The World's Billionaires
Annual rankings -- 2007
Table:
No.

Name

Net worth (USD)

Age

Nationality

Source(s) of wealth

1
Bill Gates
$56.0 billion
51
United States
Microsoft

2
Warren Buffett
$52.0 billion
76
United States
Berkshire Hathaway

3
Carlos Slim
$49.0 billion
67
Mexico
América Móvil, Grupo Carso

4
Ingvar Kamprad
$33.0 billion
80
Sweden
IKEA

5
Lakshmi Mittal
$32.0 billion
56
India
Arcelor Mittal

6
Sheldon Adelson
$26.5 billion
73
United States
Las Vegas Sands

7
Bernard Arnault
$26.0 billion
58
France
LVMH

8
Amancio Ortega
$24.0 billion
71
Spain
Inditex Group

9
Li Ka-shing
$23.0 billion
78
Hong Kong
Cheung Kong Holdings, Hutchison Whampoa

10
David Thomson
$22.0 billion
49
Canada
Thomson Corporation

Taking into account the accompanying table plus the passages provided.

Give the answer to the question: In what year did the billionaire with the 4th highest net worth die in ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Net worth is the value of all the non-financial and financial assets owned by an institutional unit or sector minus the value of all its outstanding liabilities . Since financial assets minus outstanding liabilities equal net financial assets , net worth can also be conveniently expressed as non-financial assets plus net financial assets . Net worth can apply to companies , individuals , governments or economic sectors such as the sector of financial corporations or to entire countries .
The United States dollar ( sign : $ ; code : USD ; also abbreviated US $ and referred to as the dollar , U.S. dollar , or American dollar ) is the official currency of the United States and its territories per the Coinage Act of 1792 . One dollar is divided into 100 cents ( Symbol : ¢ ) or 1000 mills ( for accounting purposes and for taxing . Symbol : ₥ ) . The Coinage Act of 1792 created a decimal currency by creating the following coins : tenth dollar , one-twentieth dollar , one-hundredth dollar . In addition the act created the dollar , half dollar , and quarter dollar coins . All of these coins are still minted in 2020 . In addition , several forms of paper money were introduced by Congress over the years . The latest of these , the Federal Reserve Note , was authorized by the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 , while all existing U.S. currency remains legal tender . Issuance of the previous form of the currency ( U.S. notes ) was discontinued in January 1971 . As a result , currently circulating paper money consists primarily of Federal Reserve Notes that are denominated in United States dollars ( 12 U.S.C . § 418 ) . Since the suspension in 1971 of convertibility of paper U.S. currency into any precious metal , the U.S. dollar is de facto fiat money .
Citizen is the status of a person recognized under the custom or law as being a legal member of a sovereign state or belonging to a nation . The idea of citizenship has been defined as the capacity of individuals to defend their rights in front of the governmental authority . A person may have multiple citizenships . A person who does not have citizenship of any state is said to be stateless , while one who lives on state borders whose territorial status is uncertain is a border-lander .
William Henry Gates III ( born October 28 , 1955 ) is an American business magnate , software developer , investor , and philanthropist . He is best known as the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation . During his career at Microsoft , Gates held the positions of chairman , chief executive officer ( CEO ) , president and chief software architect , while also being the largest individual shareholder until May 2014 . He is one of the best-known entrepreneurs and pioneers of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s . Born and raised in Seattle , Washington , Gates co-founded Microsoft with childhood friend Paul Allen in 1975 in Albuquerque , New Mexico ; it went on to become the world 's largest personal computer software company . [ a ] Gates led the company as chairman and CEO until stepping down as CEO in January 2000 , but he remained chairman and became chief software architect . During the late 1990s , Gates had been criticized for his business tactics , which have been considered anti-competitive . This opinion has been upheld by numerous court rulings . In June 2006 , Gates announced that he would be transitioning to a part-time role at Microsoft and full-time work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , the private charitable foundation that he and his wife , Melinda Gates , established in 2000 . He gradually transferred his duties to Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie . He stepped down as chairman of Microsoft in February 2014 and assumed a new post as technology adviser to support the newly appointed CEO Satya Nadella . Since 1987 , he has been included in the Forbes list of the world 's wealthiest documented individuals .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond , Washington . It develops , manufactures , licenses , supports , and sells computer software , consumer electronics , personal computers , and related services . Its best known software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems , the Microsoft Office suite , and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers . Its flagship hardware products are the Xbox video game consoles and the Microsoft Surface lineup of touchscreen personal computers . In 2016 , it was the world 's largest software maker by revenue ( currently Alphabet/Google has more revenue ) . The word Microsoft is a portmanteau of microcomputer and software . Microsoft is ranked No . 30 in the 2018 Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue . Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4 , 1975 , to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800 . It rose to dominate the personal computer operating system market with MS-DOS in the mid-1980s , followed by Microsoft Windows . The company 's 1986 initial public offering ( IPO ) , and subsequent rise in its share price , created three billionaires and an estimated 12,000 millionaires among Microsoft employees . Since the 1990s , it has increasingly diversified from the operating system market and has made a number of corporate acquisitions , their largest being the acquisition of LinkedIn for $ 26.2 billion in December 2016 , followed by their acquisition of Skype Technologies for $ 8.5 billion in May 2011 .
Warren Edward Buffett ( /ˈbʌfɪt/ ; born August 30 , 1930 ) is an American business magnate , investor , and philanthropist , who is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway . He is considered one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net worth of US $ 88.9 billion as of December 2019 , making him the fourth-wealthiest person in the world . Buffett was born in Omaha , Nebraska . He developed an interest in business and investing in his youth , eventually entering the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1947 before transferring and graduating from the University of Nebraska at the age of 19 . He went on to graduate from Columbia Business School , where he molded his investment philosophy around the concept of value investing that was pioneered by Benjamin Graham . He attended New York Institute of Finance to focus his economics background and soon after began various business partnerships , including one with Graham . He created Buffett Partnership , Ltd in 1956 and his firm eventually acquired a textile manufacturing firm called Berkshire Hathaway , assuming its name to create a diversified holding company . In 1978 , Charlie Munger joined Buffett and became vice chairman of the company . Buffett has been the chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway since 1970 . He has been referred to as the Oracle or Sage of Omaha by global media outlets . He is noted for his adherence to value investing and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth . Research published at the University of Oxford characterizes Buffett 's investment methodology as falling within founder centrism - defined by a deference to managers with a founder 's mindset , an ethical disposition towards the shareholder collective , and an intense focus on exponential value creation .
Berkshire Hathaway is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha , Nebraska , United States . The company wholly owns GEICO , Duracell , Dairy Queen , BNSF , Lubrizol , Fruit of the Loom , Helzberg Diamonds , Long & Foster , FlightSafety International , Pampered Chef , Forest River and NetJets , and also owns 38.6% of Pilot Flying J ; 26.7% of the Kraft Heinz Company , and significant minority holdings in American Express ( 17.6% ) , Wells Fargo ( 9.9% ) , The Coca-Cola Company ( 9.4% ) , Bank of America ( 6.8% ) , and Apple ( 5.22% ) . Since 2016 , the company has acquired large holdings in the major US airline carriers , and is currently the largest shareholder in United Airlines and Delta Air Lines , and a top three shareholder in Southwest Airlines and American Airlines . Berkshire Hathaway has averaged an annual growth in book value of 19.0% to its shareholders since 1965 ( compared to 9.7% from the S & P 500 with dividends included for the same period ) , while employing large amounts of capital , and minimal debt . The company is known for its control and leadership by Warren Buffett , who serves as chairman and chief executive , and by Charlie Munger , the company 's vice-chairman . In the early part of his career at Berkshire , Buffett focused on long-term investments in publicly traded companies , but more recently he has more frequently bought whole companies . Berkshire now owns a diverse range of businesses including confectionery , retail , railroads , home furnishings , encyclopedias , manufacturers of vacuum cleaners , jewelry sales , manufacture and distribution of uniforms , and several regional electric and gas utilities . According to the Forbes Global 2000 list and formula , Berkshire Hathaway is the third largest public company in the world , the tenth largest conglomerate by revenue and the largest financial services company by revenue in the world . As of February 2020 , Berkshire 's Class B stock is the seventh-largest component of the S & P 500 Index ( which is based on free-float market capitalization ) and the company is famous for having the most expensive share price in history with Class A shares costing around $ 340,000 each . This is because there has never been a stock split in its Class A shares and Buffett stated in a 1984 letter to shareholders that he does not intend to split the stock .
Carlos Slim Helú ( Spanish pronunciation : [ ˈkaɾlos ezˈlim eˈlu ] ; born 28 January 1940 in Mexico City ) is a Mexican business tycoon , investor , philanthropist , and engineer . From 2010 to 2013 , Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world by the Forbes business magazine . He derived his fortune from his extensive holdings in a considerable number of Mexican companies through his conglomerate , Grupo Carso . As of February 2020 , he is the fifth-richest person in the world according to Forbes ' listing of The World 's Billionaires , with he and his family having a net worth estimated at $ 68.9 billion . He is the richest person in Latin America . His conglomerate includes education , health care , industrial manufacturing , transportation , real estate , media , energy , hospitality , entertainment , high-technology , retail , sports and financial services . He accounts for 40% of the listings on the Mexican Stock Exchange , while his net worth is equivalent to about 6 percent of Mexico 's gross domestic product . As of 2016 , he is the largest single shareholder of The New York Times Company .
Mexico ( Spanish : México [ ˈmexiko ] ( listen ) ; Nahuatl languages : Mēxihco ) , officially the United Mexican States ( UMS ; Spanish : Estados Unidos Mexicanos , EUM [ esˈtaðos uˈniðoz mexiˈkanos ] ( listen ) , lit . Mexican United States ) , is a country in the southern portion of North America . It is bordered to the north by the United States ; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean ; to the southeast by Guatemala , Belize , and the Caribbean Sea ; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico . Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometers ( 770,000 sq mi ) , the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world . With an estimated population of over 129 million people , Mexico is the tenth most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world , while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil . Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states plus Mexico City ( CDMX ) , which is the capital city and its most populous city . Other metropolises in the country include Guadalajara , Monterrey , Puebla , Toluca , Tijuana , and León . Pre-Columbian Mexico dates to about 8000 BC and is identified as one of six cradles of civilization and was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec , Toltec , Teotihuacan , Zapotec , Maya , and Aztec before first contact with Europeans . In 1521 , the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its politically powerful base in Mexico-Tenochtitlan ( part of Mexico City ) , which was administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain . The Roman Catholic Church played a powerful role in governing the country as millions were converted to the faith , although King Charles III expelled the Jesuits in the 1770s . The territory became a nation state following its recognition in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence . The post-independence period was tumultuous , characterized by economic inequality and many contrasting political changes .
América Móvil is a Mexican telecommunications corporation headquartered in Mexico City , Mexico . It is the seventh largest mobile network operator in terms of equity subscribers and one of the largest corporations in the world . América Móvil is a Forbes Global 2000 company . As of Q1 , 2019 , América Móvil had 277.4 million wireless subscribers , and 84.3 million fixed revenue generating units ( RGUs , consisting of fixed voice , fixed data and PayTV units ) .
Grupo Carso or Grupo Sanborns SAB is a Mexican global conglomerate company owned by Carlos Slim . It was formed in 1990 after the merger of Corporación Industrial Carso and Grupo Inbursa . The name Carso stands for Carlos Slim and Soumaya Domit de Slim , his late wife . In May 2014 , the conglomerate had a stock market capitalisation of over $ 12 billion US dollars . In 1996 Carso Global Telecom ( which includes Telmex , Telcel and América Móvil ) separated itself from Grupo Carso .
Feodor Ingvar Kamprad ( Swedish : [ ˈɪ̌ŋːvar ˈkǎmːprad ] ( listen ) ; 30 March 1926 - 27 January 2018 ) was a Swedish business magnate best known for founding IKEA , a multinational retail company specialising in furniture . He lived in Switzerland from 1976 to 2014 .
Sweden ( Swedish : Sverige [ ˈsvæ̌rjɛ ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Sweden ( Swedish : Konungariket Sverige [ ˈkôːnɵŋaˌriːkɛt ˈsvæ̌rjɛ ] ( listen ) ) , is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe . It borders Norway to the west and north and Finland to the east , and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund Strait . At 450,295 square kilometres ( 173,860 sq mi ) , Sweden is the largest country in Northern Europe , the third-largest country in the European Union and the fifth largest country in Europe by area . The capital city is Stockholm . Sweden has a total population of 10.3 million of which 2.5 million have a foreign background . Persons who have foreign backgrounds are defined as persons who are foreign born , or born in Sweden with foreign born parents . It has a low population density of 22 inhabitants per square kilometre ( 57/sq mi ) and the highest urban concentration is in the central and southern half of the country . Sweden is part of the geographical area of Fennoscandia . The climate is in general mild for its northerly latitude due to significant maritime influence . In spite of the high latitude , Sweden often has warm continental summers , being located in between the North Atlantic , the Baltic Sea and the vast Eurasian Russian landmass . The general climate and environment varies significantly from the south and north due to the vast latitudal difference and much of Sweden has reliably cold and snowy winters . Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural , while the north is heavily forested and includes a portion of the Scandinavian Mountains .
IKEA ( /aɪˈkiːə/ eye-KEE-ə , Swedish : [ ɪˈkêːa ] ) is a European multinational group that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture , kitchen appliances and home accessories , among other useful goods and occasionally home services . Founded in Sweden in 1943 by 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad , IKEA has been the world 's largest furniture retailer since 2008 . According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index , as of January 2018 , Kamprad was the eighth richest person in the world , with an estimated net worth of US $ 58.7 billion . The company 's name is an acronym that consists of the founder 's initials ( Ingvar Kamprad ) plus those of Elmtaryd , the family farm where he was born , and the nearby village Agunnaryd ( his hometown in Småland , southern Sweden ) . The business is a private company owned by Inter IKEA Systems B.V. , registered in the Netherlands and controlled by the sons of its founder Ingvar Kamprad . The company is known for its modernist designs for various types of appliances and furniture , and its interior design work is often associated with an eco-friendly simplicity . In addition , the firm is known for its attention to cost control , operational details , and continuous product development that allowed IKEA to lower its prices by an average of two to three percent . The IKEA group has a complex corporate structure , which members of the European Parliament have alleged was designed to avoid over €1 billion in tax payments over the 2009-2014 period . It is controlled by several foundations based in the Netherlands and Liechtenstein . As of June 2019 [ update ] , there are 433 IKEA stores operating in 52 countries and in fiscal year 2018 , €38.8 billion ( US $ 44.6 billion ) worth of IKEA goods were sold . The IKEA website contains about 12,000 products and there were over 2.1 billion visitors to IKEA 's websites in the year from September 2015 to August 2016 . The company is responsible for approximately 1% of world commercial-product wood consumption , making it one of the largest users of wood in the retail sector .
Lakshmi Niwas Mittal ( Hindi : [ ˈləkʃmi nɪˈʋaːs ˈmɪtːəl ] ( listen ) ; born 15 June 1950 ) is an Indian born steel magnate , based in the United Kingdom . He is the chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal , the world 's largest steelmaking company . Mittal owns 38% of ArcelorMittal and holds an 11% stake in Queens Park Rangers F.C . In 2005 , Forbes ranked Mittal as the third-richest person in the world , making him the first Indian citizen to be ranked in the top ten in the publication 's annual list of the world 's richest people . In 2007 , Mittal was considered to be the richest Asian person in Europe . He was ranked the sixth-richest person in the world by Forbes in 2011 , but dropped to 82nd place in March 2015 . He is also the 57th-most powerful person of the 72 individuals named in Forbes ' Most Powerful People list for 2015 . His daughter Vanisha Mittal 's wedding was the second-most expensive in recorded history . Mittal has been a member of the board of directors of Goldman Sachs since 2008 . He sits on the World Steel Association 's executive committee , and is a member of the Global CEO Council of the Chinese People 's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries , the Foreign Investment Council in Kazakhstan , the World Economic Forum 's International Business Council , and the European Round Table of Industrialists . He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Cleveland Clinic . In 2005 The Sunday Times named him Business Person of 2006 , the Financial Times named him Person of the Year , and Time magazine named him International Newsmaker of the Year 2006 .
India ( Hindi : Bhārat ) , officially the Republic of India ( Hindi : Bhārat Gaṇarājya ) , is a country in South Asia . It is the seventh-largest country by area , the second-most populous country , and the most populous democracy in the world . Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south , the Arabian Sea on the southwest , and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast , it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west ; [ e ] China , Nepal , and Bhutan to the north ; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east . In the Indian Ocean , India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives ; its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia . Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago . Their long occupation , initially in varying forms of isolation as hunter-gatherers , has made the region highly diverse , second only to Africa in human genetic diversity . Settled life emerged on the subcontinent in the western margins of the Indus river basin 9,000 years ago , evolving gradually into the Indus Valley Civilisation of the third millennium BCE . By 1200 BCE , an archaic form of Sanskrit , an Indo-European language , had diffused into India from the northwest , unfolding as the language of the Rigveda , and recording the dawning of Hinduism in India . The Dravidian languages of India were supplanted in the northern regions . By 400 BCE , stratification and exclusion by caste had emerged within Hinduism , and Buddhism and Jainism had arisen , proclaiming social orders unlinked to heredity . Early political consolidations gave rise to the loose-knit Maurya and Gupta Empires based in the Ganges Basin . Their collective era was suffused with wide-ranging creativity , but also marked by the declining status of women , and the incorporation of untouchability into an organised system of belief .
ArcelorMittal S.A. ( French pronunciation : ​ [ aʁsəlɔʁ mital ] ) is a multinational steel manufacturing corporation headquartered in Luxembourg City . It was formed in 2006 from the takeover and merger of Arcelor by Indian-owned Mittal Steel . ArcelorMittal is the world 's largest steel producer , with an annual crude steel production of 92.5 million metric tonnes as of 2018 [ update ] . It is ranked 123rd in the 2017 Fortune Global 500 ranking of the world 's largest corporations .
Sheldon Gary Adelson ( pronounced /ˈædəlsən/ ; born August 4 , 1933 ) is an American business magnate , investor , philanthropist , and political donor . He is the founder , chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corporation , which owns the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore , and the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited , which operates The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center . He owns the Israeli daily newspaper Israel Hayom , Makor Rishon and the American daily newspaper Las Vegas Review-Journal . Adelson , a philanthropist and donor to a variety of causes , created the Adelson Foundation in 2007 at the behest of his wife , Miriam . He is a member of the Republican Party , and made the largest single donation to any U.S. presidential inauguration when he gave the Trump inaugural committee US $ 5 million . As of November 2019 [ update ] , Adelson was listed by Forbes as having a fortune of US $ 37.7 billion , making him the 24th-richest person in the world . He is a major contributor to Republican Party candidates . He was the largest donor , of any party , in both the 2012 and 2016 presidential campaigns . He sat out the Republican primary season during the 2016 presidential campaign but on September 23 , he announced a $ 25 million donation to Donald Trump 's 2016 presidential campaign , making him the largest donor to the Trump campaign and the largest donor in the presidential election ( although this was less than the $ 100 million donation some had predicted ) .
Las Vegas Sands Corporation is an American casino and resort company based in Paradise , Nevada , United States . Its resorts feature accommodations , gaming and entertainment , convention and exhibition facilities , restaurants and clubs , as well as an art and science museum in Singapore . It has several resorts in the United States and Asia . Among its properties in the United States are two resorts on the Las Vegas Strip : The Venetian and The Palazzo . In Asia , the Marina Bay Sands located in Singapore is the most recent addition to the company 's portfolio . Through its majority-owned subsidiary Sands China , the company owns several properties in Macau , including the Sands Macao , Sands Cotai Central , The Venetian Macao , The Plaza Macao , Four Seasons Hotel Macao , and The Parisian Macao . It is the largest casino company worldwide .
Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault ( French : [ bɛʁnaʁ ʒɑ̃ etjɛn aʁno ] ; born 5 March 1949 ) is a French billionaire business magnate , and art collector . Arnault is the chairman and chief executive of LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton SE , LVMH , the world 's largest luxury-goods company . In April 2018 , he became the richest person in fashion , topping Zara 's Amancio Ortega .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton SE ( French pronunciation : ​ [ moɛt‿ɛnɛsi lwi vɥitɔ̃ ] ) , also known as LVMH , is a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris ( France ) . The company was formed in 1987 under the merger of fashion house Louis Vuitton with Moët Hennessy , a company formed after the 1971 merger between the champagne producer Moët & Chandon and Hennessy , the cognac manufacturer . It controls around 60 subsidiaries that each manage a small number of prestigious brands . The subsidiaries are often managed independently . The oldest of the LVMH brands is wine producer Château d'Yquem , which dates its origins back to 1593 . In November 2019 , LVMH acquired Tiffany & Co. for approximately US $ 16.2 billion . The deal was expected to close by June 2020 . As of 2018 , Tiffany operated 321 stores worldwide , with net sales of US $ 4.44 billion . Tiffany regions include the Americas , Asia-Pacific , Japan , Europe and the United Arab Emirates . Christian Dior SE is the main holding company of LVMH , owning 40.9% of its shares , and 59.01% of its voting rights . Bernard Arnault , majority shareholder of Dior , is Chairman and CEO of both companies . In 2017 , Arnault purchased all the remaining Christian Dior shares in a reported $ 13.1 billion buy out .
Amancio Ortega Gaona ( Spanish pronunciation : [ aˈmanθjo oɾˈteɣa ɣaˈona ] ; born 28 March 1936 ) is a Spanish billionaire businessman . He is the founder and former chairman of Inditex fashion group , best known for its chain of Zara clothing and accessories shops . As of December 2019 , Ortega had a net worth of $ 68.3 billion , making him the second-wealthiest person in Europe after Bernard Arnault , and the sixth-wealthiest in the world . For a brief period of time in 2015 , he was the richest man in the world , bypassing Bill Gates when his net worth peaked to $ 80 billion as Zara 's parent company , Inditexs , stock peaked . He is the head of the Ortega family and the second wealthiest retailer in the world .
Spain ( Spanish : España [ esˈpaɲa ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Spain ( Spanish : Reino de España ) , [ a ] [ b ] is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean . Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula . Its territory also includes two archipelagoes : the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa , and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea . The African enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country ( Morocco ) . [ h ] Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory . The country 's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar ; to the north and northeast by France , Andorra , and the Bay of Biscay ; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean . With an area of 505,990 km2 ( 195,360 sq mi ) , Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe , the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union , and the fourth largest country in the European continent . By population ( about 47 million ) , Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union . Spain 's capital and largest city is Madrid ; other major urban areas include Barcelona , Valencia , Seville , Zaragoza , Málaga and Bilbao . Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago . Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician , Greek , Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE , after which the region was named Hispania , based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp ( a ) n or Spania . At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe , invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces , including the Suebi , Alans and Vandals .
Industria de Diseño Textil , S.A. ( Inditex ; /ˌɪndɪˈtɛks/ , Spanish : [ indiˈteks ] ; lit . Textile Design Industry ) is a Spanish multinational clothing company headquartered in Arteixo ( A Coruña ) in Galicia . Inditex , the biggest fashion group in the world , operates over 7,200 stores in 93 markets worldwide . The company 's flagship store is Zara , but it also owns the chains Zara Home , Massimo Dutti , Bershka , Oysho , Pull and Bear , Stradivarius and Uterqüe . The majority of its stores are corporate-owned , while franchises are mainly conceded in countries where corporate properties can not be foreign-owned . The company operates a unique business model : instead of committing a large percentage of production for the next fashion season , the company commits a small amount and uses customer feedback and an efficient production network to replenish stores with new and different products weekly . New styles are prototyped in just 5 days and 60% of the manufacturing happens locally to shorten lead-times . In Zara stores , it can take a new garment as little as 15 days to go from design and production to store shelves .
Sir Li Ka-shing GBM KBE JP ( born 13 June 1928 ) is a Hong Kong business magnate , investor , and philanthropist . As of June 2019 , Li is the 30th richest person in the world , with an estimated net wealth of US $ 29.4 billion . He is the senior advisor for CK Hutchison Holdings , after he retired from the Chairman of the Board in May 2018 ; through it , he is the world 's leading port investor , developer , and operator of the largest health and beauty retailer in Asia and Europe . Li was one of the most influential entrepreneurs in Asia , presiding over a business empire with a diverse portfolio of businesses from a wide array of industries , including transportation , real estate , financial services , retail , and energy and utilities . His conglomerate company Cheung Kong Holdings was influential in many sectors of the Hong Kong economy and made up 4% of the aggregate market capitalisation of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange . Forbes Magazine and the Forbes family honoured Li Ka-shing with the first ever Malcolm S. Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award on 5 September 2006 , in Singapore . In spite of his wealth , Li cultivated a reputation for leading a frugal no-frills lifestyle , and was known to wear simple black dress shoes and an inexpensive Seiko wristwatch . He lived in the same house for decades , in what has now become one of the most expensive districts in Hong Kong , Deep Water Bay in Hong Kong Island . Li is also regarded as one of Asia 's most generous philanthropists , donating billions of dollars to charity and other various philanthropic causes , and owning the second largest private foundation in the world after Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . Li was often referred to as Superman Li in Hong Kong because of his business prowess .
Hong Kong ( /ˌhɒŋˈkɒŋ/ ( listen ) ; Chinese : 香港 , Cantonese : [ hœ́ːŋ.kɔ̌ːŋ ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People 's Republic of China ( HKSAR ) , is a city and special administrative region on the eastern side of the Pearl River estuary in southern China . With over 7.4 million people of various nationalities [ d ] in a 1,104-square-kilometre ( 426 sq mi ) territory , Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world . Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after Qing Empire ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842 . The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 after the Second Opium War , and was further extended when Britain obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898 . The territory was returned to China in 1997 . As a special administrative region , Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from that of mainland China under the principle of one country , two systems . Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages , the territory has become one of the world 's most significant financial centres and commercial ports . It is the world 's tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer . As one of the world 's leading international financial centres , Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free trade , and the currency , Hong Kong dollar , is the eighth most traded currency in the world . Hong Kong hosts the largest concentration of ultra high-net-worth individuals of any city in the world . Although the city has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world , there is severe income inequality among its residents . Hong Kong is a highly developed territory and ranks fourth on the UN Human Development Index .
Cheung Kong ( Holdings ) Limited , was a multinational conglomerate , based in Hong Kong . It was one of Hong Kong 's leading multi-national conglomerates . The company merged with its subsidiary Hutchison Whampoa on 3 June 2015 , as part of a major reorganisation , to become part of CK Hutchison Holdings . The Chairman of Cheung Kong Holdings is Li Ka Shing ( 李嘉誠 ) , while his elder son , Victor Li ( 李澤鉅 ) , is Managing Director and Deputy Chairman . Li Ka Shing founded Cheung Kong Industries in 1950s as a plastics manufacturer . Under his leadership , the company grew rapidly and eventually evolved into a property investment company . Cheung Kong ( Holdings ) Limited was established in 1971 . The Cheung Kong Group was one of the largest developers of residential , office , retail , industrial and hotel properties in Hong Kong . With its long history of property development expertise and residential estates , Cheung Kong Holdings has built many of Hong Kong 's most notable landmark buildings and complexes . As part of the reorganisation of the group , a new company composed of the group 's property assets was spun-off in June 2015 as Cheung Kong Property Holdings .
Hutchison Whampoa Limited ( HWL ) was an investment holding company based in Hong Kong . It was a Fortune Global 500 company and one of the largest companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange . HWL was an international corporation with a diverse array of holdings which included the world 's biggest port , and telecommunication operations in 14 countries that were run under the 3 brand . Its businesses also included retail , property development and infrastructure . It was 49.97% owned by the Cheung Kong Group until 3 June 2015 , when the company merged with the Cheung Kong Group as part of a major reorganisation of the group 's businesses . The combined business was renamed CK Hutchison Holdings Limited .
David Kenneth Roy Thomson , 3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet ( born 12 June 1957 ) is a Canadian-British hereditary peer and media magnate . Upon the death of his father in 2006 , Thomson became the chairman of Thomson Corporation and also inherited his father 's British title , Baron Thomson of Fleet . After the acquisition of Reuters in 2008 , Thomson became the chairman of the merged entity , Thomson Reuters . As of 2019 , Thomson is listed as the wealthiest person in Canada , with an estimated net worth of $ 37.8 billion .
Canada is a country in the northern part of North America . Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean , covering 9.98 million square kilometres ( 3.85 million square miles ) , making it the world 's second-largest country by total area . Its southern border with the United States , stretching some 8,891 kilometres ( 5,525 mi ) , is the world 's longest bi-national land border . Canada 's capital is Ottawa , and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto , Montreal , and Vancouver . As a whole , Canada is sparsely populated , with most of its land area dominated by forest and tundra . Its population is highly urbanized , with over 80 percent of its inhabitants concentrated in large and medium-sized cities , and 70 percent residing within 100 kilometres ( 62 mi ) of the southern border . Canada 's climate varies widely across its vast area , ranging from Arctic climate in the north to hot summers in the southern regions , with four distinct seasons . Various indigenous peoples inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years before European colonization . Beginning in the 16th century , British and French expeditions explored and later settled along the Atlantic coast . As a consequence of various armed conflicts , France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 . In 1867 , with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation , Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces . This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom .
The Thomson Corporation was one of the world 's largest information companies . It was established in 1989 following a merger between International Thomson Organisation Ltd ( ITOL ) and Thomson Newspapers . In 2008 , it purchased Reuters Group to form Thomson Reuters . The Thomson Corporation was active in financial services , healthcare sectors , law , science and technology research and tax and accounting sectors . The company operated through five segments ( 2007 onwards ) : Thomson Financial , Thomson Healthcare , Thomson Legal , Thomson Scientific and Thomson Tax & Accounting . Until 2007 , Thomson was also a major worldwide provider of higher education textbooks , academic information solutions and reference materials . On 26 October 2006 , Thomson announced the proposed sale of its Thomson Learning assets . In May 2007 , Thomson Learning was acquired by Apax Partners and subsequently renamed Cengage Learning in July . The Thomson Learning brand was used to the end of August 2007 . Subsequently , on 15 October 2007 , Educational Testing Service ( ETS ) finalized acquisition of Thomson 's Prometric . Thomson sold its global network of testing centres in 135 countries , for a reported $ 435 million . Prometric now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of ETS .