One woman, five French, and a Russian with a sanction are among the richest people in Europe. The richest individual in the world right now is a European man. This position has been held by Bernard Arnault, owner of the largest luxury retail empire in the world, for at least a week now, ousting Elon Musk from the top spot. However, the 73-year-old Frenchman is hardly the only extremely wealthy person living in Europe. A few of the richest people in the world are standing next to him, including one woman, five owners of clothes and beauty companies, and a Russian billionaire who is now under US sanctions.
Bernard Arnault leads the list of the richest people in Europe
With an estimated net worth of almost €149 billion, Bernard Arnault surpasses his Tesla and Twitter-owning predecessor Elon Musk by a stunning €14 billion. In order to put Arnault’s wealth into perspective, consider that it is around ten times greater than the total value of France’s wine and spirit exports in 2021, the second-largest export of the nation. He is the owner of several of the most well-known luxury companies in the world, including Tiffany & Co., Moet Hennessy, Kenzo, and Louis Vuitton. Additionally, he has shook hands with some of the most influential – and occasionally contentious – world leaders, including current French President Emmanuel Macron, former US President Francois Hollande, Russian President Vladimir Putin, former US President Barack Obama, and former US President Donald Trump.
Francoise Bettencourt Meyers
The richest woman in the world, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, is thought to have a net worth of almost €66 billion. Her net fortune is about equal to the pre-COVID-19 travel and tourist industry in her nation. The 69-year-old Frenchwoman is just the 13th richest person in the world despite having enormous wealth. But since she presently serves as the vice chair of the board of L’Oréal, her cosmetics empire could be able to help her get over it. The business, which her grandfather founded in 1909, is the biggest cosmetics company in the world.
Amancio Ortega
Amancio Ortega is the third wealthiest person in Europe, with a net worth of about €50 billion. The majority of people have probably heard of him, if not shopped at one of his businesses, despite the fact that he is just the 23rd richest person in the world. He is the owner of the parent business of Zara, the contentious fast-fashion chain with more than 7,400 locations across the world. The 86-year-old Spaniard has an estimated value that is around 24 million times larger than the typical Spaniard’s salary, despite his relatively low ranking on this planet.
Gerard and Alain Wertheimer
French brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer are the 26th and 27th richest individuals in the world as well as the fourth and fifth richest people in Europe. The co-owners of the well-known Parisian fragrance and fashion brand Chanel, which is expected to be worth approximately €15 billion in 2021, have a net worth of around €40 billion. Since their family was one of the primary supporters of the house’s namesake and original designer, Coco Chanel, back in the 1920s, their fortune is mostly inherited.
Family of Giovanni Ferrero
Giovanni Ferrero and his family are the sixth wealthiest in Europe and the 29th richest people in the world, with a net worth of almost €39 billion. Unlike their forebears, the Ferrero fortune was mostly derived from their chocolate business rather than from their businesses in fashion, beauty, or luxury goods. They also control the company that manufactures beloved European candies like Tic Tacs, Kinder, and Nutella. Italian-born Ferrero is the highest-ranking member of his family’s business and serves as its CEO.
Francois Pinault
With a net worth of almost €33.4 billion, Francois Pinault ranks 30th in the world and seventh in Europe for richest people. You’ve probably heard of one of his assets, Gucci, like many others on this list. But before forming the luxury conglomerate Kering, which also owns other fashion labels like Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen, Pinault quit his high-school education in Brittany, in northwest France. Along with owning Christie’s International, he apparently also has a personal art collection of over 2,000 pieces.
Klaus -Michael Kuehne
Klaus-Michael Kuehne is ranked 35th in the world and the ninth richest person in Europe. Although his estimated worth of €30 billion may not seem like much in comparison to the other names on the list, it is about equal to 12% of the estimated total revenue of the German automotive sector in 2021. The two shipping firms are where the 85-year-old German derives the majority of his wealth. He is the owner of the world’s biggest marine freight forwarder, which transports cargo ships.
Vladimir Potanin
Vladimir Potanin is regarded as being the richest man in Russia, with an estimated net worth of €27 billion. In addition, he is the 40th richest person in the world and the ninth richest in Europe. The 61-year-old is the industry’s top high-grade nickel producer. In an effort to target individuals and organizations with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the US has added him, his wife, and his daughter to its list of individuals subject to fresh sanctions against Moscow. While it is unclear how this might affect his rating, another, more covert factor—undiscovered Russia’s wealth—could potentially have an impact.
Putin, the president of Russia, is paid by the state an annual salary of almost €132,000. However, it has been widely conjectured that he may be hiding riches that would dwarf everyone on this list and be in the neighborhood of €188 billion. He would become the richest man in the world if it were to be true.
