Amazon chief executive officer 'richest man' on earth

By Gokhan Ergocun

ANKARA

Amazon's founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos is the world's richest person with a mind-blowing $112 billion fortune in 2018, according to business magazine Fortune on Tuesday.

Technology giant Microsoft's board member Bill Gates and Warren Buffett -- chief executive officer of one of the world's largest holdings, Berkshire Hathaway -- followed him with their wealth of $90 billion and $84 billion, respectively.

Other richest people in the Forbes top-10 lists were LVMH's CEO Bernard Arnault ($72 billion), Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg ($71 billion), clothing giant Zara cofounder Amancio Ortega ($70 billion), Latin America's biggest telecommunications firm America Movil's honorary Chairman Carlos Slim Helu ($67.1 billion), one of the largest private company of the U.S. Koch Industries' CEO and Vice Chairman Charles Koch ($60 billion) and David Koch ($60 billion) and software giant Oracle's CEO Larry Ellison ($58.5 billion).

Half of 10 richest people in the Fortune's list came from technology companies, while seven of them were from the U.S.-based companies.

A total of 2,208 billionaires from 72 countries, in the magazine's 32 annual ranking list, are worth a record $9.1 trillion, up 18 percent compared to the previous year's list.

"The 20 richest people on the planet are worth a staggering $1.2 trillion, a sum roughly equivalent to the annual economic output of Mexico," Forbes said.

Forbes added that, they may represent less than 1 percent of total billionaires but their riches amount to 13 percent of the total fortune of all billionaires worldwide.

Tesla Motors' CEO Elon Musk ranked 54th in the list with $19.9 billion.

The U.S. has more billionaires than any other country with 585 people, while greater China -- mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan -- has 476.

A total of 259 people entered the list for the first time in 2018 -- mostly from China with 89 people.

Last year, Bezos has ranked 1st again in the list with $98.6 billion.

36 billionaires from Turkey

Turkey's business circle was represented with 36 people that are worth a record $64.7 billion.

Murat Ulker, Turkey's food giant Yildiz Holding's CEO, is the richest person on the list from Turkey with $4.8 billion. The holding comprises several companies such as world-famous chocolate brand Godiva and biscuit producer United Biscuit and Turkey's snack giant Ulker.

Turkey's leading conglomerate Ronesans Holding's, active in construction, real estate investment and development, energy, health and education, founder Erman Ilicak followed Ulker with $4 billion.

Another name in the list was Husnu Ozyegin, founder of one of Turkey's largest holdings, Fiba, with his fortune of $2.9 billion.

Losers

Forbes said: "While the vast majority of the world’s billionaires added to their fortunes in the past 12 months, 16 percent had fortunes that slipped."

China Evergrande Group's Chairman Hui Ka Yan, Tencent Holdings' CEO Ma Huateng, Reliance Industries' founder Mukesh Ambani, Country Garden Holdings co-owner Yang Huiyan and Kering's founder Francois Pinault fell to lower ranks in the list in 2018.

"One notable loser was President Donald Trump, whose fortune fell $400 million since March 2017 to a current $3.1 billion. He is now ranked 766 in the world, down from 544," Fortune added.