The World's Billionaires
Annual rankings -- 2013
Table:
No.

Name

Net worth (USD)

Age

Nationality

Source(s) of wealth

1
Carlos Slim & family
$73.0 billion
73
Mexico
América Móvil, Grupo Carso

2
Bill Gates
$67.0 billion
57
United States
Microsoft

3
Amancio Ortega
$57.0 billion
76
Spain
Inditex Group

4
Warren Buffett
$53.5 billion
82
United States
Berkshire Hathaway

5
Larry Ellison
$43.0 billion
68
United States
Oracle Corporation

6
Charles Koch
$34.0 billion
77
United States
Koch Industries

6
David Koch
$34.0 billion
72
United States
Koch Industries

8
Li Ka-shing
$31.0 billion
84
Hong Kong
Cheung Kong Holdings

9
Liliane Bettencourt & family
$30.0 billion
90
France
L'Oréal

10
Bernard Arnault
$29.0 billion
63
France
LVMH

Based on the provided table as well as the background passages provided at the end.

Respond to the question below: What rank is the billionaire who was born in Omaha , Nebraska ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

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 .
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 .
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 .
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 .
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 .
Lawrence Joseph Ellison ( born August 17 , 1944 ) is an American businessman , entrepreneur , and philanthropist who is a co-founder and the executive chairman and chief technology officer ( CTO ) of Oracle Corporation . As of October 2019 , he was listed by Forbes magazine as the fourth-wealthiest person in the United States and as the sixth-wealthiest in the world , with a fortune of $ 69.1 billion , increased from $ 54.5 billion in 2018 .
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Redwood Shores , California . The company sells database software and technology , cloud engineered systems , and enterprise software products - particularly its own brands of database management systems . In 2019 , Oracle was the second-largest software company by revenue and market capitalization . The company also develops and builds tools for database development and systems of middle-tier software , enterprise resource planning ( ERP ) software , Human Capital Management ( HCM ) software , customer relationship management ( CRM ) software , and supply chain management ( SCM ) software .
Charles de Ganahl Koch ( /koʊk/ ; born November 1 , 1935 ) is an American businessman , political donor and philanthropist . As of March 2019 , he was ranked as the 11th-richest person in the world , with an estimated net worth of $ 50.5 billion . Koch has been co-owner , chairman , and chief executive officer of Koch Industries since 1967 , while his late brother David Koch served as executive vice president . Charles and David each owned 42% of the conglomerate . The brothers inherited the business from their father , Fred C. Koch , then expanded the business . Originally involved exclusively in oil refining and chemicals , Koch Industries now includes process and pollution control equipment and technologies , polymers and fibers , minerals , fertilizers , commodity trading and services , forest and consumer products , and ranching . The businesses produce a wide variety of well-known brands , such as Stainmaster carpet , the Lycra brand of spandex fiber , Quilted Northern tissue , and Dixie Cup . Koch Industries is the second-largest privately held company by revenue in the United States according to a 2010 Forbes survey . In February 2014 , Koch was ranked 9th richest person in the world by Hurun Report with an estimated net worth of $ 36 billion . Previously , in October 2012 , he was ranked the 6th richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $ 34 billion - according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index - and was ranked 18th on Forbes World 's Billionaires list of 2011 ( and 4th on the Forbes 400 ) , with an estimated net worth of $ 25 billion , deriving from his 42% stake in Koch Industries . Koch has published three books detailing his business philosophy , The Science of Success , Market Based Management , and Good Profit . Koch supports a number of free market-oriented educational organizations , including the Institute for Humane Studies , the Ayn Rand Institute , [ citation needed ] and the Mercatus Center at George Mason University .
Koch Industries , Inc. /koʊk/ is an American multinational corporation based in Wichita , Kansas . Its subsidiaries are involved in the manufacturing , refining , and distribution of petroleum , chemicals , energy , fiber , intermediates and polymers , minerals , fertilizers , pulp and paper , chemical technology equipment , ranching , finance , commodities trading , and investing . Koch owns Invista , Georgia-Pacific , Molex , Flint Hills Resources , Koch Pipeline , Koch Fertilizer , Koch Minerals , Matador Cattle Company , and Guardian Industries . The firm employs 120,000 people in 60 countries , with about half of its business in the United States . The company is the largest landowner in the Athabasca oil sands . With annual revenues of $ 110 billion by 2014 , the company is the second largest privately held company in the United States after Cargill . In 2007 , it was ranked as the largest privately held company . If Koch Industries had been a public company in 2013 , it would have ranked 17th in the Fortune 500 . The company was founded by its namesake , Fred C. Koch , in 1940 after he developed an innovative crude oil refining process . Fred C. Koch died in 1967 and his majority interest in the company was split amongst his four sons . In June 1983 , after a bitter legal and boardroom battle , the stakes of Frederick R. Koch and William Bill Koch were bought out for $ 1.1 billion and Charles Koch and David Koch became majority owners in the company . Charles owns 42% of the company ; trusts for the benefit of Elaine Tettemer Marshall , the daughter in-law of J. Howard Marshall and Anna Nicole Smith , and Elaine 's children , Preston Marshall and E. Pierce Marshall Jr. , own 16% of the company .
David Hamilton Koch ( /koʊk/ ; May 3 , 1940 - August 23 , 2019 ) was an American businessman , philanthropist , political activist , and chemical engineer . In 1970 , he joined the family business : Koch Industries , the second-largest privately held company in the United States . He became president of the subsidiary Koch Engineering in 1979 , and became a co-owner of Koch Industries ( along with elder brother Charles ) in 1983 . Koch served as an executive vice president of Koch Industries until he retired due to health issues in 2018 . Koch was a libertarian . He was the 1980 Libertarian candidate for Vice President of the United States and helped finance the campaign . He founded Citizens for a Sound Economy and donated to advocacy groups and political campaigns , most of which were Republican . Koch became a Republican in 1984 ; in 2012 , he spent over $ 100 million to oppose the re-election of President Barack Obama . Koch was the fourth-richest person in the United States in 2012 and was the wealthiest resident of New York City in 2013 . As of June 2019 , Koch was ranked as the 11th-richest person in the world ( tied with his brother Charles ) , with a fortune of $ 50.5 billion . Known for his philanthropy , Koch contributed to the Lincoln Center , Sloan Kettering , NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital , and the Dinosaur Wing at the American Museum of Natural History . The New York State Theater at Lincoln Center , home of the New York City Ballet , was renamed the David H. Koch Theater in 2008 following Koch 's gift of $ 100 million for the renovation of the theater .
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 .
Liliane Henriette Charlotte Bettencourt ( French pronunciation : ​ [ lil.jan be.tɑ̃.kuːʁ ] ; née Schueller ; 21 October 1922 - 21 September 2017 ) was a French heiress , socialite and businesswoman . She was one of the principal shareholders of L'Oréal . At the time of her death , she was the richest woman , and the 14th richest person in the world , with a net worth of US $ 44.3 billion .
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 ) .
L'Oréal S.A. is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy , Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris . It is the world 's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair colour , skin care , sun protection , make-up , perfume , and hair care . Upon the death of her mother in September 2017 , Liliane Bettencourt , who was principal shareholder , as of [ update ] 2020 Françoise Bettencourt Meyers is the majority owner of the company , with a 33.14% stake .
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 .
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 .