10-15 Rich Man

15. Liliane Bettencourt 

Net Worth: $23.5 billion – as on March, 2011

Source: L’Oreal
Age: 88 years
Citizenship: France

She is theFrance’s richest women who are daughter and heir to the cosmetic giant, L’Oreal, which has been the leading global cosmetic provider. The company was founded by her father. She became famous for a family scandal which involved her and her daughter, Francoise Bettencourt-Meyer. In December 2010, her daughter reconciled all the charges against her mother and the same action was carried out by Liliane. Daughter approached the courts to carry out an investigation about $1 billion in cash and gifts which she alleged were given by her mother to Francois-Marie Banier, 62, a photographer, writer and a painter. Liliane became a widow in the year 2007, for which her daughter claimed that Banier took advantage of her mother.

14. Vladimir Lisin

Net Worth: $24 billion – as on March, 2011
Source: Steel
Age: 55 years
Citizenship: Russia

He is now the richest person inRussia, thanks to the soaring shares of his publicly listed firm, Novolipetsk Steel. He started his career as a mechanic in a coal mine. He worked as steelworker after completing his college inSiberia. He went with his Boss toMoscowwho was chosen as minister for metallurgy in the year 1991. In 1992, he joined a tough group called Trans-World group which soon dominated the aluminum and steel exports fromRussia. Though he was managing the factories, he got majority of the stake in Novolipetsk Steel mill after the partners separated in the year 2000.

13. Stefan Persson

Net Worth: $24.5 billion – as on March, 2011
Source: Hennes & Mauritz
Age: 63 years
Citizenship: Sweden

He is known for his promotion of affordable collections of dresses and footwear for his 2,200 stores spread across different parts of the Globe. He recently entered the markets ofTurkeyandIsraellast year and is planning to enter the markets ofCroatiaandRomaniain the current fiscal year. Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is known for its cheap chic collections. He is known to bring in names like Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and also collaborated with Jimmy Choo and Sonia Rykiel for footwear and knitwear respectively. Erling, his father founded H&M in the year 1947. Stefan took over the CEO in the year 1962 and gave up the post in the year 1998 to promote his son Karl-Johan. He also acquiredvillageofLinkenholtinHampshire,Englandin 2009. He received honorary doctorate from Karolinska Institute for his contribution towards the university and promotion of research and development activities.

12. Karl Albrecht

Net Worth: $25.5 billion – as on March, 2011
Source: Aldi
Age: 91 years
Citizenship: Germany

Germany’s richest man owns the discounted store chain, Aldi, which has an estimated sales of $40 billion per annum. His younger brother, Theo, also a billionaire died in July last year. After the completion of World War II, both the brothers transformed their mother’s grocery store into Aldi. They split their partnership in the year 1961 where Karl brought more profitable side of the store, the southernGermanystakes and rights of the stores that are present in U.K,Australiaand U.S. Theo got the rest of the northernGermanyand remaining parts ofEurope. Aldi has more than 1,100 stores across the U.S and is planning its first ever store inNew Yorkin the current fiscal year. Though retired from his daily operations, Karl, a very less known person apparently raises orchids and plays golf.

11. Li Ka-Shing

Net Worth: $26 billion – as on March, 2011
Source: Diversified
Age: 83 years
Citizenship: Hong Kong

One of the richest person of greater china, he is in the verge of greater expansion. What is said to be the biggest foreign acquisition yet, through one of his firms, he led a $9 billion deal for assets that usually provide power to different parts of U.K, which includedLONDON. He is the leading operator of ports and accounts for 14% of total global container throughput. His firm, Hutchison Whampoa, brought majority of port and property stakes in state owned China Resources early this January. He is now planning to list his deep water holdings in Hong Kong andChinainSingapore, making it the biggest ever public offering ever. Other plans include listing of real estate assets, making it the first yuan-dominated public offering inHong Kong.......................