Inside wild lives of world’s youngest billionaires on Forbes rich list with fortunes made from gaming to fish
FOR most people under the age of 30 the idea of owning a house, never mind becoming a billionaire, remains a distant dream.
Not so for a select group of very wealthy millennials, who now count among the world’s 2640 billionaires in the new Forbes Rich list.
The source of their wealth ranges from fish farming to gaming with some building up successful businesses and others inheriting their fortunes.
Overall, there are 28 fewer US dollar billionaires, the currency used by Forbes in its list this year.
At the top of the overall list is luxury goods titan Bernard Arnault, 74, who has an astronomical $211 billion (£168 billion) fortune from his Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LMVH) company.
But beneath that stratospheric level of wealth there are some younger billionaires who aren’t doing too badly.
Among them is Gustav Magnar Witzoe, who turned 30 this year and owns nearly half of Salmar ASA, one of the world’s largest salmon producers, worth $2.7 billion (£2.1 billion)
The stake in the salmon empire was given to him by his dad, also named Gustav, who founded the company in 1993.
His son puts his chiselled good looks to use as a part-time model and his Instagram features him on the catwalk during New York Fashion Week.
Gustav Magnar Witzoen has a fondness for fast cars and has been pictured behind the wheel of a vintage Aston Martin and a Porsche.
Images have shown him globetrotting in style, touching down on everywhere from Italy and France to Dubai.
But while he’s not afraid to show off his wealth, he is also proud of the fact he wasn’t spoiled by his parents and had a relatively modest upbringing while his dad built up the business.
He skipped university and put himself to work on salmon farms for two years to learn the trade.
Another young billionaire who’s not shy about flaunting her lifestyle is Katharina Andresen, who along with her sister Alexandra, is worth $1.5 billion (£1.2 billion).
The pair owe their wealth to a stake in their family’s investment company Ferd.
Her Instagram also shows her in posing various exotic locations and quaffing champagne.
Back in 2017 she was fined £23,000 for drink driving but told a court she had no fixed income as her assets “have not yielded any dividend yet”.
The sole Brit on the list is Ben Francis, who made his fortune through the fitness wear brand Gymshark, which he founded in 2012.
Unlike many on the billionaire list, his is a genuine rags-to-riches story to which has seen him build a brand worn by some of the biggest celebrities around the world.
The businessman married Canadian fitness model and influencer Robin in September 2021.
The pair have given fans a glimpse into their VIP lifestyle through sharing pictures of their extravagant holidays, including one on the island of K’gari in Australia.
Other posts see them in Dubai, where they are photographed in an opulent restaurant and on the beach.
In 2020, Ben was embroiled in a drug scandal when a video surfaced of him snorting cocaine.
Ben is known for his love of motorcycles and has given fans a look at some of his expensive bikes, including one by Thornton Hundred.
Also on the list are the Del Vecchio brothers Leonardo, Luca and Clemente, who own their $3.5 billion (£2.8 billion) wealth to a stake in the Luxottica eyewear brand founded by their dad.
Leonardo Del Vecchio has been pictured partying at the Pacha nightclub in Ibiza and with Ferrari racing cars.
The third set of siblings on the list are sisters Kim Jung-min and Kim Jung-youn, who inherited their $1.1 billion (£900 million) fortune from their dad Kim Jung-ju.
The 54-year-old online gaming tycoon died last year.
All of their fortunes are dwarfed by Mark Mateschitz, who received a 49 per cent share in the drinks company Red Bull, when his dad Dietrich passed away,
At the tender age of 30, he now has a $34.7 billion (£27 billion) fortune.
Arnault has leaped Elon Musk to become the world’s wealthiest person.
Musk, 51, is worth $180 billion (£144 billion) a fall of $39 billion (£31 billion) on 2022 amid his controversial Twitter takeover and complications with electric car-maker Tesla.
Making it back on to the list is singer Rihanna, 35, thanks to the success of her Savage X Fenty underwear range and Fenty cosmetics collection.
One notable absentee is rapper Kanye West, who was dropped by Adidas from a deal reported to be worth $1.5 billion (£1.2 billion) for making anti-Semitic comments.
His ex-wife Kim Kardashian is 2,259th on the list, now in its 37th year, but her $1.1 billion (£960 million) fortune is down $54 million (£44 million) on 2021 when she first appeared on it.