Stories of rich people where to start. Biography and thoughts of the richest people in the world - instructions for those who want to be a billionaire

Well-known financial sharks who managed to build a business from scratch In order to name and describe all the happy owners of billions in capital, a whole book is not enough.

Most of the participants in the Forbes rating lists are businessmen who made their capital through the privatization of assets. large enterprises and firms. But we will talk about those who created their financial empires starting from the bottom.

So who are the top 10 entrepreneurs who own multi-billion dollar companies built from scratch?


The first place is occupied by the Russian businessman Sergey Galitsky, who is the director of the Magnit retail chain. Galitsky began his career as a student, helping the deputy manager of a Krasnodar bank. Such a non-dusty position allowed him to acquire useful connections and influential acquaintances.

Having managed to get initial capital in the amount of $ 30,000, Galitsky chose to invest them in the purchase of a commodity that was popular at that time, namely cosmetics and perfumes. Such a first investment fully justified itself and paid off in full, after which Galitsky registered the first distribution company Trans-Asia, which became the prototype of the future Magnit.

To date general state businessman is valued at $3 billion.


The second place was taken by billionaire Aras Agalarov. In a short period of time, the businessman turned from a graduate of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions into an influential CEO Crocus company.

Agalarov took his first steps in business by exporting souvenirs from Russia, importing computer equipment and components in return. Despite the success in trade, it was decided to stop this type of activity and establish a new, exhibition business format.

Aras Agalarov is the creator of the first Moscow boutique, located on Stoleshnikov Lane. At the moment, the main business that brings Agalarov income in the amount of $1.5 billion is his company for the construction of large shopping centers.


The third place went to the alcohol tycoon with Georgian roots Rustam Tariko, whose determination can only be envied (of course, white envy). Holding the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Russian Standard Bank, he successfully provided assistance to Italian tourist operators, settling tourists in the Rossiya Hotel, which was inaccessible at that time.

The appearance of new influential acquaintances from among Italian businessmen helped Tariko conclude a contract for the supply of elite Martini alcohol. It was an unheard-of success that gave a financial impetus to further development Tariko empire.

The businessman's fortune is estimated at $1.5 billion.


The fourth place rightfully belongs to Alexander Dzhaparidze (state about $1.1 billion). Success came to him after Japaridze, being an ordinary geologist as part of a geophysical expedition, led a joint project with the Americans, the purpose of which was seismological exploration of the area.

After the collapse Soviet Union Alexander Japaridze managed to redeem the right equipment and provide seismic services on a private basis.


Fifth place was headed by the owner of the Fashion Continent, and concurrently the governor of the Tula region, Vladimir Gruzdev. got mine start-up capital by issuing a loan in the amount of $500,000 by Sberbank. This became possible after the successful management activities under the leadership of the famous businessman Oleg Boyko.

The governor's fortune is estimated at $950 million.



Sixth place is former employee Institute of Oceanology Andrey Rogachev, with a modest capital in $900 million. The idea of ​​creating a business did not initially arise in the mind of an entrepreneur, but in the late 80s Rogachev introduced unusual idea on the supply to enterprises of devices for measuring the concentration of harmful substances in products.

Thus, the first LEK cooperative was created. Having received the long-awaited loan, Rogachev within three years engaged in the supply of such equipment. The next source of income was the business of resettling communal apartments. After the departure of Andrei Rogachev to banking business, the beloved Pyaterochka retail chain was founded.


Seventh place went to the insurance magnate Sergei Sarkisov (capital $950 million). Favorable ground for the creation of an insurance company was provided by connections in Ingosstrakh.

Being fluent in Spanish, Sarkisov was able to attract Spanish insurance company Iberia Seguros, which has made a significant contribution to the development of a unified "Russian-European Insurance Company".


Eighth place was taken by the founder of Maxi-Invest, Nikolai Maksimov. Together with his wife, he was engaged in the trade of wood and paper, after a preliminary loan of 75,000 rubles. Over the years of existence, the Niktan company could boast of millions of turnovers. Guided by the desire to expand the business, Maksimov started buying up shares of large metallurgical plants. This was the beginning of the creation of the now famous Maxi-Group. The capital is almost $950 million.


Ninth place belongs to Viktor Kharitonin, the owner of the Ufa-based pharmaceutical company Pharmstandard. The total capital is valued at $900 million.

Kharitonin began his career while still studying at the institute, opening an intermediary organization LLP "Creditinform". Later, having moved to Moscow, he became the founder brokerage company, specialized in stock trading vouchers. A big leap in creation big business, was the purchase of shares in the company "Ufa-Vita".


The tenth place is proudly occupied by Samvel Karapetyan, President construction company"Tashir". Karapetyan is a graduate of the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute. He achieved his first financial success by creating a sewing cooperative "Zenith", specializing in sewing overalls and fashionable at that time T-shirts with the image of pop stars.

After moving to Kaluga from his native Kalinino, Karapetyan became the head of the Kalugaglavsnab company, it was on its basis that the Tashir corporation was created. The core issues of the company are the construction and operation of shopping centers and exhibition halls.

And finally Reading a brief history career of each of the 10 people mentioned, it may seem that the process of creating a business from scratch is an elementary procedure that does not require ordinary mental and financial capabilities. Only now if financial question can be solved with the help of loans, with ingenuity, everything is not so simple. Definitely, these people are special in their own way, if they were able to achieve such heights. It remains only to wish them good luck and professional success.

Ksenia Sobchak is a name that is familiar to almost every resident former USSR. Her life is a vivid example of determination and self-confidence. She was able to achieve considerable success on television, the journalistic field, and journalism. The biography and personal life of Ksenia Sobchak often become the subject of discussion. We decided not to be like the "yellow press" and will briefly talk about the difficult path to recognition that she managed to go through.

Today we will talk about who Donald Trump is: biography, rise to the top of business, political Olympus and other main facts from his life. On this moment Trump is the 45th President of the United States and therefore is in the spotlight, but there are many interesting points in his biography, which we will consider in this article.


Annually popular American Forbes magazine publishes rating the richest people peace. Moreover, not only men, but also women fall into it. Women these days have got financial independence- they build their own empires, earn billions, open charitable foundations and chasing success. Strong women inspire all representatives of the beautiful half of humanity and serve as an example for them. Many, and we are sure not only women, will be interested to get acquainted with the latest statistics from Forbes Woman magazine. We will talk about all the successful ladies who got to the top of the list of rich people in 2016 in our article. Enjoy reading!


Robert Kiyosaki is one of the most successful investors and businessmen of our time. His life principle is not to go with the flow, but always look for non-standard ways to solve problems in the business sphere. This approach motivated the entrepreneur to write a whole series of motivational books, the main one of which, according to experts and critics, is Rich Dad Poor Dad. Now Kiyosaki conducts trainings all over the world. His books have been translated into 51 languages ​​and are sold in over a hundred countries.

Carlos Slim owns a holding, which he began to develop back in the late 60s, and the America Movil telecommunications corporation. The richest man in the world believes that the main thing is to change your children for the better, and not give them something ready-made.

The richest people in the world and on earth

Let's see who it is - the richest people in the world. For most people, wealth is associated with the success of its owner in society. This is so and not so. Hundreds of thousands of people consider themselves successful people without significant funds. They live in prosperity, but do not have wealth. Since the wealth of individuals arises, and what it takes to become rich: the life goal of constant enrichment; luck or luck; unique ability or talent; high education and knowledge? Let's look at these people, their biographies and maybe we will understand what is the mystery and clue of acquiring wealth.

The generally recognized rating of the world's rich is published annually by the American magazine Forbes, the first copy of which appeared in 1917, and the first rating of rich people was published in 1918 and John Rockefeller occupied the first line in it. In Russia, the magazine has been published for 10 years, assessing the wealth of the richest people in Russia every year. This is the most authoritative source of information about the wealth of people and its rating on the pages of the magazine is considered the most reliable.

Forbes rich people ranking 2015

The richest people in the world in Forbes are 1826 people, they own 7 trillion dollars, with an average fortune of about 4 billion dollars. Of course, the magazine does not list all 1826 people on its pages, but only lists the 300 richest people in the world, and we will only list the top ten richest people in the world:

  1. Bill Gates (USA) - founder of Microsoft with a fortune of $79.2 billion;
  2. Carlos Slim Elu (Mexico) - the owner of a telecommunications network with a fortune of $ 77.1 billion;
  3. Warren Buffett (USA) - the largest investor with a fortune of $72.7 billion;
  4. Amancia Ortega (Spain) - founder and owner of Zara, worth $64.5 billion;
  5. Larry Alison (USA) - founder of the software company Oracle with a fortune of $54.3 billion;
  6. Charles Koch (USA) - construction and oil refining business with a fortune of $42.9 billion;
  7. David Koch (USA) - construction and oil refining business with a fortune of $42.9 billion;
  8. Christy Walton (USA) - co-owner of the Wal-Mart retail chain with a fortune of $ 41.7 billion, and the richest woman in the world;
  9. Jim Walton (USA) - banker and co-owner of the Wal-Mart retail chain with a fortune of $40.6 billion;
  10. Liliane Bettencourt (France) is the owner of the cosmetics empire L'Oreal and the richest woman in Europe with a fortune of $40.6 billion.

Rating of rich people in Russia 2015 according to Forbes

  1. Vladimir Potanin - owner of TMK Norilsk Nickel, fortune $15.4 billion;
  2. Mikhail Fridman - controls the financial and industrial company Alfa Group, worth $ 14.6 billion;
  3. Alisher Usmanov - owns the assets of the metallurgical giant Metalloinvest, mobile operator"MegaFon" and a number of other assets, the state of 14.4 billion dollars;
  4. Viktor Vekselberg - owner of the Renova group of companies and a number of other assets, worth $14.2 billion;
  5. Alexey Mordashov - owner of Severstal company with a fortune of $13 billion;
  6. Vagit Alekperov is the owner of the largest private oil company Lukoil, worth $12.2 billion;
  7. Leonid Mikhelson - the owner of Novatek with a fortune of $11.7 billion;
  8. Vladimir Lisin - the owner of Novolipetsk metallurgical plant, a fortune of 11.6 billion dollars;
  9. Gennady Timchenko - the owner of many assets with a fortune of $ 10.7 billion;
  10. Mikhail Prokhorov is a banker, media tycoon, co-owner of the world's largest producer of potash fertilizers, Uralkali, worth $9.9 billion.

Of course, the richest people in Russia are not limited to this list and their distribution within the list is very often modified, for example, for the last two years it was headed by Alisher Usmanov.

Biographies of the richest people in the world

Analyzing life path of each of the richest people on the planet, they can be divided into the heirs of huge fortunes and people who have risen to this list from the very bottom, or who have achieved their fortune with organizational talent, a sense of time and other abilities necessary for a successful business.

The biography of the richest people in the world shows the features of the ways to achieve wealth by each of them. Of the ten richest people in the world according to Forbes, only three inherited huge capital: Christy Walton, Jim Walton - the heirs of the largest retail chain Wal-Mart, and Liliane Betancourt, who inherited L'Oreal from Eugene Scheller's father. Of course, there are a lot of rich people on the Forbes lists, whose fortunes were made by their fathers and even grandfathers. Among them are well-known names: Rockefellers, Morgans and others. Preserving the wealth inherited is also not an easy task, but much easier than making a multibillion-dollar fortune from scratch.

The richest people in the world are described Rich people are not so few as it seems at first glance.

The ranking of the richest people in the world begins with Bill Gates (William Bill Gates), a man who made his fortune with his intellect, organizational talents, and the gift of foresight. His company Microsoft is the world's leading manufacturer of software For personal computers, the general development of which, Gates foresaw. He did not even finish his studies at Harvard University and, having left his third year, founded Microsoft. Gates was actively involved in the development software products and developed the Microsoft development strategy.

The list of the richest people in the world was occupied by representatives of the United States, but for some time, from 2010 to 2013, it was headed by a representative of Mexico, of Arab origin, Carlos Slim Elu, a man who has achieved everything he has with his work, perseverance, knowledge and desire to win. I must say that the basis of the future capital of Carlos Slim Elu was made by his father. After graduating National University in Mexico City and having received an engineering degree, at the age of 25 he set about creating the future Grupo Carso empire. In 1982, taking advantage of the crisis in Mexico, he bought shares of many famous companies, and in early 1990 he bought the telecommunications company Telmex (Telefonos de Mexico). He further specializes in this industry and buys telecommunications companies throughout Latin America. IN Forbes list it hits in 2002.

Warren Buffett, the richest and no less famous investor in the world, was born in the family of a stock trader and from childhood he was familiar with financial transactions, the stock exchange. He made his first stock purchase at age 11, buying several shares of Cities Service at $38. The stock quickly fell in price to $27, but later rose to $40. Warren immediately sold it, earning $5. A few days later, the shares jumped in price to $200. After that, Buffett formed one of the most important principles of investing: "patience is rewarded." Unlike Bill Gates, Buffett received an excellent education, graduating from Columbia University and earning himself the nickname "The Oracle of Omaha" as a successful investor. "The main secret of successful investing is to choose good promotions at the right time and keep them as long as these stocks remain good" - this Buffett principle is used by thousands of investors around the world.

Biographies Russian billionaires not so impressive. Although it is believed that their wealth was created from scratch, the rich people of Russia made their fortunes through certain financial schemes, the legal purity of which is of questionable nature. And biographical information is not always available.

Among a dozen names of Russian billionaires, Mikhail Prokhorov looks like an example typical height from a simple entrepreneur to the Forbes list. Prokhorov in 1989, after graduating from the Financial Academy, worked until 1992 in International Bank economic cooperation, where Vladimir Potanin became his business partner until 2008. Then he went his own way, developing his business.

16.02.2016

Hello followers successful businessmen! Today, especially for you, I will tell you popular business success stories from scratch. After all, other people's luck is contagious. In addition, examples of effective business ideas can be very useful for you.

Billion dollar ideas

Many of the richest people in the world started from scratch, without huge financial investments, rich parents and winnings in big lottery. They just invented an amazing business idea, knew how to work "by the sweat of their brow" and go towards their goal, no matter what! And, of course, these people were distinguished by an extraordinary mind, non-standard views on life.

I hope you are one of those people who, after reading business success stories from scratch, will reconsider their lives and take action! After all, if you just think that where are you up to such accomplishments and give up, it will not work. So read short biographies the most famous billionaires in the world and absorb the energy of wealth.

Biographies of the richest people

So, now I turn directly to the success stories of millionaires and billionaires. By the way, you can learn an interesting Internet profession and earn your first million Here.

Sheldon Adelson

This man was born in Boston in the family of an ordinary taxi driver. From the age of twelve he began a small entrepreneurial activity selling newspapers. After that followed various works– financial advisor, mortgage broker, court reporter, tour salesman. However, all this was only a difficult path to future success. 1979 was a landmark year for Adelson. He organized COMDEX - an exhibition-fair of computer topics, which for 20 years was the most famous event dedicated to computer technology.

9 years after the creation of the fair, Sheldon buys a hotel, a casino in the largest gaming city of Las Vegas and instantly increases his material wealth, which, according to general estimates, is $ 26 billion.

Roman Abramovich

An example of a billionaire comes from Saratov. The childhood of this famous oilman passed under the upbringing of close relatives, since the boy's parents died. In his youth, Abramovich had excellent organizational skills. 1980-90 - the year when he created a small business for the manufacture of polymers, toys.

This was followed by trading, intermediary activities, developing into oil raiders. Then, after establishing useful contacts with B. Berezovsky, B. Yeltsin's family, Roman Arkadyevich noticeably improved his financial situation. They say that it was thanks to them that he took possession of Sibneft. Further career Abramovich - the post of deputy, governor, contributing to the expansion of the oil business. The next step to enrichment is the purchase of the Chelsea football club. The approximate amount of the entrepreneur's income is 23.5 billion dollars.

Li Ka-shing

Chinese businessman who earned about $26.5 billion. He began his career at the age of fourteen. In order to earn a living after the death of his father, the boy dropped out of school. At first he worked as a trader in plastic products. A few years later he was able to open his own business - the company Cheung Kong Industries, which later became a major investment corporation in Hong Kong, and Ka-Shing - the richest person in China.

Maxim Nogotkov

This is the youngest Russian businessman who has earned more than one billion. Nogotkov started working as a schoolboy, selling copies of PC programs. Already 2 years later, without graduating from higher education, he, together with his comrades, opened his own business - the Maxus company, in order to engage in the wholesale trade in equipment on the radio markets. The organization then became a distributor of Siemens radiotelephones.

The beginning of trade in mobile phones did not bring success. But the purchase of salons cellular communication allowed to reach a new horizon, as a result of which the Svyaznoy brand appeared. Today's turnover of the company is more than five hundred billion rubles.

Fred De Luca

An American entrepreneur, along with a friend, started their business by opening a regular diner. Then Fred was only 17 years old. The original plan was to open 32 eateries over a ten-year period. Thanks to further franchising, the chain of stores has expanded significantly. Now outlets SUBWAY brand have become popular all over the world. Their number exceeds 21 thousand in different countries world, which exceeds the number of other popular fast food brand McDonald's.

It's just 5 stories successful business from scratch. But there are actually a lot of them. Re-read the biographies of the most famous rich people in order to trace the patterns of ascent from poverty to prosperity, to be inspired by other people's successes. It will definitely work if you are determined to start your own business and think like a millionaire.

Sincerely, Ivan Balashov!

1. Howard Schultz - "Pour your heart into her. How Starbucks was built cup by cup"

"How to Succeed Big Starting from Scratch, or the American Dream in Action: The Starbucks Version" is the essence of Howard Schulz's book Pour Your Heart Into It. The author tells the story of the transformation of a once modest network of three coffee shops in Seattle into a powerful corporation.

Howard Schultz showed by his own example that anyone can achieve success if they really want to. But the point for Starbucks is not only that the corporation brings in multimillion-dollar profits.

2. Walter Isaacson - "Steve Jobs"

This biography is based on conversations with Steve Jobs himself, as well as with his relatives, friends, enemies, rivals and colleagues. Jobs had no control over the author. He frankly answered all questions and expected the same honesty from the others.

This is a story about a life full of ups and downs, oh strong man and a talented businessman who was one of the first to understand that in order to succeed in the 21st century, you need to combine creativity and technology.

3. Henry Ford - "My life, my achievements"

In 1911, Henry Ford changed the world. He went down in history as the inventor of the assembly line and one of the most honest millionaires.

He made mistakes, lost his fortune and got rich again, sued for patents, won and lost lawsuits, he pulled America out of the Great Depression and became a symbol of the most powerful economy in the history of mankind.

His ideas and methods of organizing production, described in this famous book, have been introduced into the activities of thousands of enterprises and deserve the attention of everyone who creates own business.

4. Donald Trump - "Think Like a Billionaire"

To become a truly rich person, you must learn to think like a billionaire. This is where real estate genius, best-selling author and television star Donald Trump comes to your rescue.

He will show you how to properly relate to money, career, own talents and life in general. In this book, you'll find great expert advice on investing in real estate, from how to communicate with brokers to advice on building renovations and real estate appraisals.

5. Richard Branson - Naked Business

This book is not an updated version of Sir Richard Branson's autobiography Losing My Virginity, nor is it an expanded version of its abridged version, Fuck It! Get It Done. In fact, this is the author's first book entirely devoted to the history of creation and the peculiarities of running his business.

"Instead of ranting in these pages about my success, I simply wrote the whole truth about my companies," writes Sir Richard.

In addition to candid stories of the successes and failures of the Virgin group of companies, this book is invaluable with advice and quotes from a real entrepreneur's notebook. Guided by the set of rules created from them, you can make almost any business project successful.

From the book you will also learn what qualities Sir Richard Branson appreciates in his subordinates, how he conducts difficult negotiations, how he plans his time, what businessmen he admires and much, much more. Enjoy reading!

6. Tony Shay - "Delivering Happiness. From Zero to Billion. A First-hand Story of Creating an Outstanding Company"

About how Tony Shay became a businessman, starting at the age of nine with ... a worm farm. And about the circumstances due to which the Zappos company he created (somewhat later) was eventually bought by Amazon for $ 1.2 billion (and before that, Shay sold another business he created to Microsoft, also for impressive money).

It is one of the most hilarious and buoyant business books, thanks to the author's writing talent, and one of the most impressive and rewarding, thanks to his entrepreneurial genius.

7. Sam Walton - "Made in America. How I Created Wal-Mart"

Extremely modest, but always confident in his abilities and capabilities, Sam Walton shares his observations, honestly and openly talks about the "rules traffic"in big business.

Why is the book worth reading?

The author of the book, Sam Walton, in just a few decades turned small shop in the center of a provincial town to the world's largest network retail.
This book is not just a success story. This is a kind of textbook trading business written by a true professional.
- It tells the story of creating an outstanding business in the first person - with the utmost honesty, thrilling and funny.

8. David Wise, Mark Mulsid - "Google. Breakthrough in the zeitgeist"

This book is the gripping story of the most successful internet company in the world. Last time financial results activities of Google Inc. exceeds even the wildest expectations of investment analysts.

Purposefulness, scientific talent, creative search, the courage and love for experiment of the company's founders - former Muscovite Sergey Brin and Michigan native Larry Page - paved the way for the company's long-term success.

Under their leadership, Google's search engine has become a popular resource that users love for its convenience and already have a strong emotional attachment to it. A new verb "to google" has appeared in everyday life, denoting the search for something on the Internet, which indicates the unconditional surrender of competitors.

The authors of the book detailed the company's business strategies for establishing mutually beneficial cooperation with advertisers and websites, and also revealed the essence of its motto "Do No Harm!". The book will serve the reader not only as a unique guide to a non-standard approach to doing business, but will also give pleasure from easy and exciting reading.

9. N. V. Kononov - "Durov's Code. Real story"VKontakte" and its creator"

About the power of digital media, the creators of which become invisible leaders of a new type. About how to go to your dream, getting rid of fear.

10. Torekul Bertil - "The Saga of IKEA"

The IKEA Saga was based on numerous interviews with the "father" of the company, Ingvar Kamprad. This book is about a man who single-handedly founded a small firm, which later turned into a huge company with a worldwide reputation.

Today IKEA is successfully conquering the Russian market. Born on an old farm in Sweden, this company now meets the most demanding requirements of today's customers. Every year, more than 400 million people visit IKEA's 220 stores in 33 countries.

But first, they look with interest at the IKEA catalogs, which have a circulation of 160 million copies. You will learn about how, thanks to unique business qualities the most cherished dream of Ingvar Kamprad came true.

conquest Russian market was difficult for him. You will read about how the history of these “love” relationships developed in one of the chapters of the book. More than just a business story, this is a guide for those who want to get into business and succeed.

Today, these people are on the Forbes list, but the beginning of their lives did not portend such a development. Many billionaires have made their fortunes by overcoming social, political, and psychological barriers. Inspirational examples of the richest people in the world.

Members of the Forbes list are considered to be minions of fate, who pulled out a lucky ticket and do not know the hardships of a simple life. However, many billionaires have made their fortunes by climbing out of poverty and overcoming incredible social, political and psychological barriers. The most inspiring stories of the 2015 world ranking in our selection.

Moed Altrad

  • Net worth: $1 billion
  • Country: France

The story of the 67-year-old French billionaire, who entered the Forbes ranking for the first time this year, is like a fairy tale. Born to a Bedouin family in the Syrian desert, Moed lost his mother at the age of four. His father regularly beat him, and eventually abandoned his son altogether. The orphaned child was raised by his grandmother. Out of superstition, she forbade Moed to attend school, so that the boy actually had to do it in secret.

The craving for knowledge was so great that Altrad received a scholarship to study in France. He moved to his new homeland 46 years ago without a penny in his pocket and without knowing the language. At first, Moed ate no more than once a day the most meager food. But the talent for physics and mathematics gradually helped him out of poverty. He received a degree in information technology and began his career with internships in technology and oil companies.

In 1985, Altrad decided to go into business himself, for which he bought a bankrupt construction plant in the south of France. Despite the lack of experience in the industry, the aspiring entrepreneur very quickly learned the basics of business, made his company profitable and engaged in an expansion that has not ended to this day.

Li Ka-shin

  • Wealth: $33.3 billion
  • Country: Hong Kong

The richest man in Asia, Li Ka-shing knows firsthand what it is like to live on the edge of poverty. At the age of 12, he had to drop out of school and work in a watch band factory to support his family. By 1950, he had saved his first capital and went into the trade of plastic toys and related products. Later, Li Ka-shing bought the factory himself, and things went uphill. Since then, the billionaire's business has grown into a diversified holding with assets in real estate, ports, technology and a host of other industries. Li Ka-shin employs 270,000 people in 52 countries.

Leonardo Del Vecchio

  • Wealth: $20.4 billion
  • Country: Italy

The mother of the future billionaire sent her son to an orphanage when Leonardo was seven years old - the family did not have enough money to raise a child. After going through a tough orphanage school, at 14 Del Vecchio got a job as an apprentice in a factory that produced eyeglass frames and auto parts. After another eleven years, he founded his own company - Luxxotica. Today it is the world's largest manufacturer of sunglasses and prescription glasses, owning the Ray Ban and Oakley brands and producing for Burberry, Bulgari, Chanel, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany, Versache and many other companies. Del Vecchio in his homeland is deservedly called the "king of points".

Roman Abramovich

  • Wealth: $9.1 billion
  • Country Russia

The world's most famous billionaire from Russia 14 was orphaned when he was four years old and raised by relatives. Not having received higher education, went to serve in the army, and upon his return he started his first business - selling toys from his own apartment. Later, the enterprising entrepreneur made a fortune on oil deals and in 1995 acquired the then powerful Boris Berezovsky as a business partner. In tandem, they bought Sibneft from the state at a more than modest price tag, which became the basis of Abramovich's fortune.

David Murdoch

  • Wealth: $3.1 billion
  • Country: USA

Dyslexic David did not finish his studies at school and was forced from his teenage years to start earning money on gas station until he enlisted in the army in 1943. Returning from the front, he borrowed $1,800 from friends and opened a diner restaurant. Since then, Murdoch's business has grown at an incredible pace. Today he runs the world's largest fruit and vegetable producer and exporter, Dole Food Corporation.

Sheldon Adelson

  • Wealth: $31.4 billion
  • Country: USA

The son of a taxi driver, Adelson grew up in a small apartment in a "social" house on the outskirts of Boston. He had to sleep on the floor, and his grandmother became the main teacher of the boy. At the age of 12, Sheldon borrowed $200 from his uncle and started selling newspapers and magazines. Since then, the business has grown exponentially. Over the decades of his entrepreneurial career, Adelson has experienced ups and downs - he traded vending machines, advertising publications, consulting services, a service for organizing large conferences, etc. In the end, the businessman found his niche in the gambling business - he became the "King of Las Vegas" , the owner of the largest casino management company Las Vegas Sands, which has a representative office not only in the United States, but also in Macau, China.

John Paul Dejoria

  • Wealth: $2.8 billion
  • Country: USA

In the early 1980s, DeJoria found himself homeless and sleeping in his car on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. A Vietnam War veteran, he was selling shampoo door-to-door at the time. The businessman has since turned his $ 700 savings into John Paul Mitchell Systems, one of the largest hair care product manufacturers in the country, which he founded together with Paul Mitchell. Today, the company sells a wide range of products, from familiar shampoos to exotic product categories such as tequila (Patrón Spirits brand) and Cell phones(ROK Mobile).

Jan Kum

The iconic TV presenter, producer and women's rights activist was born when her mother was still a minor. She was raised by her grandmother on a farm in Mississippi. Winfrey made her first steps in television in Nashville, Baltimore. She then moved to Chicago, where she forcibly turned a third-rate morning show into the number one federal talk show. Over time, Oprah left the frame, preparing for herself a real business empire, which today includes many businesses, from producing Hollywood films to publishing bestsellers.

Christos Lazari

  • Wealth: $2.1 billion
  • Country: UK

Now one of London's most influential real estate investors, Lazari arrived in the British capital at the age of 16 from his small village in Cyprus with £20 in his pocket. At first, he washed dishes and served guests in restaurants, thus saving money for studying design courses. Later, Christos created his own brand Drendie Girl, but with fashion industry it didn’t work out - and in 1978 the aspiring entrepreneur switched to the real estate market. Today, his Lazari Investments owns 2.5 million square feet of office space in prestigious areas of London.

Miki Jagtiani

  • Wealth: $5.2 billion
  • Country: India

In his youth, Jagtiani dropped out of college and tried to gain a foothold in London, not disdaining the work of a cleaner at a hotel and a taxi driver. He ended up leaving Britain for Bahrain to help the family run a children's goods store. Soon, within just one year, Miki lost all his close relatives - his mother, father and brother. Business management fell entirely on his shoulders. But Jagtiani managed - and turned a modest store into trading network Landmark Group with $5 billion in revenue and 1,900 points of sale in the Middle East, Africa and India.