The FORBES BILLIONAIRES LIST (1998)
Source: Forbes
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The 200 World Billionaires
Combined Net Worth = $1,032,045,000,000 = $ 1.03 trillion
| Ranking & Name | Country | Net Worth $million | Activity |
| 1 Gates, WilliamH. III | United States (1) | 51,000 | Microsoft Corp. |
| 2 Walton, Family | United States (2) | 48,000 | Wal-Mart Stores |
| 3 Bolkiah, Sultan Hassanal | Brunei (1) | 36,000 | oil, gas |
| 4 Buffett, Warren Edward | United States (3) | 33,000 | Berkshire Hathaway |
| 5 Alsaud, King Faud Bin Abdul Aziz | Saudi Arabia (1) | 25,000 | oil, investments, real estate |
| 6 Allen, Paul Gardner | United States (4) | 21,000 | Microsoft Corp. |
| 7 Al Nahyan, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan | UAE (1) | 15,000 | oil, investments |
| 8 Al-sabah, Sheikh Jaber Al-ahmed Al-jaber | Kuwait (1) | 15,000 | oil, investments, real estate |
| 9 Thomson, Kenneth | Canada (1) | 14,400 | Thomson Corp |
| 10 Pritzker, Jay A. And Robert A. | United States (5) | 13,500 | Financier |
| 11 Mars, Forrest Edward Sr. And Family | United States (6) | 13,500 | Inheritance (candy) |
| 12 Alsaud, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal | Saudi Arabia (2) | 13,300 | investments, construction, banking |
| 13 Lee Shau Kee | Hong Kong (1) | 12,700 | real estate |
| 14 Albrecht, Theo & Karl and family | Germany (1) | 11,700 | retailing |
| 15 Ballmer, Steven Anthony | United States (7) | 10,700 | Microsoft Corp. |
| 16 Mulliez, Gerard and family | France (1) | 10,300 | retail |
| 17 Dell, Michael | United States (8) | 10,000 | Dell Computer Corp. |
| 18 Al-Maktoum, Makhtoum bin Rashid | Dubai (1) | 10,000 | oil, services |
| 19 Li Ka-shing | Hong Kong (2) | 10,000 | real estate, telecomm, diversified |
| 20 Botin, Emilio and family | Spain (1) | 9,200 | banking |
| 21 Newhouse, Samuel I. Jr. And Donald E. | United States (9) | 9,000 | Media |
| 22 Cargill, Family | United States (10) | 8,800 | Cargill |
| 23 Anschutz, Philip F. | United States (11) | 8,800 | Oil, railroads |
| 24 Tsai Wan-lin and family | Taiwan (1) | 8,500 | insurance, financial services |
| 25 Haas, Family | United States (12) | 8,200 | Levi Strauss & Co. |
| 26 Fisher, Family | United States (13) | 8,000 | The Gap |
| 27 Hopp, Dietmar and sons | Germany (2) | 7,900 | software |
| 28 Kluge, John Werner | United States (14) | 7,800 | Metromedia Co. |
| 29 Moore, Gordon Earl | United States (15) | 7,500 | Intel Corp. |
| 30 Kwok, Walter, Thomas, and Raymond | Hong Kong (3) | 7,400 | real estate |
| 31 Slim Helu, Carlos | Mexico (1) | 7,200 | diversified |
| 32 Olayan, Suliman | Saudi Arabia (3) | 7,000 | Olayan Investment Company |
| 33 Berlusconi, Silvio | Italy (1) | 7,000 | media |
| 34 Plattner, Hasso | Germany (3) | 6,900 | SAP |
| 35 Pinault, Francois | France (2) | 6,600 | retail |
| 36 Bass, Lee, Sid And Perry | United States (16) | 6,600 | oil, investments |
| 37 Perelman, Ronald Owen | United States (17) | 6,600 | Investments |
| 38 Landolt, Pierre and family | Switzerland (1) | 6,500 | Novartis |
| 39 Lauder, Leonard A. And Ronald S. | United States (18) | 6,400 | Cosmetics |
| 40 McCaw, Family | United States (19) | 6,400 | telecommunications |
| 41 Marinho, Roberto | Brazil (1) | 6,300 | media |
| 42 Wang, Nina | Hong Kong (4) | 6,000 | real estate |
| 43 Cheng Yu-tung | Hong Kong (5) | 6,000 | real estate |
| 44 Redstone, Sumner M. | United States (20) | 5,800 | Viacom, Inc. |
| 45 Ellison, Lawrence Joseph | United States (21) | 5,800 | Oracle Corp. |
| 46 Hearst, Family | United States (22) | 5,700 | Hearst Corp. |
| 47 Kerkorian, Kirk | United States (23) | 5,700 | Investments |
| 48 Tsutsumi, Yoshiaki | Japan (1) | 5,700 | real estate |
| 49 Saji, Keizo | Japan (2) | 5,600 | Suntory Ltd. |
| 50 Woeste, Albrecht and Henkel family | Germany (4) | 5,600 | chemicals |
| 51 Ermirio de Moraes, Antonio and family | Brazil (2) | 5,500 | mining |
| 52 Haub, Erivan And Family | Germany (5) | 5,500 | retailing |
| 53 Piech, Ferdinand and family | Germany (6) | 5,400 | Porsche |
| 54 Koch, Charles De Ganahl And David H. | United States (24) | 5,400 | Inheritance (oil services) |
| 55 Murdoch, Keith Rupert | United States (25) | 5,300 | Publishing |
| 56 Beisheim, Otto | Germany (7) | 5,300 | retailing |
| 57 Langmann, Hans Joachim | Germany (8) | 5,200 | chemicals |
| 58 Takei, Yasuo | Japan (3) | 5,200 | consumer finance |
| 59 Johnson, Edward C. (ned) And Abigail | United States .(26) | 5,100 | Fidelity Investments |
| 60 Otto, Michael | Germany (9) | 5,100 | retailing |
| 61 Sabanci, Sakip and family | Turkey (1) | 5,000 | Haci Omer Sabanci Holding Company |
| 62 Hussein, Saddam | Iraq (1) | 5,000 | oil, investments |
| 63 Rausing, Gad and family | Sweden (1) | 5,000 | packaging |
| 64 Koc, Rahmi And Family | Turkey (2) | 5,000 | Koc Holding |
| 65 Ng, Teng Fong and Robert | Singapore (1) | 5,000 | real estate |
| 66 Al Thani, Hamad bin Khalifa | Qatar (1) | 5,000 | oil, investments |
| 67 Tisch, Laurence A. And Preston R. | United States (27) | 4,800 | Loews Corp. |
| 68 Turner, Robert E. (Ted) | United States (28) | 4,800 | Turner Broadcasting |
| 69 Knight, Philip H. | United States (29) | 4,700 | Nike, Inc. |
| 70 Kuok, Robert | Malaysia (1) | 4,700 | diversified |
| 71 Perez Companc, Gregorio | Argentina (1) | 4,700 | Conglomerate |
| 72 Benetton, Luciano and family | Italy (2) | 4,700 | apparel |
| 73 Johnson, Charles And Rupert | United States (30) | 4,600 | Franklin Resources |
| 74 von Finck, August & Wilhelm | Germany (10) | 4,500 | insurance (Allianz AG) |
| 75 Ingram, Martha Robinson Rivers | United States (31) | 4,500 | Inheritance |
| 76 Persson, Stefan | Sweden (2) | 4,400 | retailing |
| 77 Al-Kharafi, Nasser | Kuwait (2) | 4,400 | M. A. Al Kharafi & Sons |
| 78 Waitt, Theodore W. | United States (32) | 4,300 | Gateway 2000 |
| 79 Arison, Micky | United States (33) | 4,300 | Carnival Cruise Lines |
| 80 Schmidheiny, Stephan | Switzerland (2) | 4,100 | ABB |
| 81 Widjaja, Eka Tjipta | Indonesia (1) | 4,000 | pulp and paper, food |
| 82 Irving, James, Arthur and John | Canada (2) | 4,000 | diversified, including Irving Oil |
| 83 Suharto family | Indonesia (2) | 4,000 | investments |
| 84 Del Vecchio, Leonardo | Italy (3) | 4,000 | eyewear |
| 85 Bertarelli, Ernesto | Switzerland (3) | 4,000 | Ares-Serono |
| 86 Schoerghuber, Stefan | Germany (11) | 4,000 | services, breweries, construction, real estate |
| 87 Arison, Theodore (Ted) | Israel (1) | 4,000 | Norweigan Caribbean Cruise Line |
| 88 Wang, Y.C. | Taiwan (2) | 3,900 | Formosa Plastics |
| 89 Brenninkmeyer family | Netherlands (1) | 3,800 | retailing |
| 90 Ito, Masatoshi | Japan (4) | 3,700 | retail |
| 91 Herz, Günter and family | Germany (12) | 3,700 | consumer products |
| 92 Al-hariri, Rafik | Lebanon (1) | 3,600 | construction, banking |
| 93 Ziff, Dirk, Robert And Daniel | United States (34) | 3,600 | Ziff-Davis Publishing |
| 94 Kinoshita, Kyosuke | Japan (5) | 3,600 | Acom |
| 95 Soros, George | United States (35) | 3,600 | Money management |
| 96 Arnault, Bernard | France (3) | 3,600 | luxury goods |
| 97 Al Rajhi, Abdullah Sulaiman | Saudi Arabia (4) | 3,500 | banking |
| 98 Azcarraga Jean, Emilio and family | Mexico (2) | 3,500 | media |
| 99 Mittal, Lakshmi | India (1) | 3,500 | steel |
| 100 Bronfman, Edgar M. Sr. | United States (36) | 3,400 | Seagram Co. |
| 101 Khoo Teck Puat | Singapore (2) | 3,400 | investments |
| 102 Bronfman, Charles R.. | Canada (3) | 3,300 | Seagram Co |
| 103 Mori, Minoru and Akira | Japan (6) | 3,300 | real estate |
| 104 Perot, Henry Ross | United States (37) | 3,300 | Electronic data management |
| 105 Safra, Edmond | Lebanon (2) | 3,300 | Republic Bank Corp |
| 106 Salinas Pliego, Ricardo and family | Mexico (3) | 3,200 | media, retailing |
| 107 Packer, Kerry | Australia (1) | 3,200 | Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd. |
| 108 Rocca, Roberto and family | Argentina (2) | 3,200 | diversified |
| 109 Mendoza, Leonor and family | Venezuela (1) | 3,100 | beer, food |
| 110 Wrigley, William | United States (38) | 3,100 | Chewing gum |
| 111 Latsis, Spiro | Greece (1) | 3,100 | European Financial Group |
| 112 Bechtel, Stephen D. Jr. And Riley P. | United States (39) | 3,000 | Engineering, construction |
| 113 Kirch, Leo and Thomas | Germany (13) | 3,000 | media |
| 114 Huntsman, Jon Meade | United States (40) | 3,000 | Plastics, chemicals |
| 115 Tan Yu | Philippines (1) | 3,000 | real estate |
| 116 Oetker, Rudolf and family | Germany (14) | 3,000 | diversified |
| 117 Mohn, Reinhard and family | Germany (15) | 3,000 | media |
| 118 Hillman, Henry Lea | United States (41) | 3,000 | Industrialist |
| 119 Iwasaki, Fukuzo | Japan (7) | 2,900 | Iwasaki Sangyo |
| 120 Schroder, Bruno and family | United Kingdom (1) | 2,900 | Schroders Plc |
| 121 Zambrano, Lorenzo | Mexico (4) | 2,900 | cement |
| 122 Ebner, Martin | Switzerland (4) | 2,900 | Investments |
| 123 Louis-Dreyfus, Gerard and family | France (4) | 2,900 | commodities trading |
| 124 Crown, Lester | United States (42) | 2,800 | Conglomerateur |
| 125 Johnson, Samuel Curtis | United States (43) | 2,800 | S.C. Johnson & Son |
| 126 Kwek Leng Beng | Singapore (3) | 2,800 | diversified |
| 127 Ho, Stanley | Hong Kong (6) | 2,800 | casinos, transport, hotels |
| 128 von Holtzbrinck, Dieter and family | Germany (16) | 2,800 | publishing |
| 129 Agnelli, Gianni and family | Italy (4) | 2,700 | autos |
| 130 Garza Laguera, Eugenio and family | Mexico (5) | 2,700 | beverages, banking |
| 131 Goodnight, James | United States (44) | 2,600 | Software |
| 132 Bren, Donald L. | United States (45) | 2,600 | Real estate |
| 133 Marriott, John And Richard W. | United States (46) | 2,600 | hotels |
| 134 Hostetter, Amos Barr Jr. | United States (47) | 2,600 | Continental Cablevision |
| 135 Lerner, Alfred | United States (48) | 2,600 | Banking |
| 136 Kamprad, Ingvar | Sweden (3) | 2,600 | Ikea |
| 137 Davis, Marvin H. | United States (49) | 2,600 | Oil, real estate |
| 138 Matsuda, Kazuo | Japan (8) | 2,500 | consumer finance |
| 139 Bin Mahfouz, Khalid | Saudi Arabia (5) | 2,500 | banking, investments |
| 140 Nicholas, Peter M. | United States (50) | 2,500 | Medical Devices |
| 141 Schmidheiny, Thomas | Switzerland (5) | 2,500 | Holderbank |
| 142 Fok, Henry | Hong Kong (7) | 2,500 | casinos, real estate, hotels |
| 143 Sarmiento Angulo, Luis Carlos | Colombia (1) | 2,500 | banking |
| 144 Simplot, John R. | United States (51) | 2,500 | Potatoes |
| 145 Abele, John E. | United States (52) | 2,400 | Medical devices |
| 146 Greenberg, Maurice Raymond | United States (53) | 2,400 | American International Group |
| 147 Fribourg, Michel | United States (54) | 2,400 | Grain trader |
| 148 Moller, Maersk Mc-kinney | Denmark (1) | 2,400 | shipping |
| 149 Bass, Robert Muse | United States (55) | 2,400 | Oil, investments |
| 150 Oppenheimer, Nicky and family | South Africa (1) | 2,400 | Anglo American Corp., DeBeers |
| 151 Itoyama, Eitaro | Japan (9) | 2,400 | Romo |
| 152 Garza, Alfonso | Mexico (6) | 2,400 | Empresas La Moderna |
| 153 Kristiansen, Kjeld Kirk | Denmark (2) | 2,300 | Lego |
| 154 Wexner, Leslie Herbert | United States (56) | 2,300 | The Limited |
| 155 Goldschmeding, Frits | Netherlands (2) | 2,300 | Temporary Staffing |
| 156 Ty, George | Philippines (2) | 2,200 | banking |
| 157 Sorenson, James L. | United States (57) | 2,200 | Medical devices |
| 158 Dumas-Hermes, Jean-Louis and family | France (5) | 2,200 | Hermes International |
| 159 Son, Masayoshi | Japan (10) | 2,200 | software |
| 160 Sahenk, Ayhan and family | Turkey (2) | 2,200 | Garanti Bank |
| 161 Bozano, Julio | Brazil (3) | 2,200 | financial services, diversified |
| 162 Hunt, Ray Lee | United States (58) | 2,100 | Oil and gas |
| 163 Ardila Lulle, Carlos | Colombia (2) | 2,100 | soft drinks, diversified |
| 164 Sy, Henry | Philippines (3) | 2,100 | shopping malls |
| 165 Wertheimer, Alain | France (6) | 2,100 | luxury goods |
| 166 Cisneros, Gustavo | Venezuela (2) | 2,100 | Beverages, media |
| 167 Azevedo, Belmiro | Portugal (1) | 2,100 | retailing |
| 168 Wonowidjojo family | Indonesia (3) | 2,100 | tobacco |
| 169 Branson, Richard | United Kingdom (2) | 1,900 | diversified |
| 170 Kamel, Saleh | Saudi Arabia (6) | 1,800 | Dallah Albaraka |
| 171 Rockefeller, David Sr. | United States (59) | 1,800 | Inheritance (oil) |
| 172 Rowling, Robert | United States (60) | 1,800 | Oil and gas |
| 173 Swire, Sir Adrian & Sir John | United Kingdom (3) | 1,800 | aviation, real estate, diversified |
| 174 Oshima, Kenshin | Japan (11) | 1,800 | finance |
| 175 Rothschild family | France/UK (7) | 1,800 | Rothschilds Continuation Holdings |
| 176 Din Hwa, Chen | Hong Kong (8) | 1,800 | real estate |
| 177 Asper, Israel | Canada (4) | 1,800 | CanWest Global Communications |
| 178 Zell, Samuel | United States (61) | 1,700 | Real estate |
| 179 Liem Sioe Liong | Indonesia (4) | 1,700 | food, banking, diversified |
| 180 Koo, Jeffrey and family | Taiwan (3) | 1,700 | banking, diversified |
| 181 Otsuka, Masahito | Japan (12) | 1,700 | pharmaceuticals |
| 182 Tan, Lucio | Philippines (4) | 1,600 | tobacco, airlines, beer |
| 183 Allen, Herbert A. Jr. | United States (62) | 1,600 | Stock market |
| 184 Schmid, Gerhard | Germany (17) | 1,600 | MobilCom AG |
| 185 Kuo, Terry | Taiwan (4) | 1,600 | PC Components |
| 186 Rothermere, Viscount | United Kingdom (4) | 1,600 | Daily Mail & General Trust |
| 187 David-Weill, Michel | France (8) | 1,600 | finance |
| 188 Potanin, Vladimir | Russia (1) | 1,600 | banking, oil, metals, telecommunications |
| 189 Weston, Garry and family | United Kingdom (5) | 1,600 | Associated British Foods |
| 190 Lowy, Frank | Australia (2) | 1,600 | Westfield Holdings |
| 191 O'Reilly, Anthony | Ireland (1) | 1,500 | Heinz, Waterford |
| 192 Santo Domingo, Julio Mario | Colombia (3) | 1,500 | beer, diversified |
| 193 Angelini, Anacleto | Chile (1) | 1,500 | fishing |
| 194 Ambani, Dhirubhai and family | India (2) | 1,500 | diversified |
| 195 Washington, Dennis | United States (63) | 1,500 | Mining, railroads |
| 196 Chung, Ju-yung And Family | Korea (1) | 1,500 | automobiles, diversified |
| 197 Frere, Baron Albert | Belgium (1) | 900 | investments |
| 198 Noboa, Alvaro | Ecuador (1) | 900 | bananas |
| 199 Eurnekian, Eduardo | Argentina (3) | 845 | cable tv, agriculture |
| 200 Steinbruch, Benjamin | Brazil (4) | 800 | textiles, steel |
| 201 Rokke, Kjell Inge | Norway | 775 | cement, oil and gas, seafood |
| 202 Macri, Francisco | Argentina | 730 | Sevel, Sideco Americana |
| 203 Bajaj, Rahul | India | 650 | scooters |
| 204 Claro, Ricardo | Chile | 568 | CSAV |
| 205 Stokes, Kerry | Australia | 500 | Seven Network Ltd. |
| 206 Al-Masri, Sabeih | Saudi Arabia | 450 | Astra |
| 207 Al Ghurair, Abdul Aziz | UAE | 450 | MashreqBank |
| 208 Queen Elizabeth II | United Kingdom | 420 | investments, property |
| 209 Gokongwei, John | Philippines | 340 | |
| 210 Dommermuth, Ralph | Germany | 325 | 1&1 AG & Co. KGaA |