Top 10 World’s Billionaires in 1998

Top 10 World’s Billionaires in 1998. Microsoft mogul Bill Gates cracked the $50 billion barrier, making him once again the richest man in the world, according to Forbes magazine’s ranking of the world’s billionaires.

For the fourth year in a row, Gates, founder of software superpower Microsoft(MSFT), topped the list as the world’s richest man, and also as the world’s top among working rich, according to both Forbes‘ and Forbes Global‘s 6 July editions.

As of last summer, Gates had doubled his net worth in 12 months to US$36.4 billion. He added $15 billion in the last 12 months for a total of $51 billion. To paraphrase Liberace: You don’t like Windows? He’s crying all the way to the bank.

Also weeping copiously on their vaultward trek: Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, who ranks fourth on the list with $21 billion, and Gates lieutenant Steve Ballmer, who ranked 16th with $10.7 billion.

Number Two on the list of the world’s top billionaires, excluding royalty and heads of state, is the Walton family, heirs of Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart Stores (WMT). The family’s net worth is about $48 billion.

Ranking third is Berkshire Hathaway (BRK/A) chairman Warren Buffet, worth $33 billion.

Fifth is the Oeri, Hoffman & Sacher family of Switzerland, worth $17.8 billion.

In a separate ranking, Forbes estimated the net worth of the world’s potentates and dictators.

Topping the list is the sultan of Brunei ($36 billion: oil, gas), followed by Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd ($25 billion: oil, investments, property), Iraq’s Saddam Hussein ($5 billion: oil), Syria’s Hafez Al-Assad ($2 billion: oil, agriculture), Queen Elizabeth II ($420 million: investments, property; or $16 billion if you include the value of royal palaces, jewels, and art collections held by the Windsor family in trust for the nation), and Cuba’s Fidel Castro ($100 million: tourism, nickel mining, sugar).

The full billionaires list:
1. Bill Gates, United States, US$51 billion.
2. Walton family, United States, $48 billion
3. Warren Buffett, United States, $33 billion
4. Paul Allen, United States, $21 billion
5. Oeri, Hoffman & Sacher family, Switzerland, $17.8 billion
6. Quandt family, Germany, $15.3 billion
7. Kenneth Thomson, Canada, $14.4 billion
8. Forrest Edward Mars Sr. and family, United States, $13.5 billion
9. Jay A. and Robert A. Pritzker, United States, $13.5 billion
10. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, Saudi Arabia, $13.3 billion
11. Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong, $12.7 billion
12. Theo & Karl Albrecht and family, Germany, $11.7 billion
13. Haniel family, Germany, $11.6 billion
14. Curt Engelhorn, Germany, $11.5 billion
15. Bettencourt family, France, $11.4 billion
16. Steve Ballmer, United States, $10.7 billion
17. Gerard Mulliez and family, France, $10.3 billion
18. Michael Dell, United States, $10 billion
19. Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong, $10 billion
20. Walter Haefner, Switzerland, $9.4 billion
21. Emilio Botin and family, Spain, $9.2 billion
22. S.I. Newhouse Jr. and Donald E. Newhouse, United States, $9 billion
23. Philip F. Anschutz, United States, $8.8 billion
24. Cargill family, United States, $8.8 billion
25. Seydoux/Schlumberger family, France, $8.8 billion