week after the Davos in the Desert conference aimed at attracting investment into the country, is both a claim for control and a demand for an oath of allegiance in the most financial sense. In the past, when aristocrats refused to obey, their lands and titles were taken away. Those currently being held at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh should remember this.”
SAUD FAMILY, $1.4 TRILLION
Here it is, the richest dynasty in the world. Everything is clear here. Middle East, oil industry, money, money, money again. But. Bathing in luxury, family members do not forget about real life. Last year, one of the Saud, Prince al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, decided to dispose of his personal fortune. The prince has $32 billion in his account. The monarch donated all these incredible funds to charitable needs. Try to comprehend this.
THE WALTONS, $152 BILLION
Unlike their neighbors in our top ten, the Waltons entered the business relatively recently - a little more than half a century ago. However, the idea of turning the stores into a chain where you can buy everything from twine to televisions turned out to be pure gold. The Waltons are the owners of Wal-Mart, the number one retailer in the world.
“I always told my parents that I was going to marry a man with energy and drive. It was important to me that he wanted to succeed. I found the one I was looking for. True, now I sometimes laugh that I overdid it a little,” Helen, the wife of the founder of the dynasty Sam Walton, later admitted.
KOCH, $80 BILLION
The Koch brothers, Charles and David, are the main scandalists and opponents of the current government and the government in general. Their money is everywhere, from pipe production and oil industry to toilet paper and shares in the same Mars. The Kochs supported presidential elections opponents of Barack Obama, they are easily called pigs by popular TV presenters, and the media cast a shadow over the fence about the secret organization run by the brothers. While the Kochs are enemies of the Democrats, they support LGBT people and advocate a peaceful foreign policy. How all this fits in with one another is a mystery.
MARS, $60 BILLION
This surname is definitely on everyone's lips. The transformation of a modest confectionery business into a delicious empire in every sense began in the late 20s of the 20th century, after the Marses received a patent for a nougat recipe. It formed the basis of those same bars, be it Milky Way or Snickers, or, of course, Mars. Another super hit of the family business is M&M's. Mars' assets also include Pedigree and Whiskas dog and cat food. One does not interfere with the other.
JOHNSONS, $39 BILLION
A century and a half ago, the Johnsons began making parquet, and then a product to care for it. The cleaning fluids and powders eventually became the Johnson family business and have fed (ahem) them all these years. However, the clan is no stranger to beauty: it is for this reason that their line of assets includes Ziploc, a brand of bags. The Johnsons are one of richest families 2016.
PRITZKERS, $29 BILLION
The Pritzker family closes the more than honorable list with $29 billion. Now the clan has only one asset - the Hyatt hotel chain, but it seems that this is quite enough for them. Three years ago, the Pritzkers caused a stir in the States after one of the family members, 62-year-old James, a professional military man and lieutenant colonel in the National Guard, announced his intention to change his sex. And for starters, he changed his name, turning himself into Jennifer.
“These changes reflect how Jennifer feels about her identity. She now identifies as a woman in both business and personal affairs,” the official release noted. Words were followed by deeds, and Jennifer outwardly also ceased to be James. Otherwise, everything remains the same: she is involved in Hyatt, actively supports transgender military personnel, donating decent amounts. Oh, well, except that in the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans, she is now listed among women.
The Pritzker family closes the more than honorable list with $29 billion. Now the clan has only one asset - the Hyatt hotel chain, but it seems that this is quite enough for them. Three years ago, the Pritzkers caused a stir in the States after one of the family members, 62-year-old James, a professional military man and lieutenant colonel in the National Guard, announced his intention to change his sex. And for starters, he changed his name, turning himself into Jennifer.
“These changes reflect how Jennifer feels about her identity. She now identifies as a woman in both business and personal affairs,” the official release noted. Words were followed by deeds, and Jennifer outwardly also ceased to be James. Otherwise, everything remains the same: she is involved in Hyatt, actively supports transgender military personnel, donating decent amounts. Oh, well, except that in the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans, she is now listed among women.
King Rama IX of Thailand (real name Bhumibol Adulyadej) rules not only the country, but also his own clan. The family’s fortune is $30 billion. Rama, of course, is in charge of all finances, but it’s a sin for clan members to complain - they don’t need money. And the relatives have a lot of respect for the 89-year-old patriarch. Lord of Lives and Possessor of twenty-four Golden Umbrellas, seated on the throne of the Golden Lotus of the land of White Elephants - this is the full title of Rama - a great original and creative person: composes symphonies that are performed by the Royal Orchestra in the best halls of the country and abroad, writes jazz plays, plays the saxophone excellently. Rama is a gifted artist whose paintings sell well around the world, and a yacht racing enthusiast who designs his yachts himself. Rama, among other things, actively spends his fortune on the development of agriculture in Thailand and on investments in the development of new technologies. In short, the ideal monarch.
Coke, $32 billion
It all started in late XIX century with the purchase of the Dayton Evening News by one of the fathers of the family. Over the course of more than a century, the Coxes have acquired a network of auto dealers, cable TV, and also - this seems to be an inherited passion - a media asset that includes press and radio stations. Formally, the elder of the dynasty is James Kennedy: he, as can be seen from his last name, is a relative of another significant clan, and more specifically, the nephew of that same John, the president. James has already done his bit and now takes a deserved nap at meetings of the board of directors, while his daughter, Anne Cox Chambers, really runs the empire.
Hurst, $35 billion
One of the brightest and richest dynasties, not only in dollars, but also in talents and adventures, began with William Randolph Hearst. Hearst the First was a true celebrity of his time, the father of the tabloid genre; It was from him, a media mogul and the richest man of his time, that Orson Welles “copied” the image of the main character in “Citizen Kane.” Mark Twain and Jack London worked for his newspapers, he was friends with Hitler and hated Stalin, he broke all kinds of rules and built an incredible castle, one of the most amazing in its luxury in the States. Hirst kept Monet's canvases in the closet with his linen, because there was nowhere to hang them. His son became a serious journalist, his granddaughter, Patricia, is it-girl No. 1, and also a heroine famous story with kidnapping. In 1974, she was kidnapped by left-wing radicals, demanded a ransom, kept in a box, raped, and eventually Patricia took their side and participated in a series of bank robberies. After the terrorists were captured, she spent five years in prison, was released, and now lives quietly with her husband, children and grandchildren.
A century and a half ago, the Johnsons began making parquet, and then a product to care for it. Cleaning liquids and powders eventually became the Johnson family business and have fed (ahem) them all these years. However, the clan is no stranger to beauty: it is for this reason that their line of assets includes Ziploc, a brand of bags. The Johnsons are one of the richest families of 2016.
Everything here is harsh and clear. Cargills are engaged agriculture- food products, raw materials and everything else. The MacMillans are a branch of the Cargills that began with the son-in-law of the head of the dynasty, William Cargill. His daughter's husband, John MacMillan, proved himself so well that the patriarch deigned to add his surname to his own in the family business. The clan is still true to itself - its representatives live on a ranch in Montana, do not go out into the world, do not welcome rumors about themselves and do not appear in the gossip columns. Solid guys.
This surname is definitely on everyone's lips. The transformation of a modest confectionery business into a delicious empire in every sense began in the late 20s of the 20th century, after the Marses received a patent for a nougat recipe. It formed the basis of those same bars, be it Milky Way or Snickers, or, of course, Mars. Another super hit of the family business is M&M's. Mars' assets also include Pedigree and Whiskas dog and cat food. One does not interfere with the other.
The Koch brothers, Charles and David, are the main scandalists and opponents of the current government and the government in general. Their money is everywhere, from pipe production and the oil industry to toilet paper and shares in the same Mars. The Kochs supported opponents of Barack Obama in the presidential election, they are easily called pigs by popular TV presenters, and the media throw shade at the secret organization run by the brothers. While the Kochs are enemies of the Democrats, they support LGBT people and advocate a peaceful foreign policy. How all this fits in with one another is a mystery.
Unlike their neighbors in our top ten, the Waltons entered the business relatively recently - a little more than half a century ago. However, the idea of turning the stores into a chain where you can buy everything from twine to televisions turned out to be pure gold. The Waltons are the owners of Wal-Mart, the number one retailer in the world.
“I always told my parents that I was going to marry a man with energy and drive. It was important to me that he wanted to succeed. I found the one I was looking for. True, now I sometimes laugh that I overdid it a little,” Helen, the wife of the founder of the dynasty Sam Walton, later admitted.
Saud family, $1.4 trillion
Here it is, the richest dynasty in the world. Everything is clear here. Middle East, oil industry, money, money, money again. But. Bathing in luxury, family members do not forget about real life. Last year, one of the Saud, Prince al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, decided to dispose of his personal fortune. The prince has $32 billion in his account. The monarch donated all these incredible funds to charitable needs. Try to comprehend this.
Who are the richest people on the planet?
It's no secret that the epicenter of the world's richest people are United Arab Emirates, however, in the list of the most wealthy people the world includes not only sheikhs. After all, in fact, the rich are the very “puppeteers” who often have colossal influence on world politics and economics. Some of them became the heir to a huge fortune, while others independently earned their billions in order to enter the list of the most privileged rich.
It's no secret that this family holds the title of the richest in the world. She has about 2 trillion dollars in her account. The amount is approximate, since all the Rothschilds are very secretive and do not like to be on the front pages of newspapers.
The founder of this dynasty was Mayer Amschmel Rothschild, who began studying financial “craft” at the age of 12 at Oppenheimer’s bank, after which he worked in his father’s antique store. Having saved money, the young man opened his own bank. Thanks to his abilities, Rothschild was able to become successful in the financial sector and found a dynasty of some of the richest people in the world for 3 hundred years. His work was continued by his children and grandchildren. In order not to talk about the financial state of the family and not to give away the secrets of their success, the Rothschilds began to marry within the family. It is worth noting that the press is not aware of a single case of divorce in this clan.
Since about 1700, this clan has led Saudi Arabia. In 1962, the heirs famous family left politics and entered the oil business, which has left the Al Saud family with an estimated fortune of $1.4 trillion. Today, the family is headed by Salman ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is also the king of Saudi Arabia and the prime minister rolled into one.
This family is the third richest in the world. They earned their $152 billion capital through trading. Now the Waltons are the owners of 111 thousand supermarkets in 27 countries. The founder of the dynasty was Sam Walton, who opened the first large outlet at the age of 27, and for this he had been saving money since childhood. Today, three of his heirs are involved in the family business.
The history of this family's wealth dates back to 1940, when the founder of Koch Industries began to engage in oil refining. Before today he was able to accumulate a capital of $89 billion. Now it is the second largest company in the world in terms of the number of raw materials processed in the oil business. The business of Fred Koch was continued by his sons and expanded the range of their activities in trade, finance and the chemical industry.
Representatives of this family are included in the list of the richest clans in the world thanks to all the famous Mars candies. Chocolate that doesn't melt in your hands, which entered the market in 1920, brought them stunning success among consumers. In addition to the well-known candy bar, the Mars company produces a number of other confectionery products; it was their sale that made the Mars family the richest in the world in 1980. Today their fortune is equal to 80 billion dollars.
The Slim family, headed by Carlos Slim, ranks sixth in the world among the richest people on the planet. The clan's assets are invested in a Mexican communications company, holding centers and a stock exchange. The Slims are involved in the arts, health care and other non-profit foundations. This family has a net worth of about $77 billion. By the way, Carlos Slim is considered the unofficial king of Mexico thanks to his days.
The Cargill-McMillan clan owns $45 billion. They are engaged in business in the agricultural and food industries. The family owns 88% of Cargill shares. Lately The company began to expand the range of its work and became closely involved in financial and trading activities.
This dynasty owns one of the largest French cosmetics companies, L’Oreal. Successful business founded by Engen Schueller in 1909. Since then, the corporation has developed and to date has brought Schuller's heirs $42.7 billion. Today the company is run by the daughter and grandchildren of the founder.
Arno Dynasty.
The Arnault family is the owner of several famous fashion houses and luxury goods manufacturing companies. Today their fortune is estimated at $37.7 billion. All this wealth was brought to Arnault by LVMH, which was founded in 1987. They have no equal in the luxury goods market; in other areas of activity they are rapidly developing, absorbing small companies.
This clan owns a network of print publications, television and radio companies throughout America. Their business was founded in 1989 and began with the Dayton Daily News. The founder of the thriving business was James Middleton Cox. Today, the Koks business is expanding its boundaries and has begun to sell vehicles. Their assets are estimated at $34.5 billion.
Today we hear the names of billionaires such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Carlos Slim. But one person's success is nothing compared to what an entire family can achieve.
Rothschild family
How they got rich: banking (for the most part).
Family status: cannot be assessed. According to rumors, from 350 billion to 3-4 trillion dollars (the latter figure is closer to the truth).
Heine once said: “Money is the god of our time, and Rothschild is its prophet.” Today, the names of the Rothschilds are rarely seen on the Forbes list of the richest people on the planet. The clan's wealth is evenly distributed among its many members, so that the wealth of one family member is not something extraordinary (compared to, say, the wealth of Gates). However, the strength of the Rothschild family lies in its unity, and here it has no equal, including in terms of capital.
The clan dates back to the end of the 18th century. It all started with Mayer Amschel, who founded a bank in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. His business quickly took off; Mayer’s business was continued by his five sons, who managed to significantly increase their capital. The dynasty quickly gained strength and power. It soon spread throughout the world. It is known about branches of the Rothschild family in Austria, Italy, Britain, France, etc. For two centuries, the clan influenced the destinies of entire states, using its wealth and connections for manipulation.
The family was able to rise due to strict adherence to the rules established by its founding father. Firstly, in financial world For the Rothschilds, all key positions are occupied only by family members. Secondly, disputes and conflicts within the clan remain there. The Rothschilds do not wash dirty linen in public. Thirdly, the property accumulated by the family is preserved within the family, so marriages between Mayer’s cousins are not uncommon.
Today there are many conspiracy theories related to the Rothschilds. Some say that the clan secretly rules the world. The rumors are fueled to a large extent by the relatively secretive lifestyle of Mayer’s heirs, who do their business quietly, adhering to the principle “money loves silence.”
Rockefeller family
How they got rich: trade, oil business.
State: cannot be estimated, according to official data - about $10 billion.
All the same conspiracy theories put the Rockefellers on the same scale as the Rothschilds. The “modest” figure of $10 billion, at which the family’s fortune is estimated, hardly reflects the true size of the capital.
The family's history began with John Davison Rockefeller. He was born in 1839 into the family of a small merchant. John was distinguished by modesty and frugality. The guy has been accustomed to work since childhood. He raised domestic animals, which he later sold, and tried his hand at accounting, but achieved real success in commerce. Rockefeller made his fortune in oil. At one time, he invested in a promising resource, which soon brought him unprecedented income. At the end of the 19th century oil company Rockefeller's Standard Oil controlled 90 percent of the US oil industry. John became the first dollar billionaire in the history of mankind. At the time of his death in 1937, his fortune was approximately $200 billion (in modern money, adjusted for inflation).
Rockefeller's heirs continued the work of their ancestor. Among them were not only famous businessmen, but also politics. Nelson Rockefeller was Vice President of the United States in the 70s and 80s of the 20th century.
The success of the Rockefeller family lies in the ability not only to make money, but also to save it. The clan practices regular family meetings. John attached great importance to the opinion of his wife.
Saud family
How they got rich: oil sales.
Family status: about 1.4 trillion dollars.
The Saudis are the ruling royal dynasty in Saudi Arabia. The history of the family dates back to the 18th century. It played a huge role in the fate of the Arabian Peninsula. The great fortune of the present Saudis cannot be regarded as greatest achievement clan, realized primarily in the political arena. Since 1720, the Saudis have been a dynasty of emirs (princes). Emir Muhammad ibn Saud in the 18th century supported the theologian Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab and accepted his religious teaching, which today is known as Wahhabism. Through centuries of bloody wars, the Saudi family managed to expand its possessions and strengthen its influence in the region. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932. At the end of the 30s of the 20th century, gigantic oil reserves were found in the country, which today is the basis of the state’s well-being.
The Saudi clan is one of the largest in the world. The exact number of its members can hardly be counted. The men of the clan had no shortage of love affairs, they usually have many children. For example, the founder and first king of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Aziz ibn Abdurrahman Al Saud, had more than ten wives, and he left behind 45 legitimate sons. The 25th son, Salman, rules the country today.
Walton family
How they got rich: retail, namely: the WalMart hypermarket chain.
Family status: about $130 billion.
The Waltons traditionally top the ranking of the richest family clans in the United States according to Forbes. The most striking pages of the family's history were written by the American Sam Walton (1918−1992). He was born into a family of farmers. The future billionaire was not a good boy; the street became his “university”. As a child, Walton helped his parents a lot with the housework, while at the same time looking for opportunities to earn money. Sam raised pigeons for sale and distributed the latest newspapers. In 1942, he was drafted into the army, after which Walton went into the retail business. He started from scratch and soon reached unprecedented heights. Walton's secret to success is a personal approach to the client. He worked with every customer who came to him and made sure that people wanted to return to his store. He was one of the first businessmen to use a low-price strategy—he cut out intermediaries and purchased goods directly from the manufacturer. Walton's four children continue their father's work today.