The Richest People in the World

Who are the richest people in the world? Most wealthy people seem to have achieved their financial security in one of two ways, they were born into it, and have simply managed to hold on to the wealth and/or expand upon it, or they received a healthy infusion of capital from someone who was born with money, and then, using their own intelligence, expanded upon the nest egg.  While the stories of people who went from virtually nothing to owning an empire are highly publicized, they are actually not that common.  More often than not, it is the already high net worth individuals, and the people who convince these wealthy individuals to share some of their worth, that make the biggest bucks.  It is a tiny, rather exclusive inner circle.  Despite all this, of the top ten richest people in the world, six are self-made.  If you are not well off, but have aspirations of being wealthy beyond belief, you might want to speak with one of the billionaires on this list… or at least marry one of their children… or even someone on their staff.  Below are the 10 richest people in the world as of July 5th 2012.  Love them, envy them, or hate them, but most importantly, study them closely.

The Richest People in the World:

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• #17 Eike Batista Net Worth – $21.1 Billion
• #16 Karl Albrecht Net Worth – $21.8 Billion
• #15 Bernard Arnault Net Worth – $23.8 Billion
• #14 Stefan Persson Net Worth – $24 Billion
• #13 Li Ka-Shing Net Worth – $25.2 Billion
• #12 Alice Walton Net Worth – $26.5 Billion
• #11 S. Robson Walton – Net Worth $26.9 Billion
• #10 Jim Walton Net Worth – $27.5 Billion
• #9 Christy Walton Net Worth – $28.5 Billion
• #8 David Koch Net Worth – $35.5 Billion
• #7 Charles Koch Net Worth – $35.5 Billion
• #6 Ingvar Kamprad Net Worth – $37.6 Billion
• #5 Larry Ellison Net Worth – $38.2 Billion
• #4 Amancio Ortega Net Worth – $43.1 Billion
• #3 Warren Buffet Net Worth – $46.7 Billion
• #2 Bill Gates Net Worth – $62.9 Billion
• #1 Carlos Slim Helu Net Worth – $73.3

Paula Wilson

Paula Wilson is a writer, director, production manager, and former professional dancer, originally from North America, who has worked as a performer or director in ten countries and sixteen states. When not writing for CNW, she serves as the Artistic Director of The International Partner Dance Intensive (www.tipdi.com). Follow her on Google+.