Introducing the World’s 10 Wealthiest Families

Our focus is as you know on the world’s many great family offices who invest and influence in different parts of the world

Many of the families we work with are happy not to be celebrity names, preferring instead to be prominently known only in their own spheres of influence, or not to be in the spotlight at all

But some families have names that are famous around the world either because of the products and services which carry that family name, or because of their levels of wealth, or both

These are the 10 wealthiest families in the world; many you will have heard of, and some which may surprise you

1. The Walton Family

If you’ve not heard of the Waltons, you will certainly have heard of their empire – Walmart.

With an estimated wealth of $190 5 billion, this family is officially the richest one in America and indeed the world

Walmart was first created in 1962, by Sam Walton, and has expanded from the initial single store to a global company with more than 12,000 stores

Walmart hires so many people that if it were a city it would be the fourth largest in the US.

2. The Mars Family

The surname best known as a globally successful brand of confectionery, the Mars family are also the force behind M&Ms

They’re worth an estimated $126.5 billion, and have diversified into pet care company VAC as well

The company Mars Inc was founded in 1911, and by 2015 was the sixth largest privately held company in America.

It’s now run by the fourth generation of the Mars family

3. The Koch Brothers

Fred C Koch founded an oil refinery in Kansas 1940, which eventually became known as Koch Industries

With a new cracking method that refined crude oil into gasoline, the business is now the second largest privately held organisation in America

Fred’s sons, David and Charles Koch, count as the third wealthiest family in the world with an estimated $124 5 billion

This is partly due to their father’s work, but they have risen to prominence in their own right through their political and financing activities

4. Al Saud - the Saudi Royal Family

The House of Saud is vast and extended, so putting an exact figure on the family’s wealth is tricky, but they have an estimated wealth of $100 billion

They are certainly the richest family based outside the US

With a lineage going back almost 100 years, the family’s wealth comes from its relationship with oil company Saudi Aramco, as well as payments from the Royal Diwan

5. The Wertheimer Family

Alain and Gerhard Wertheimer are the brothers who now own the famous fashion house Chanel, which their grandfather co-founded along with Gabrielle Coco Chanel

Their estimated worth is $57 6 billion, and they reside in France

6. The Dumas Family

Hermés, the French fashion house famous for its scarves, was first founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermés

Descended from Thierry are the Dumas family, who now run the company and are worth an estimated $53 1 billion

7. The De Spoelberch, Van Damme, and De Mevius families

Individually and then collectively dominating the brewing industry for more than 500 years, these three Belgian families joined forces in 1987 when they formed Interbrew

The brewing company has ensured the families are now worth around $53 billion

8. The Boehringer and Von Baumbach families

With an estimated worth of $51 9 billion, these two families jointly run the Boehringer Ingelheim pharmaceutical company in Germany and have for many generations

9. The Ambani brothers

Between them, Mukesh and Anil Ambani are worth an estimated $50.4 billion, thanks to their leadership of Reliance Industries.

This Indian industrial conglomerate was founded in 1957 by their father, and has a portfolio including oil, textiles, gas and petrochemicals, along with telecommunications, entertainment and more

10. The Cargill and MacMillan families

Cargill Inc is a commodities company which was founded more than 150 years ago in Iowa

It’s still run by the same two families six generations later, now in Minneapolis

The Cargills and MacMillans are between them worth around $42 9 billion

This article was compiled from data provided by investopedia.com

$15 billion has been unveiled too, as Egypt becomes a centre via which Chinese products can be exported around Africa and the Middle East.

Chinese tourism in Egypt has increased with more than half a million people taking the trip overseas in 2018, enticed by concerted collaborative efforts by both countries to sell Egypt as a travel destination

But perhaps one of the most visible products of China’s investment in Egypt is the ongoing construction of a New Administrative Capital for Egypt: a currently unnamed city aiming to one day be home to more than five million people

Funded by a consortium of Chinese banks, this ‘world capital’ level city is under construction right now, with the aim of easing pressure on congested Cairo

At 170,000 acres, the new city is larger than Chicago and is around twice the size of Cairo, which is 28 miles to its west

A prime position between Cairo and the Red Sea gives it key linkages to major shipping routes

The city will eventually cost $45 billion to build, and includes its own man-made river costing $9 billion and linking a series of public gardens

Recent news however suggests that all may not be well with the funding for this ambitious construction project Rumours that Egypt has so far been unable to meet the conditions attached to China’s $3 billion loan agreement have stalled the process

Assuming this can be resolved the initial money released will be used to build seven towers – two administrative and five residential

Then will come a central business district with 20 towers, the highest of which will be taller than the Empire State Building by four metres

Once complete the city will have 21 residential districts and 25 sector-specific districts 2000 educational institutions 663 medical facilities and a theme park four times as large as Disneyland

The date of completion was originally set at some time between 2020 and 2022, and it’s currently unclear whether current setbacks will impact this