FOUNDER, Bulgari Time Paolo Bulgari, a great-grandson of the founder of luxury jeweler Bulgari, joined the company when he was 18. A law student at the time, he was asked by his father to design necklaces, rings and bracelets. Net worth: $1.5 billion Paolo became chairman of Bulgari in 1984, while his brother Nicola became vice chairman. In 2011, the Bulgari family sold... read more
CO – FOUNDER, Ares Management David Kaplan is a cofounder of credit-focused alternative investment firm Ares Management, which manages $341 billion in assets. Kaplan has been at Ares since 2003 and previously spent three years at venture firm Shelter Capital Partners and a decade at Apollo Global Management. Net worth: $1.5 billion He currently serves as a partner ... read more
Wilks Masonry Dan and his brother Farris got a combined $3.5 billion (pretax) in 2011 selling their fracking company to a group led by Singapore-based firm Temasek. The brothers have acquired more than 672,000 acres of land in six different states across the West, becoming America’s 12th-largest landowners. Net worth: $1.5 billion They first founded Wilks Masonry i... read more
FOUNDER, Excel Communications Kenny Troutt founded long-distance phone company Excel Communications in 1988 and took the company public in 1996. In 1998, Troutt sold Excel Communications to Teleglobe in a $3.5 billion deal and reinvested the profits in stocks, bonds and horses. Net worth: $1.5 billion An avid horse racing fan, Troutt owns WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kent... read more
FOUNDER, OSIM International Ron Sim is the founder of OSIM International, maker of high-end massage chairs. He took the company private in 2016 when its shares had dropped steeply from their 2014 high. Net worth: $1.5 billion In February 2022, V3 Brands Asia, part of his V3 Group, filed for an IPO in Hong Kong but has shelved it due to market volatility. In 2019, he laun... read more
DIRECTOR, Mori Building Co Ltd Yoshiko Mori is the widow of real estate tycoon Minoru Mori, who died in 2012. She inherited part of Minoru’s estate, including a share of his real estate firm, Mori Building. Net worth: $1.5 billion Mori Building is known for developments such as Tokyo’s swank Roppongi Hills complex, a mix of retail, restaurants, apartments, ho... read more
CO – FOUNDER, Ares Management Bennett Rosenthal is a cofounder of credit-focused alternative investment firm Ares Management, which manages $341 billion in assets. Rosenthal arrived at Ares from Merrill Lynch in 1998 and currently serves as a partner and co-chairman of its private equity business. Net worth: $1.5 billion Since 2016, Rosenthal has been a co-managing... read more
CHAIRMAN, Qi An Xin Technology Group Qi Xiangdong chairs Qi An Xin Technology Group, which supplies cybersecurity products and services to government and businesses. Qi An Xin listed on China’s STAR Market in July 2020. Net worth: $1.5 billion He founded the company in 2014. Earlier, Qi cofounded 360 Security Technology with fellow China billionaire Zhou Hongyi. ... read more
FOUNDER, Hygeia Healthcare Zhu Yiwen is the founder of Hygeia Healthcare, an operator of oncology-focused hospitals and radiotherapy centers in China. Zhu started his career in 2007 at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University in China. Net worth: $1.5 billion Zhu majored in neurosurgery and obtained a graduate degree in clinical medicine from Nanjing Medical ... read more
CHAIRMAN, Mouawad Jewelry Robert Mouawad inherited the family’s eponymous high-end jewelry business that his grandfather founded in Beirut in 1890. He turned over management of the business to his sons Fred, Alain and Pascal in 2010. Net worth: $1.5 billion Mouawad boasts one of the world’s most dazzling gem collections, including Dynasty, a 51.12 carat Russi... read more
CEO & Founder, Rokos Capital Management Chris Rokos is the founder of hedge fund firm Rokos Capital Management. Rokos is a macro investor who trades currencies, interest rates and commodities, as well as equities. Net worth: $1.5 billion Rokos founded his London-based firm in 2015 and it now manages some $12 billion and employs more than 200 people. A founding partne... read more
FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN & CEO, Lionheart Studio Kim Jae-young is the founder, chairman and CEO of online game developer Lionheart Studio. He set up the firm in 2018 with investments from South Korea’s Kakao Games and Wemade, a pioneer of blockchain-based games. Net worth: $1.5 billion Lionheart has created Odin, one of the country’s most popular mobile games. K... read more
FOUNDER, Zozotown Yusaku Maezawa founded Japan’s largest online fashion mall, Zozotown, in May 1998. Its parent company, Zozo, is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In September 2019, Maezawa announced that he was resigning as CEO and selling most of his stake to Yahoo Japan in a deal worth more than $2.3 billion. Net worth: $1.5 billion Maezawa got his start sell... read more
CHAIRMAN, Techcombank Ho Hung Anh is chairman of Techcombank, a large commercial bank in Vietnam that went public in June 2018. Ho and fellow billionaire Nguyen Dang Quang, whom he met while studying in Russia, are two close business partners whose interests are intertwined. Net worth: $1.5 billion Ho started investing in Techcombank, in which Nguyen was already an inves... read more
Zhejiang Longsheng Group Ruan Shuilong is the largest shareholder in Zhejiang Longsheng Group, a supplier of specialty chemicals and a variety of dyes. Longsheng’s predecessor organization was an insecticide factory founded in a commune set up in the eastern city of Shangyu in 1970. Net worth: $1.5 billion Longsheng listed at Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2003. ... read more
CO – FOUNDER & CEO, Mobileye Amnon Shashua is the cofounder and CEO of autonomous vehicle technology firm Mobileye. A computer science professor at Hebrew University, Shashua launched the company in 1999 with fellow billionaire Ziv Aviram. Net worth: $1.5 billion The pair took Mobileye public in 2014, then sold it to Intel in 2017 at a $15.3 billion valuation. ... read more
Cofounder, Pinterest Ben Silbermann is cofounder and executive chairman of the photo bookmarking site Pinterest, which went public in April 2019. Silbermann owns a 38% stake in the company, which had over 400 million monthly users worldwide as of December 2021. Net worth: $1.5 billion He and cofounders Evan Sharp and Paul Sciarra, launched the first desktop version of Pi... read more
CHAIRWOMAN, Ofer Investments Liora Ofer chairs investment vehicle Ofer Investments, which was cofounded by her father Yuli (d. 2011) and uncle Sammy Ofer (d. 2011). The company’s largest asset is a controlling stake in publicly traded real estate firm Melisron. Net worth: $1.6 billion In 2015, Liora won a years-long court battle with her brother Doron Ofer over the... read more
CHAIRMAN, Hebei Yangyuan Zhihui Beverage Yao Kuizhang chairs Hebei Yangyuan Zhihui Beverage, a supplier of walnut drinks. Yao owns 30% of the company. Net worth: $1.6 billion Yao worked for Hebei Hengshui Laobaigan Liquor as a technician early in his career. ... read more