2022 turned out to be quite the year for 236 people globally – the newest faces on the Forbes billionaires list. This list covers a broad spectrum of professionals from China to the United States, coming from diverse industries like music to fashion.
China is topping the list of countries producing the largest number of billionaires. Despite numerous crackdowns and regulations, the country has added 60 new billionaires to the global list; 62 if you count the 2 names from Hong Kong. Low-budget eCommerce website Shein’s founder Chris Xu, with an estimated net worth of $5.4 billion, is one of the 62 billionaires.
The United States came in a close second, producing 50 billionaires of its own. These include cryptocurrency exchange FTX’s 28-year-old CEO Gary Wang, with a net worth of $5.9 billion. 44-year-old Scott Shleifer (net worth of $5 billion), the co-founder of hedge fund Tiger Global Management’s private equity arm, made it to the billionaire club in 2022.
Another Asian country on the list is India, taking third place with 29 names. The list includes Falguni Nayar (net worth of $4.5 billion), India’s richest self-made woman. She is the founder of fashion retail giant Nykaa, which was taken public in November 2022.
The youngest persons to join this list are 25-year-old Pedro Franceschi and 26-year-old co-founder Henrique Dubugras, with a net worth of $1.5 billion each. The 2 young Brazilian billionaires cofounded credit card startup Brex, valued at $12.3 billion in January.
On the other hand, India’s Subba Rao Jasti is this list’s oldest entrant. The 95-year-old’s wealth is derived from his stakes in Suven Pharmaceuticals and Suven Life Sciences, both run by his son, Venkateswarlu Jasti.
Arguably, one of the most famous names on this list is Rihanna. The popstar-turned-entrepreneur primarily derived her wealth from Fenty Beauty and the Savage x Fenty lingerie line. Her current net worth is estimated to be $1.7 billion. As for the other 32 women on the list, only 10 are self-made.
Another beloved face on 2022’s list of new billionaires is NBA’s superstar, LeBron James. James’ multiple investments have gained him a net worth of $1 billion.