Shipping tycoons among the annual Hurun Global Rich List
Among the top 500 in the annual Hurun Global Rich List published earlier this month there’s a solid smattering of shipping-related personalities. The list, created by China-based Hurun Report, details all of the world’s billionaires – 2,257 in total who together are worth $8trn, more than the GDPs of France and Germany.
In terms of shipping-related people within the top 500, in joint 32nd position with $25bn to his name is Hong Kong’s Li Ka-shing, whose range of interests include retail, property, telecoms and terminals in the form of Hutchison Port Holdings.
Lakshmi Mittal, who heads up steel mill ArcelorMittal, is in 98th spot with $12bn. Mittal’s connection to maritime is via subsidiary Arcelormittal Shipping, which was founded in 1995. As well as owning a number of panamaxes and capes, it is a very active charterer. Last year it pounced for a pair of capesizes.
One billion dollars behind the steel magnate is Norway’s John Fredriksen who had a tumultuous 2016, with his fishing investments propping up losses in shipping and offshore.
Listed with $10bn is Klaus-Michael Kuhne, the chairman at logistics giant Kuhne + Nagel as well as a key investor in Hamburg-based containerline Hapag-Lloyd.
Up next is Mickey Arison from Carnival Cruises who is listed in joint 165th with $7.9bn
Zodiac Group’s Eyal Offer and the Maersk McKinney Moller family are side by side in the billionaire chart, both on $6.6bn, while Merlin Swire and family are a billion behind. As well as airline Cathay Pacific, the Swires are behind a number of shipping lines including China Navigation.
Bringing up the rear within the top 500 is Dennis Washington of Seaspan fame on $5bn.
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett lead the pack with $81bn and $78bn respectively, but Amazon ‘s Jeff Bezos is catching up quick. Hurun said his net worth jumped 37% last year to $72bn. Amazon last year dipped its toe into the world of shipping becoming an NVOCC.