17 Lebanese Tycoons Made It On Forbes' 2020 Billionaire List
Like every year, Forbes has released its "Real-Time Billionaires" list. And, like every year, Lebanese tycoons made it to the list. From the top of the list to the bottoms, these Lebanese have been securing a warm seat in Forbes' list for years.
"Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires rankings track the daily ups and downs of the world’s richest people," Forbes explained. It also confirmed that the wealth-tracking is based upon the net worth of each individual reported by Forbes to be a billionaire.
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It is worth noting that last year's list of 2019 had 20 Lebanese tycoons, including Gilbert Faghoury ($7.4 billion) who did not make it to this year's list.
It is also noteworthy that the list does not contain any Lebanese woman, except for the Brazilian wife of late Lebanese banker Edmond Safra , Lily Safra.
The richest Lebanese tycoons and billionaires with Lebanese descendants cited for 2020 (from the high to low) are:
#1 Carlos Slim Helu and Family ($47.7 B)
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Also the richest man in Mexico, the Lebanese-Mexican businessman tops Lebanon's richest personalities. Helu and his family control Latin America's biggest mobile telecom firm America Movil. He is the 16th richest man in the world
He was the first to introduce a phone company in Mexico with Telmex in 1990. Telmex is now part of the thriving America Movil. Helu also owns 17% of The New York Times and has stakes in Mexican constructions, consumer goods, mining, and real estate companies.
Helu was the richest man in the world in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. He was only outranked by Bill Gates in 2014 and reigned on the throne of number 5 in the year 2019 with a net worth of $64 B.
#2 Joseph Safra ($20.4 B)
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Joseph Safra is the richest banker in the world. He has preserved the dynasty and legacy of his brother Edmond Safra and the whole Safra family for decades. He has gained $3 B from last year, according to the Forbes' list.
Safra owns Banco Safra in Brazil, the 8th largest bank in Mexico, and J. Safra Sarasin in Switzerland. He also owns 50% of banana grower Chiquita Brands International; the other 50% is owned by Brazilian orange juice billionaire Jose Cutrale.
#3 Tom Gores ($5.7 B)
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Tom Gores may not sound like a Lebanese name, but his birth name Tewfiq Gergious does because he is. Gores is the founder of the Platinium Equity firm, a private equity firm founded in 1995.
The Lebanese-American investor began his career by stocking shelves at his father's small grocery store in Flint. You might know Gores best from sports, as he became the owner of Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
#4 Tony Tamer ($4 B)
Columbia Business School
Tony Tamer may not have scored a place in the 2019's Real-Time Billionaire Forbes, but he sure did now in 2020 with a $4 billion net worth, making him the fourth richest man with Lebanese origins in the world.
Tamer is the co-CEO of HIG Capital, a private equity firm with $34 billion under management. He co-founded the private equity firm in 1993 with another Lebanese businessman, Samer Mnaymneh.
#5 Taha Mikati ($2.2 B)
Addiyar
The Mikati brothers are known in Lebanon for their wealth and billions. Taha has co-founded, along with his brother Najib Mikati, Beirut-based holding company M1 Group.
M1 Group investments include stakes in South African telecom firm MTN, fashion retailer Pepe Jeans, and prime real estate in New York, London, and Monaco. They have also expanded their business in Africa by building cellphone towers.
#6 Najib Mikati ($2.2 B)
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Unlike 2019, the Mikati brothers held separate rankings in Forbes' list instead of a joint place. Najib Mikati has served twice as Lebanon's Prime Minister in 2011-2014 and in 2005 in a caretaker government.