The number of billionaires has steadily been increasing over the past few years. Last year saw the number of the superrich hit a record high of 2,781, according to Forbes magazine.
The combined net worth of these billionaires reached $14.2 trillion (£10.8 trillion). The billionaires hailed from 78 countries or territories around the world. The majority of these mega-rich people are between the ages of 50 and 79 – almost three-quarters of the total number.
Among the remaining ones are 21 who have managed to become billionaires by the age of thirty.
Fifteen of the billionaire youths are from Europe, with Germany leading the way, followed by Italy.
All but two of them inherited their wealth. Below is a list of the five youngest billionaires as compiled by Forbes.
5. Sophie Luise Fielmann and Remi Dassault
Both have a net worth of $2.8 Billion (£2.1bn). Sophie (30) and her older brother Marc inherited much of their late father Günther Fielmann’s fortune when he died last year.
Fielmann founded Fielmann AG in 1972 with the goal of bringing affordable eyeglasses to Germany. Marc co-led the company with his dad in 2018 and fully took over the following year.
Remi’s great-grandfather was a Holocaust survivor who invented a propeller used by the French Air Service in World War I. He founded the company that would become the aerospace giant Dassault Aviation.
The twenty-three-year old Remi owns an estimated 4.1% stake in that business, as well as an estimated 2.5% stake in the software firm Dassault Systèmes.
4. Kevin David Lehmann
Aged just 22, Kevin is worth $3.6 Billion (£2.7bn). He inherited his fortune after his father quietly passed him a 50% stake in DM-drogerie markt, Germany’s leading drugstore chain, in 2017.
3. Firoz and Zahan Mistry
Firoy (28) and Zahan (26) have a net worth of $4 billion (£3bn). The brothers inherited 4.6% stakes in the $165 billion (revenue) Mumbai-based multinational conglomerate Tata Sons after their father died in a car accident in 2022.
2. Katharina, Maximilian, Franz and Johannes von Baumbach
Aged just 19, Johannes is the youngest heir to the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim. Along with his siblings Katharina (29), Maximilian (27) and Franz (23) he is said to be worth a cool $5.4 billion (£4.5 billion).
The drugmaker has been led by a family member — Johannes’ uncle, Hubertus von Baumbach — since 2015. Johannes skis competitively in Austria.
1. Leonardo Maria, Luca and Clemente del Vecchio
The siblings inherited a 12.5% stake in the family holding company that owns nearly a third of EssilorLuxottica, the world’s largest eyeglasses business. Their net worth is estimated to be $6.6 billion (£5.5bn).
Leonardo Maria del Vecchio (29) is EssilorLuxottica’s chief strategy officer as well as the president of the iconic brand Ray-Ban.
Luca (23) and Clemente (20) currently have no role at EssilorLuxottica.
