The world’s 2,095 billionaires are found on every continent, just like the coronavirus, and billionaires have not been immune to its economic losses: the world’s top 100 wealthiest have lost an estimated $408 billion in the past two months. The United Nations estimates that 6.7% of working hours will be wiped out globally in the second quarter as a result. With this economic devastation, many are looking to their country’s wealthiest person to step in with support. But who are these wealthy individuals across the globe? And what are they doing to combat the coronavirus?
- The coronavirus has wiped out a combined $408 billion from the world’s top 100 billionaires.
- Bernard Arnault, France’s richest person, is estimated to have lost $30 billion.
- Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest person, has donated $100 million to U.S. food banks.
- Jack Ma, China’s richest person, has donated medical supplies including 2 million face masks to the U.S.
Our data comes from the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires. We have grouped the data by continent and mapped the richest person with at least $1 billion in net worth for each country in that continent. A darker shade of green indicates a larger net worth. Our viz also indicates the industry in which the individual acquired their wealth.
The Top 3 Wealthiest Individuals in North & Central America by Country
1. Jeff Bezos, United States: $113B
2. Carlos Slim Helu & Family, Mexico: $52.1B
3. David Thomson, Canada: $31.6B
North America is home to the world’s richest man: Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, who has donated $100 million to the U.S. in response to the crisis. Amazon is only poised for further growth from the coronavirus, with online grocery sales up 25% in March as consumers chose to shop from home during social distancing.
The Top 3 Wealthiest Individuals in South America by Country
1. Joseph Safra, Brazil: $19.9B
2. Iris Fontoba & Family, Chile: $10.8B
3. Luis Carlos Sarmiento, Colombia: $9B
Despite being in warmer seasons, South America is still battling the coronavirus, with Brazil reporting 1,000 cases. Luis Carlos Sarmiento, the founder of Colombian conglomerate Grupo Aval, has announced a $20 million donation to help alleviate the impact in his country.
The Top 3 Wealthiest Individuals in Europe by Country
1. Bernard Arnaul & family, France: $76B
2. Amancio Ortega, Spain: $55.1B
3. Beate Heister & Karl Albrecht Jr., Germany: $33.3B
One of the hardest-hit regions from the coronavirus, European billionaires have stepped up: Giovanni Ferrero of Italy donated nearly $11 million to the Italian government’s national emergency commission. France’s richest man, Bernard Arnault, lost nearly $30 billion in wealth as a result of the coronavirus. This is the biggest single loss of any billionaire, with an estimated $408 billion in losses among the world’s top 100 richest individuals.
The Top 3 Wealthiest Individuals in Asia by Country
1. Jack Ma, China: $38.8B
2. Mukesh Ambani, India: $36.8B
3. Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong: $28.1B
China’s richest person, Jack Ma, along with Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai, have donated over 2 million face masks along with other medical equipment to New York. India’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani, has contributed $67 million to the prime minister’s emergency fund.
The Top 3 Wealthiest Individuals in Africa by Country
1. Aliko Dangote, Nigeria: $8.3B
2. Nicky Oppenheimer & family, South Africa: $7.4B
3. Nassef Sawiris, Egypt: $5B
While Nigeria currently has 65 cases of coronavirus, there are fears that an exponential spread will overwhelm health facilities in the country. As a response, Aliko Dangote, the country’s richest person and the richest in Africa, pledged 200 million Nigerian naira (about $517,000) to support Nigeria’s health authorities.
The Top Wealthiest Individuals in Oceania by Country
1. Gina Rinehart, Australia: $13.1B
2. Graeme Hart, New Zealand: $10.5B
Countries in Oceania may be in their summer months, but they are still fighting the coronavirus. In particular, Australia has reported over 6,000 cases. Australia’s richest individual Gina Rinehart has donated $6 million to the Royal Flying Doctors for equipment.
In all corners of the globe, the world’s wealthiest have made contributions to combat the coronavirus, despite losses to their own fortunes: estimates claim that the world’s top 100 richest have lost $408 billion in two months due to the coronavirus. However, some claim they still haven’t done enough.
Have the wealthiest individuals in your country responded appropriately to the coronavirus? Who has been exceptionally generous? Let us know in the comments and share with your friends.
Data: Table 1.1