money These 47 Billionaires Got Richer During The Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the financial well-being of millions of people around the world, with many losing jobs, shuttering their businesses or losing a large portion of their retirement savings due to market volatility. Yet somehow, the world’s richest seem to be coming out of the crisis unscathed — and in many cases, even richer.
GOBankingRates compared the net worths of the world’s 50 richest billionaires on March 18 to their net worths on Oct. 7 to determine the total money they lost or gained during the coronavirus pandemic, which narrowed down the list to 47 billionaires who had seen a rise in wealth. GOBankingRates also looked at the amount each one-percenter had given to coronavirus charities between March and August (the most recent date available).
Last updated: Oct. 12, 2020
47. Carlos Slim Helu & Family
Beginning net worth: $52.1 billion
Ending net worth: $52.8 billion
Amount gained: $700 million
Mexican telecom billionaire Carlos Slim Helu has gained 1.34% of his wealth since mid-March.
46. Jim Simons
Beginning net worth: $21.6 billion
Ending net worth: $23.5 billion
Amount gained: $1.9 billion
Renaissance Technologies’ Jim Simons is one of the many billionaires who has gained wealth during the pandemic.
45. Giovanni Ferrero
Beginning net worth: $24.5 billion
Ending net worth: $26.7 billion
Amount gained: $2.2 billion
Giovanni Ferrero — who has candy to thank for his billions as the maker of Nutella, Ferrero Rocher and Tic Tacs — has seen his net worth increase amid the pandemic. As of August, he had donated 0.04% of his total net worth to coronavirus causes — which might not sound like much, but it amounts to $10.7 million.
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44. Joseph Safra
Beginning net worth: $19.9 billion
Ending net worth: $22.6 billion
Amount gained: $2.7 billion
Brazilian banking billionaire Joseph Safra’s net worth has jumped up significantly since March.
43. Vladimir Potanin
Beginning net worth: $19.7 billion
Ending net worth: $22.4 billion
Amount gained: $2.7 billion
Metals have made Vladimir Potanin rich and the pandemic has apparently made the Russian billionaire even richer. He’s donated 0.64% of his total net worth — a whopping $155.1 million — to coronavirus charities between March and August. He has given the largest share of his wealth to the cause of any billionaire.
42. Leonid Mikhelson
Beginning net worth: $17.1 billion
Ending net worth: $21.1 billion
Amount gained: $4 billion
Russia’s Leonid Mikhelson has seen his net worth rise over the course of the pandemic. His main source of wealth is the energy company Novatek.
41. Qin Yinglin & Family
Beginning net worth: $18.5 billion
Ending net worth: $22.7 billion
Amount gained: $4.2 billion
China’s largest pig breeder, Qin Yinglin, has seen his net worth increase by an insane 22.7% from March to October.
40. John Mars
Beginning net worth: $24.7 billion
Ending net worth: $28.9 billion
Amount gained: $4.2 billion
Perhaps people have been eating more candy in quarantine. That could explain why John Mars, heir to the Mars Inc. candy company, has seen his net worth grow in recent months. He also donated $10 million — less than 0.03% of his total net worth — to the coronavirus causes between March and August.
39. Jacqueline Mars
Beginning net worth: $24.7 billion
Ending net worth: $28.9 billion
Amount gained: $4.2 billion
Siblings Jacqueline and John Mars each own roughly a third of Mars Inc., Forbes reported, so their change in wealth has been the same. She has also donated $10 million to the coronavirus causes.
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38. Sheldon Adelson
Beginning net worth: $26.8 billion
Ending net worth: $31.1 billion
Amount gained: $4.3 billion
Even though Las Vegas shut down its casinos amid the coronavirus pandemic, Sheldon Adelson still managed to increase his net worth. Adelson owns more than half of the Las Vegas Sands gambling empire, which has casinos in Singapore and Macao, China, in addition to Sin City. He donated $2 million to coronavirus charities during the height of the pandemic.
37. Vladimir Lisin
Beginning net worth: $18.1 billion
Ending net worth: $22.8 billion
Amount gained: $4.7 billion
Vladimir Lisin, the chairman of NLMK Group, a leading manufacturer of steel products, had a huge increase in his net worth from March to August.
36. Julia Koch & Family
Beginning net worth: $38.2 billion
Ending net worth: $44.9 billion
Amount gained: $6.7 billion
Julia Koch, who inherited a 42% stake in Koch Industries when her husband, David, died in August 2019, has become richer during the pandemic. Koch also donated $4 million to coronavirus charities — though it is less than 0.01% of her total net worth.
35. Charles Koch
Beginning net worth: $38.2 billion
Ending net worth: $44.9 billion
Amount gained: $6.7 billion
Charles Koch also owns 42% of Koch Industries, so he’s gained the same amount of wealth as Julia. But he’s donated more to coronavirus charities: $50 million, or roughly 0.11% of his total net worth.
34. Michael Bloomberg
Beginning net worth: $48 billion
Ending net worth: $54.9 billion
Amount gained: $6.9 billion
Michael Bloomberg has made back all of the $900 million he spent on his failed presidential campaign — and then some. The media entrepreneur and politician’s net worth has grown immensely during the pandemic.
That said, between March and August, Bloomberg donated 0.34% of his total net worth — $190 million — to coronavirus causes.
33. Li Ka-Shing
Beginning net worth: $21.7 billion
Ending net worth: $28.8 billion
Amount gained: $7.1 billion
Businessman Li Ka-Shing, senior advisor at CK Hutchinson Holdings, has seen his net worth grow by 32.72% since mid-March. He donated $13 million to coronavirus causes between March and August.
32. Gerard Wertheimer
Beginning net worth: $17.1 billion
Ending net worth: $24.6 billion
Amount gained: $7.5 billion
Gerard Wertheimer, co-owner of Chanel, has gained wealth despite a drop in the sales of luxury goods during the pandemic. His net worth has increased by 43.9%.
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31. Alain Wertheimer
Beginning net worth: $17.1 billion
Ending net worth: $24.6 billion
Amount gained: $7.5 billion
Alain Wertheimer is the chairman of Chanel and co-owns the luxury brand along with his brother Gerard. He’s gained $7.5 billion during the pandemic.
30. Beate Heister & Karl Albrecht Jr.
Beginning net worth: $33.3 billion
Ending net worth: $41 billion
Amount gained: $7.7 billion
Like e-commerce shopping, spending on groceries has also seen a boost as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Beate Heister and Karl Albrecht Jr., heirs to the Aldi fortune, are clearly benefiting from this boost with a huge increase in their wealth.
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29. David Thomson & Family
Beginning net worth: $31.6 billion
Ending net worth: $39.5 billion
Amount gained: $7.9 billion
Canadian billionaire David Thomson’s net worth has risen significantly amid the pandemic. The source of his wealth is the media company Thomson Reuters.
28. Yang Huiyan & Family
Beginning net worth: $20.3 billion
Ending net worth: $29 billion
Amount gained: $8.7 billion
Yang Huiyan, who owns 57% of real estate development company Country Garden Holdings, according to Forbes, gained 42.9% more wealth from March to October.
27. He Xiangjian
Beginning net worth: $21.6 billion
Ending net worth: $30.5 billion
Amount gained: $8.9 billion
He Xiangjian, the founder of Midea Group, one of the world’s largest appliance makers, has had a 41.2% net worth increase from March to present.
Pictured: Midea’s headquarters in Beijiao
26. Takemitsu Takizaki
Beginning net worth: $17.4 billion
Ending net worth: $26.9 billion
Amount gained: $9.5 billion
Japanese billionaire Takemitsu Takizaki has made his fortune from the manufacturing company Keyence. His net worth has risen by nearly $10 billion over recent months.
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25. Hui Ka Yan
Beginning net worth: $21.8 billion
Ending net worth: $33.4 billion
Amount gained: $11.6 billion
Chinese real estate mogul Hui Ka Yan has seen a huge rise in his wealth from March to present. He also donated $15 million — 0.04% of his net worth — to coronavirus charities as of August.
24. Jim Walton
Beginning net worth: $54.6 billion
Ending net worth: $66.3 billion
Amount gained: $11.7 billion
Walmart heir Jim Walton gained $11.7 billion of his net worth during the height of the pandemic. He donated $3.57 million toward coronavirus charities — less than 0.01% of his total net worth.
23. Rob Walton
Beginning net worth: $54.1 billion
Ending net worth: $66 billion
Amount gained: $11.9 billion
Rob Walton — also a Walmart heir — gained nearly 22% of his net worth despite the pandemic. He contributed $3.57 million to coronavirus efforts from March to August.
22. Alice Walton
Beginning net worth: $54.4 billion
Ending net worth: $66.5 billion
Amount gained: $12.1 billion
Walmart heiress Alice Walton gained over $12 billion of her net worth during the pandemic. She donated $3.57 million to the coronavirus charities.
21. Tadashi Yanai & Family
Beginning net worth: $19.7 billion
Ending net worth: $31.8 billion
Amount gained: $12.1 billion
Tadashi Yanai founded the retail clothing empire Fast Retailing, whose brands include Uniqlo, Theory, Helmut Lang, J Brand and GU. His net worth has increased by 61.4% since the pandemic began.
20. Warren Buffett
Beginning net worth: $67.5 billion
Ending net worth: $80.1 billion
Amount gained: $12.6 billion
Investor Warren Buffett has managed to weather the storm of market volatility — and has come out even stronger on the other side. His net worth has increased by 18.7%.
19. Amancio Ortega
Beginning net worth: $55.1 billion
Ending net worth: $68 billion
Amount gained: $12.9 billion
The man behind the Zara empire, Amancio Ortega, has become 23.4% richer from mid-March to October. The Spanish billionaire donated $68 million to coronavirus charities.
18. Jack Ma
Beginning net worth: $38.8 billion
Ending net worth: $52.7 billion
Amount gained: $13.9 billion
With people doing more online shopping due to the pandemic, it’s no wonder that Alibaba’s co-founder Jack Ma saw a massive increase in his net worth. Ma has paid his good fortune forward with $14 million in donations to coronavirus charities, however.
17. Larry Page
Beginning net worth: $50.9 billion
Ending net worth: $65.9 billion
Amount gained: $15 billion
Google co-founder Larry Page has become 29.5% richer amid the pandemic.
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16. Sergey Brin
Beginning net worth: $49.1 billion
Ending net worth: $64.2 billion
Amount gained: $15.1 billion
Google’s other co-founder, Sergey Brin, has grown his net worth by 30.8% from mid-March to October.
15. Michael Dell
Beginning net worth: $22.9 billion
Ending net worth: $38.5 billion
Amount gained: $15.6 billion
Perhaps an increase in people setting up home offices has led to the outrageous bump in Michael Dell’s wealth during the pandemic. The Dell Technologies chairman and CEO has been paying his good fortune forward with $104.1 million in donations to coronavirus charities as of August. Although that’s a hefty sum, it amounts to just 0.29% of his total net worth during that period.
14. Dieter Schwarz
Beginning net worth: $19.8 billion
Ending net worth: $35.4 billion
Amount gained: $15.6 billion
Owner of the Kaufland and Lidl store chains, German billionaire Dieter Schwarz has become much wealthier during the pandemic.
13. Francoise Bettencourt Meyers & Family
Beginning net worth: $48.9 billion
Ending net worth: $65.2 billion
Amount gained: $16.3 billion
L’Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers is the richest woman in the world — and she’s become even richer during the pandemic. However, Bettencourt Meyers also donated $2.01 million to coronavirus causes.
12. François Pinault & Family
Beginning net worth: $27 billion
Ending net worth: $44.5 billion
Amount gained: $17.5 billion
François Pinault is another luxury fashion mogul who has managed to become richer during the pandemic despite a drop in sales in the sector. Pinault — who founding Kering, the group that owns Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Gucci — has seen his net worth increase by $17.5 billion. As of August, he had donated $4.3 million — roughly 0.01% of his net worth — to coronavirus charities.
11. Bill Gates
Beginning net worth: $98 billion
Ending net worth: $115.8 billion
Amount gained: $17.8 billion
Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ fortune has grown by 18.2% amid the pandemic. Well-known as a philanthropist, Gates gave the largest monetary donation to coronavirus causes of any billionaire from March to August: $305 million. As a percentage of net worth, however, his donation was not the greatest: 0.27% — less than half of Potanin’s 0.64%.
10. Phil Knight & Family
Beginning net worth: $29.5 billion
Ending net worth: $49.3 billion
Amount gained: $19.8 billion
Nike founder Phil Knight has become 67.1% richer during the coronavirus crisis. He also donated $10 million — 0.02% of his total net worth — to coronavirus charities between March and August.
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9. Larry Ellison
Beginning net worth: $59 billion
Ending net worth: $78.9 billion
Amount gained: $19.9 billion
Tech billionaire Larry Ellison has added 33.7% to his net worth since mid-March.
8. Steve Ballmer
Beginning net worth: $52.7 billion
Ending net worth: $71.2 billion
Amount gained: $18.5 billion
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s net worth has increased a great deal during the pandemic. The tech billionaire had donated $28 million to coronavirus charities by August.
7. Ma Huateng
Beginning net worth: $38.1 billion
Ending net worth: $58.5 billion
Amount gained: $20.4 billion
Chinese technology billionaire Ma Huateng’s wealth has increased by 53.5% during the pandemic.
6. MacKenzie Scott
Beginning net worth: $36 billion
Ending net worth: $59.6 billion
Amount gained: $23.6 billion
MacKenzie Scott received 4% of Amazon as part of her divorce settlement with Jeff Bezos, Forbes reported, and those shares have helped her become 65.6% richer amid the coronavirus pandemic. Amazon sales soared 26% in the first quarter of 2020 as people did more shopping from home, The Washington Post reported.
Scott had given $100 million — 0.17% of her total net worth — to coronavirus causes as of August.
5. Bernard Arnault & Family
Beginning net worth: $76 billion
Ending net worth: $117 billion
Amount gained: $41 billion
As LVMH CEO, Bernard Arnault oversees an empire of 70 brands that include Louis Vuitton and Sephora. His net worth has risen by $41 billion during the pandemic.
Arnault donated $5.4 million to coronavirus charities between March and August, which is less than 0.01% of his total net worth.
4. Mark Zuckerberg
Beginning net worth: $54.7 billion
Ending net worth: $96.8 billion
Amount gained: $42.1 billion
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has become 77% richer during the pandemic. He donated $180 million to coronavirus charities as of August — a drop in the bucket for the tech billionaire.
3. Mukesh Ambani
Beginning net worth: $36.8 billion
Ending net worth: $85.2 billion
Amount gained: $48.4 billion
The net worth of Indian energy billionaire Mukesh Ambani has increased $48.4 billion during the pandemic. He donated $68.32 million — 0.09% of his total net worth — to coronavirus causes from March to August.
2. Elon Musk
Beginning net worth: $24.6 billion
Ending net worth: $87.9 billion
Amount gained: $63.3 billion
Despite having to shut down Tesla production facilities due to the pandemic, Elon Musk’s net worth has grown by a whopping 257.3%.
1. Jeff Bezos
Beginning net worth: $113 billion
Ending net worth: $185.6 billion
Amount gained: $72.6 billion
The richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, has made the most money during the pandemic. Bezos has given about 64.3% of his total net worth to coronavirus causes, which amounts to $127 million worth of donations.
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Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only. As a result, some of the images may not reflect the people or companies listed in this article.
Methodology: In order to discover how these 50 billionaires have fared during the coronavirus crisis, GOBankingRates first looked at the 50 richest people in the world as sourced from Forbes’ “2020 World’s Billionaire List” with data from March 18, 2020. Using this list, GOBankingRates found (1) pre-coronavirus crisis net worth for each of the top 50 richest billionaires. GOBankingRates then used Forbes’ “Real-Time Billionaire List” to find each of the top 50 richest billionaire’s (2) net worth as of the end of trading on Oct. 7, 2020. GOBankingRates then took the above factors to discover the following for each billionaire: (3) total amount gained or lost (March 18 to Oct. 7) and (4) percent change in net worth during the entire COVID-19 pandemic thus far. All data was collected on and up to date as of Oct. 7, 2020.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: These 47 Billionaires Got Richer During The Pandemic
