Top 25 richest families in the world and their net worth in 2022
The modern-day global economy is vast, with numerous industries and other economic sectors spread worldwide. Still, one of the defining aspects of today's society is the unequal distribution of wealth among people. For nearly as long as humans have existed, there have always been those who are richer than others. Which are the richest families in the world today, and how much are they worth?
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The wealthiest families in the world today have accumulated their riches from conducting businesses in wide-ranging sectors, some of the most common being retail, energy, hospitality, finance, and pharmaceuticals.
Who are the richest families in the world today?
Here is a look at the world's wealthiest families, their companies, locations, and generations.
25. The Ferrero Family - $34.5 billion
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- Company: Ferrero
- Industry: Confectionery
- Country: Italy
- Wealth: $34.5 billion
- Generations: 3
Ferrero was founded by Michele Ferrero in the small Italian town of Alba. The company began as a small confectionery. Michele's son, Giovanni, took full charge of Ferrero after his brother passed away in a road accident in 2011.
In 2018, Ferrero acquired Nestle's candy business. It is currently managed through the family's two management firms; Teseo Capital in Luxembourg and Fedesa in Monaco. The Ferrero family is currently worth $34.5 billion.
24. The Pritzker Family - $35.3 billion
- Company: Hyatt Hotels and Pritzker Private Capital
- Industry: Hotels and finance
- Country: USA
- Wealth: $35.3 billion
- Generations: 4
The Hyatt Hotels and Pritzker Private Capital were founded by A.N. Pritzker, the son of a Ukrainian immigrant in America. Today, the family members are among the most prominent Democrats in the USA, with Penny Pritzker even once serving as US commerce secretary under President Barack Obama.
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23. The Kwok Family - $35.6 billion
- Company: Sun Hung Kai Properties
- Industry: Real Estate
- Country: Hong Kong
- Wealth: $35.6 billion
- Generations: 3
Kwok Tak-Seng co-founded Sun Hung Kai Properties in 1963. Kwok purchased huge tracts of land betting on Hong Kong's future growth. His company then went public in 1972 and has since become one of Hong Kong's largest property developers. Kwok's sons, Walter, Thomas and Raymond, took control of the company when he died in 1990.
22. The Rausing Family - $35.9 billion
- Company: Tetra Laval
- Industry: Packaging
- Country: Sweden
- Wealth: $35.9 billion
- Generations: 3
The Rausing Family's wealth originated with the development and manufacture of drink cartons pioneered by Ruben Rausing in Sweden in the mid-1950s. The manufacturing company was then passed on to Ruben's son, Gad. Another son of Ruben's, Hans, sold his stake in Tetra Laval to Gad in 1995 and later invested in eco-friendly packaging through his London-based family office, known as Alta Advisers.
21. The Cox Family - $35.9 billion
- Company: Cox Enterprises
- Industry: Communications and Automotive
- Country: USA
- Wealth: $35.9 billion
- Generations: 4
The Cox family owns Cox Enterprises, a conglomerate with nearly $20 billion in annual revenue. The company's communications division, known as Cox Communications, is among the largest cable companies in America.
James M. Cox founded the company in 1898. His descendants, including James Kennedy and Blair Parry-Okeden, remain active shareholders in the family's vast business empire. Besides communications, the Cox Family also invests in the automotive industry through the Cox Family Office.
20. The Van Damme, De Spoelberch and De Mevius families - $40.2 billion
- Company: Anheuser-Busch InBev
- Industry: Beverages
- Country: Belgium
- Wealth: $40.2 billion
- Generations: 5
The collective business enterprise of these three Belgian beermaking families has its roots in the 14th century. The Van Damme family joined the other two when the 1987 merger between two beer brands, Piedboeuf and Artois, led to the creation of Interbrew, which then merged with Brazil's AmBev in 2004.
19. The Newhouse Family - $41.6 billion
- Company: Advance Publications
- Industry: Media
- Country: USA
- Wealth: $41.6 billion
- Generations: 3
Samuel Irving Newhouse founded Advance Publications in 1922. Samuel then built up a portfolio of newspapers, cable television services, magazines, and radio stations that his sons Samuel and Donald would eventually control. In recent years Advance Publications has diversified into numerous other sectors, including software and commerce.
18. The Dassault Family - $41.9 billion
- Company: Dassault Systemes
- Industry: Software and aviation
- Country: France
- Wealth: $41.9 billion
- Generations: 3
Marcel Dassault was born in Paris in 1892 and is renowned for inventing a type of aircraft propeller during World War I that was used by the French military. By the 1960s, his company, Dassault Aviation, was designing, manufacturing, and shipping planes overseas. It would later become incredibly famous for its Mirage and Rafale fighter jets.
Today, the family-controlled Dassault Group has interests in software, media, and real estate. Its most valuable division is Dassault Systemes, a technology company that provides 3D surface modelling of wind tunnels. It has over $5 billion in annual revenue.
17. The Quandt Family - $42.3 billion
- Company: BMW
- Industry: Automotive
- Country: Germany
- Wealth: $42.3 billion
- Generations: 4
Herbert Quandt is widely credited with turning Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) from a struggling carmaker into one of the world's largest automotive manufacturers. The family matriarch Johanna Quandt passed away in 2015, and her children, Stefan Quandt and Susanne Klatten, now control nearly half the company.
Today, the family's wealth is estimated to be $42.3 billion.
16. The Mulliez Family - $45.9 billion
- Company: Auchan
- Industry: Consumer retail
- Country: France
- Wealth: $45.9 billion
- Generations: 4
In 1961, Gerard Mulliez started Auchan, commonly known as France's Walmart. Today, the retail outlet has grown into one of Europe's biggest supermarket chains. The Mulliez Family's holding company, Association Familiale Mulliez, has a controlling stake in wide-ranging retail businesses, including the world-famous home-improvement chain Leroy Merlin.
15. The Hoffmann Family - $47.3 billion
- Company: Roche
- Industry: Pharmaceuticals
- Country: Switzerland
- Wealth: $47.3 billion
- Generations: 5
In 1896, renowned entrepreneur Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche founded Roche Holdings, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Switzerland. Today, Fritz's descendants control about 9% of the company that generates annual revenue above 62 billion.
Besides the hugely successful business, the Hoffmann family is renowned for its support for nature conservation.
14. The Lauder Family - $49.3 billion
- Company: Estee Lauder
- Industry: Cosmetics
- Country: USA
- Wealth: $49.3 billion
- Generations: 3
The Lauders are a prominent family worth $49.3 billion today. Estée Lauder established the cosmetics company with her husband in 1946.
Currently, six billionaire members of this family own stakes in the publicly traded company, which has 29 famous brands such as Origins, MAC, and Clinique. The founders' grandchild, William Lauder, chairs the company, while his brother Ronald chairs the Clinique division.
13. The Albrecht Family - $51 billion
- Company: Aldi
- Industry: Consumer retail
- Country: Germany
- Wealth: $51 billion
- Generations: 3
After returning home from World War II, two brothers, Theo and Karl Albrecht took over their parent's grocery store and turned it into Aldi, a hugely successful chain of discount supermarkets. Theo and Karl then divided the business into two branches; Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud. Today, the two branches have over 10,000 stores. Theo's side of the Albrecht family also acquired Trader Joe's in 1979.
12. The Cargill-MacMillan Family - $51.6 billion
- Company: Cargill
- Industry: Agribusiness
- Country: USA
- Wealth: $51.6 billion
- Generations: 6
The Cargill-MacMillan family owns the largest privately held company in the United States, Cargill, Inc. It is an agribusiness multinational founded in 1865 by William W. Cargill when he started a one-grain storage warehouse in Iowa.
Presently, his heirs own the largest stake in the company. The Cargill-Macmillan family is one of the wealthiest families in the world, with 14 billionaires in the family. 23 descendants of William Cargill own 88% of the company.
11. The Boehringer Family - $59.2 billion
- Company: Boehringer Ingelheim
- Industry: Pharmaceuticals
- Country: Germany
- Wealth: $59.2 billion
- Generations: 4
Albert Boehringer founded the German drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim in 1885 by. Over 120 years later, the Boehringer family still holds a controlling stake in the multi-billion-dollar company. The current chairman Hubertus von Baumbach, and his extended family are among the owners of the closely held company. The family also invests in private equity through Profunda.
10. The Thomson Family - $61.1 billion
- Company: Thomson Reuters
- Industry: Media
- Country: Canada
- Wealth: $61.1 billion
- Generations: 3
The Thomsons are Canada's richest family and among the top 10 richest families in the world. Their wealth originated in the early 1930s when Roy Thomson founded a small radio station in Ontario, Canada. He then branched out into newspapers and quickly became the country's leading private media owner.
Today, the family holds about a majority stake in Thomson Reuters, one of the world's leading financial data and services providers.
9. The Johnson Family - $61.2 billion
- Company: Fidelity Investments
- Industry: Finance
- Country: USA
- Wealth: $61.2 billion
- Generations: 3
Fidelity Investments was founded in 1946 by Edward C. Johnson II. Today, the financial empire is run by his granddaughter, Abigail. The closely held firm recently launched zero-expense ratio funds in response to the massive shift from actively managed funds to low-cost index funds.
The Johnson family office is based in New Hampshire, USA.
8. The Wertheimer Family - $61.8 billion
- Company: Chanel
- Industry: Luxury goods
- Country: France
- Wealth: $61.8 billion
- Generations: 3
The Wertheimer Family's wealth began when the original Wertheimer funded the designer Coco Chanel in 1920. Today, the family owns the luxury goods fashion house renowned for introducing the 'little black dress to the world. The company occasionally records revenue in excess of $10 billion per year.
Besides Chanel, the Wertheimers also own numerous racehorses and vineyards.
7. The Ambani Family - $93.7 billion
- Company: Reliance Industries
- Industry: Energy and Technology
- Country: India
- Wealth: $93.7 billion
- Generations: 3
Mukesh and Anil took over the business empire left by their father, Dhirubhai Ambani, after his demise in 2002. Dhirubhai founded Reliance Industries in the 1950s. The Mumbai-based conglomerate owns the world's largest oil refining complex.
6. The Al-Saud Family - $100 billion
- Company: N/A
- Industry: Energy and industry
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Wealth: $100 billion
- Generations: 3
The Al-Saud Family's wealth is distributed among more than 15,000 extended family members. Some of the family's fortune comes from brokering government contracts and land deals through firms that service state companies, such as Saudi Aramco. The Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, personally controls assets valued at more than $1 billion.
5. The Hermes Family - $111.6 billion
- Company: Hermes
- Industry: Luxury goods
- Country: France
- Wealth: $111.6 billion
- Generations: 6
The sixth-generation Hermes Family owns the French luxury fashion company known as Hermes. The company is known for, among other things, its Birkin handbags which can cost as high as hundreds of thousands of dollars. Pierre-Alexis Dumas is one of the family members with senior management positions in the company.
4. The Koch Family - $124.4 billion
- Company: Koch Industries
- Industry: Energy
- Country: USA
- Wealth: $124.4 billion
- Generations: 3
Four brothers, Charles, David, Frederick, and William, inherited their father Fred's oil firm. In the 1980s, a feud arose among the brothers regarding control over their dad's company. As a result, Frederick and William left the company, while Charles and David stayed. The firm has since grown into the modern-day Koch Industries, a business with a $115-billion annual revenue.
The Koch Family manages some of its wealth through its family office known as 1888 Management.
3. The Mars Family - $141.9 billion
- Company: Mars
- Industry: Confectionery and pet care
- Country: USA
- Wealth: $141.9 billion
- Generations: 5
Frank Mars started Mars when he began selling molasses candies in 1902. At the time, he was only 19 years old. Today, the company is known for some of the best candy in the world, including M&M, Milky Way and Snickers bars.
2. The Walton Family - $238.2 billion
- Company: Walmart
- Industry: Consumer retail
- Country: USA
- Wealth: $238.2 billion
- Generations: 3
The Walton family owns a 48% stake in Walmart, the world's largest retailer by revenue, with sales of $559 billion from more than 10,500 stores worldwide. The family, now in its third generation, has accumulated wealth estimated at $238.2 billion in 2022.
1. The Rothschild Family - $400 Billion
- Company: Rothschild & Co.
- Industry: Assorted
- Country: London
- Wealth: $400 Billion
- Generations: 6
The original Rothschild Family was a family of five sons and their father who created a banking empire during the 1800s. Are the Rothschilds the richest family in the world? Yes, today, the Rothschild family's net worth is about $400 billion. Known as the richest family of all time, The Rothschilds were also incredibly powerful. Still, they are said to have become less influential in the modern-day than they were decades ago.
The Rothschilds are of Jewish roots. They originated in Frankfurt, Germany, and eventually established an international banking empire with huge market shares in major cities worldwide. These include London, Paris, Vienna, and Naples.
Besides banking, the Rothschilds' interests have expanded to include real estate, mining, energy, agriculture, winemaking, and nonprofits
What is John D Rockefeller's net worth in 2022?
The Rockefeller family's net worth in 2022 is estimated to be $8.4B, with the fortune split among 174 family members. The family patriarch, John Davison Rockefeller Sr., was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He is widely considered to have been one of the wealthiest Americans of his time.
Who are the 5 wealthiest families in the world?
Here is a look at the 5 richest families in the world.
- The Rothschild Family - $400 Billion
- The Walton Family - $238.2 billion
- The Mars Family - $141.9 billion
- The Koch Family - $124.4 billion
- The Hermes Family - $111.6 billion
Who has the richest family in the world?
The remaining heirs of the Rothschilds can be said to have the richest family in the world. Here are some of the heirs.
- Baron David René James de Rothschild
- David Mayer de Rothschild
- Édouard Etienne Alphonse de Rothschild
- Emma Georgina Rothschild
- Leopold David de Rothschild
- Lynn Forester de Rothschild. E.L. Rothschild.
- Nadine de Rothschild
Who is richer than the Rothschilds?
No other family is known to be wealthier than the Rothschilds today.
The richest families in the world have wealth going up to hundreds of billions of dollars. These elite families are spread across the world, with a significant number coming from the USA. They engage in wide-ranging economic activities that have sustained their wealth across generations.
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Jedidah Tabalia Jedi is a journalist with over 5 years working experience in the media industry. She has a BSc. in Human Resource Management from Moi University (graduated in 2014) and a working in progress MBA in Strategic Management. Having joined Genesis in 2017, Jedi is a passionate Facts and Life Hacks, Fitness, and Health content creator who sees beauty in everything. She loves traveling and checking out new restaurants. Her email address is jedidahtabalia@gmail.com
Jackline Wangare (Lifestyle writer) Jackline Simwa is a content writer at Briefly.co.za, where she has worked since mid-2021. She tackles diverse topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. Previously, she worked at The Campanile by Kenyatta University. She has more than five years in writing. Jackline graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (2019) and a Diploma in Marketing (2015) from Kenyatta University. In 2023, Jackline finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and Google News Initiative course in 2024. Email: simwajackie2022@gmail.com.