RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD AS OF 2018

The United States is home to the greatest number of billionaires, with 585, followed by Greater China (including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) with 476, Germany with 123, India with 119 and Russia with 102. California alone has 144 billionaires, more than any single country besides the U.S. and China.

1. JEFF BEZOZ

Jeffrey Preston Bezos ( born Jorgensen; January 12, 1964) is an American technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer (CEO) of Amazon.

2. BILL GATES

William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate, investor, author, philanthropist, humanitarian, and principal founder of Microsoft Corporation. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions of chairman, CEO and chief software architect, while also being the largest individual shareholder until May 2014.

3. WARREN BUFFETT

Warren Edward Buffett ( born August 30, 1930)is an American business magnate, investor, speaker and philanthropist who serves as the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is considered one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net worth of US$84.4 billion as of November 1, 2018, making him the third-wealthiest person in the world.

4. BERNARD ARNAULT

Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault (French: [bɛʁnaːʁ aʁno]; born 5 March 1949) is a French business magnate, an investor, and art collector. Arnault is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of LVMH, the world's largest luxury-goods company. He is the richest person in Europe and the fourth richest person in the world according to Forbes magazine, with a net worth of $84.6 billion, as of September 2018. In April 2018, he also became the richest person in fashion, toppling Zara's Amancio Ortega.

5. MARK ZUCKERBERG

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg ( born May 14, 1984) is an American technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is known for co-founding and leading Facebook as its chairman and chief executive officer.

6. AMANCIO ORTEGA

Amancio Ortega Gaona (Spanish pronunciation: , born 28 March 1936) is a Spanish billionaire businessman. He is the founder and former chairman of Inditex fashion group, best known for its chain of Zara clothing and accessories shops. As of late September 2018, Ortega had a net worth of $68.2 billion, making him the second-wealthiest person in Europe after Bernard Arnault, and the fifth-wealthiest in the world.

7. CARLOS SLIM HELU

Carlos Slim Helú (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkaɾlos ezˈlim eˈlu]; born January 28, 1940) is a Mexican business magnate, engineer, investor and philanthropist. From 2010 to 2013, Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world by the Forbes business magazine. He derived his fortune from his extensive holdings in a considerable number of Mexican companies through his conglomerate, Grupo Carso. As of August 2018, he is the seventh-richest person in the world according to Forbes' listing of The World's Billionaires with a net worth estimated at $67.4 billion. He is the richest man in Mexico.

8. CHARLES KOCH

Charles de Ganahl Koch ( born November 1, 1935) is an American businessman, political donor and philanthropist. As of June 2018, he was ranked as the 8th-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $50.7 billion. Koch has been co-owner, chairman, and chief executive officer of Koch Industries since 1967, while his brother David Koch serves as executive vice president. Charles and David each own 42% of the conglomerate. The brothers inherited the business from their father, Fred C. Koch, then expanded the business. Originally involved exclusively in oil refining and chemicals, Koch Industries now includes process and pollution control equipment and technologies, polymers and fibers, minerals, fertilizers, commodity trading and services, forest and consumer products, and ranching. The businesses produce a wide variety of well-known brands, such as Stainmaster carpet, the Lycra brand of spandex fiber, Quilted Northern tissue, and Dixie Cup.

9. DAVID KOCH

David Hamilton Koch ( born May 3, 1940) is an American businessman, philanthropist, political activist, and chemical engineer. He joined the family business Koch Industries, the second-largest privately held company in the United States, in 1970. He became president of the subsidiary Koch Engineering in 1979, and became a co-owner of Koch Industries, with older brother Charles, in 1983. He served as an executive vice president until his retirement in 2018. Upon retirement in June 2018 due to health issues, Koch received the title of Director Emeritus. Koch is an influential libertarian. He was the 1980 candidate for Vice President of the United States from the United States Libertarian Party and helped finance the campaign. He founded Citizens for a Sound Economy. He and his brother Charles have donated to political advocacy groups[2] and to political campaigns, almost entirely Republican.[5] As of June 2018, he was ranked as the 12th-richest person in the world, (tied with his brother Charles), with a fortune of $50.7 billion.

10. LARRY ELLISON

Lawrence Joseph Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who is co-founder, executive chairman and chief technology officer of Oracle Corporation. As of June 2018, he was listed by Forbes magazine as the fifth-wealthiest person in the United States and as the tenth-wealthiest in the world, with a fortune of $54.5 billion.