One powerful figure in the world of showbiz or business is impressive
enough, but two combined create a force to be reckoned with. Two are
definitely better than one when it comes to power and wealth.
Wealth-X,
a firm that does research and valuations on ultra-high net worth
individuals, has provided a list of the 10 richest couples in the world,
who are either self-made billionaires or those who have obtained their
wealth through inheritance.
These men and women are developers, innovators, CEOs, fashion magnates, and philanthropists.
From the US to China to Spain to France, we present to you the world’s wealthiest couples in descending order:
1. Bill and Melinda Gates Combined net worth: $85.7 billion
In
1975, by founding Microsoft, Bill Gates was already on his way to make
fortune. However, these days, he is serving as a Co-Chairman of the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation together with his wife. Melinda Gates
started working at Microsoft in 1987, and the couple married in 1994.
According to what some say, their three children are prohibited from
using any and all Apple products. Gates is still performing duties of a
Director and Technology Advisor to Microsoft.
Bill and Melinda Gates are known widely as generous humanitarians. In
August 2010, when they formed The Giving Pledge with Warren Buffett,
they publicly pledged to willingly give most of their wealth to charity.
Those to sign on include former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg,
Mark Zuckerberg and more than 130 other billionaires.
2. Amancio Ortega Gaona and Flora Perez Combined net worth: $70.7 billion
Amancio
Ortega, retail fashion tycoon met his second wife, Flora Perez, while
she was working as an employee at Amancio’s retail clothing holding
company, Inditex. They knew each other for two decades before they got
married. In 1975, when Ortega co-founded Zara with his first wife in
1975, he had made most of his fortune then. Also, the company promptly
took off as an reasonably priced place to buy designer clothing and
fabrics. In 2001, Inditex was thrown open to public and is currently one
of the most biggest and valuable fashion retail groups in the world.
Today, Perez is on the board of Inditex, as a representative of the
holding company Gartler, which owns a 50% stake in Inditex. She also
works as a Vice President of the Amancio Ortega Foundation, a
philanthropic foundation set up by her husband primarily meant to
contribute towards social initiatives and education.
3. Warren Buffett and Astrid Menks Combined net worth: $65 billion
In
1977, when Warren Buffett, the famous investor and chairman/CEO of
Berkshire Hathaway separated from his first wife, Susan, it just so
happened that Astrid Menks was introduced to Buffett by Susan. Until
Susan’s death in 2004, the three were friends and were even known to
send gifts signed “Warren, Susie, and Astrid.”
Before marrying
Buffett, Astrid was a waitress at a cocktail bar. Buffett’s company owns
Dairy Queen, Helzberg Diamonds, Geico,Fruit of the Loom and Heinz,
among others. It also has a small stake in Coca-Cola, American Express,
Goldman Sachs, and more.
Buffett collaborated with Bill Gates to create The Giving Pledge, and
boost other billionaires to pledge most of their wealth to charity; the
Buffetts themselves plan to give away 85% of their Berkshire Hathaway
shares.
4. David and Julia Koch Combined net worth: $47.5 billion
In
1991, David and Julia Koch were introduced to each other, when he was
50 and she was 27. He was employed at Koch Industries, while she was
employed as an assistant to the famous fashion designer, Adolfo. They
married in 1996 and have three children.
Today, David works as an
Executive Vice President of Koch Industries and the CEO of Koch Chemical
Technology Group. He also was a former Libertarian Party US
Vice-Presidential candidate. On the other hand, Julia works as a
Director of the School of American Ballet.
During the 2012 presidential campaign, David who is a loyal supporter
of conservative politics had hosted a private $50,000-a-plate campaign
dinner to support Mitt Romney.
5. Charles and Elizabeth Koch Combined net worth: $47.4 billion
According
to Elizabeth “Liz” Koch, the number-one driving conviction for her
husband, Charles Koch, is a passionate belief in the free market system.
The Koch family has been popularly criticized in the media, and Liz
asserts that they now travel everywhere with bodyguards.
n 1967, Charles Koch and his three brothers inherited their father’s
business. Further, in 1983, Koch and his brother, David, purchased their
brothers’ holdings in the company for $1 billion. Today, Koch owns a
42% stake in the company and is its chairman and CEO.
Liz Koch not
only works on the Board of Overseers of the Network for Teaching
Entrepreneurship but is also involved in her husband’s company. Both
Charles and Liz take part in the good samaritan activities of the Koch
Cultural Trust and Charles Koch Foundation.
6. Wang Jianlin and Ning Lin Combined net worth: $40.7 billion
In
1986, Wang had borrowed $80,000 to get his private property development
company, Dalian Wanda Group started. 30 years later, he now owns the
second-largest movie theater chain in North America, owns a majority
stake in Sunseeker Yachts, has an extensive portfolio of five-star
luxury hotel investments, and is a global leader in Chinese commercial
real estate. He is supposedly in the middle of discussion to to invest
in MGM and to buy Hollywood film studio Lions Gate Entertainment.
His wife, on the other hand, works as a chairperson of Lin Investment
Group Inc., a company that trades in interior design, construction,
food and beverage services throughout China.
7. Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos Combined net worth: $39.8 billion
In
1992, Mrs. Bezos met her future husband while she was working for him
at D.E. Shaw, a New York-based hedge fund. Within two years, the couple
got married and during their cross-country move to Seattle, they started
writing the business plan for Amazon.com.
One of the largest e-commerce sites on the web, Amazon is now worth
$175 billion, and Bezos himself is richer than three out of the four
Wal-Mart heirs.
MacKenzie is a former pupil of award-winning
writer Toni Morrison and the recipient of the 2006 American Book Award.
The couple’s 2013 purchase of The Washington Post for $250 million is
reported to have been of personal interest (Amazon was not involved in
the deal).
8. Bernard Arnault and Helene Mercier Arnault Combined net worth: $38.7 billion
Arnault
is the CEO of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), a fashion and luxury
products group. Upon an inheritance from his father’s civil engineering
company, Ferinel, he started his journey to success. He ultimately
became the Chairman of Ferinel and acquired a handful of companies
including Christian Dior and Le Bon Marché. Arnault became the CEO, when
Louis Vuitton and Moët Hennessy combined, and LVMH now markets luxury
products across 60 brands including Givenchy, Dom Perignon and Marc
Jacobs.
Arnault and his wife, who is a French-Canadian concert pianist are
passionate art collectors and have made LVMH a major patron of art in
France. LVMH supposedly owns vineyard in Burgundy, France and also owns a
stake in famous Bordeaux wine estate Chateau Cheval Blanc.
9. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Combined net worth: $38.5 billion
A
mere 10 years ago, the founder and CEO of the world’s biggest social
network was just a high school student at Harvard. Zuckerberg’s
relationship with fellow Harvard classmate Priscilla Chan sparked at a
chance meeting at a frat party, and nine years later they got married.
Chan, is a trilingual former teacher and pediatric. In order to help
complete the construction at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma
Center, Zuckerberg recently donated $75 million towards it. For his
part, the Facebook tycoon since April 2013 has been earning a $1 salary
at the company.
10. James and Lynne Walton Combined net worth: $36.2 billion
When
his brother John expired in 2005, James “Jim” Carr Walton, the youngest
son of Wal-Mart founder Samuel Walton, joined the company’s board. He
now works as Director of Walton Enterprises, the holding company of the
Walton family assets; chairman and CEO of Arvest Bank; and founder of
Community Publishers. Jim Walton who serves as secretary and treasurer
to the Walton Family Foundation gave away more than $300 million to
charity in 2013.
Wal-Mart stores employ a mind blowing 2.2 million people and functions
in 14 countries. Still, the Waltons and their four grown children give
very few press interviews. They reside in Bentonville, Arkansas, where
Lynne owned a bookstore in the town square until 2003. The couple has
also given away more than $60,000 to the Congressional Committees and
Republican National Senatorial as charity.