Peter Thiel joins fellow Kiwis Graeme Hart and Richard Chandler on Forbes rich list

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Controversial New Zealand citizen Peter Thiel, a Kiwi since 2011, is again on the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest as New Zealand's second richest person.

Forbes released its list of the world's billionaires with Bill Gates remaining the world's richest man, worth US$86 billion (NZ$122 billion). He's followed by his good friend and investment guru Warren Buffett (US$75.6b), and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (US$72.8b).

Graeme Hart, 61, is the world's 133rd richest billionaire and New Zealand's richest person.

Kiwi Graeme Hart, 61, once again made the list as New Zealand's richest person, and is the world's 133rd richest billionaire.

Hart - a tow-truck driver turned investor - is worth US$9.5 ($NZ13.5b), and climbed the ranks from being the world's 178th richest person last year. In March 2016, Hart was worth US$6.4b.

The image from the brochure advertising Graeme Hart's 107 metre superyacht, Ulysses.

* As populists won 2016 ballots, world's richest made NZ$341 billion

* Bill Gates on his way to becoming the world's first trillionaire

Richard Chandler is worth US$1.91b - down from US$2.45b in 2016.

* The way billionaires earn their wealth**

He owns two homes in the United States' mountainous resort area of Aspen and two super yachts - the 250 foot Weta, and the 350 foot Ulysses, which was up for sale last year.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett (R) and his friend, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, are the world's richest people.

The yacht features a pool and jacuzzi on the deck, restaurant-quality dining, a gym, a movie room, pool table and all the necessary watersports equipment.

New Zealand's second richest man, at number 745, is 49-year-old PayPal co-founder Thiel who is worth US$2.7b. He is listed by Forbes as a US citizen, but became a New Zealand citizen six years ago.

Gina Rinehart is the daughter of late iron-ore developer Lang Hancock. She owns shares in Australia's Ten television network and cattle stations in Australia's north.

New Zealand's third richest man, at number 1098, was Richard Chandler.

Chandler, an investor in energy companies, is worth US$1.91b. He moved to Singapore in 2006 and runs personal investment fund Clermont Group.

Forbes reported Donald Trump's wealth dropped by about US$1b to US$3.5b over the past year.

Chandler's wealth dropped this year from US$2.45b in 2016.

This year was a record year for the world's super-wealthy, with a record of 2043 billionaires on the 30th anniversary of Forbes' guide to the world's richest people.

The billionaires are worth a combined US$7.7 trillion – more than 38 times New Zealand's gross domestic product (GDP).

US President Donald Trump fell from the world's 324th richest person to 544th.

'Forty percent of Donald Trump's fortune is tied up in Trump Tower and eight buildings within one mile of it,' Forbes said. 'Lately, the neighbourhood has been struggling (relatively speaking).'

Gina Rinehart secured her position as Australia's wealthiest person with the mining magnate's wealth more than doubling to US$15b.

Forbes said Rinehart's spot jumped from 127 in 2016 to the 69th in 2017, making her the only Australian in the top 100.

The top 10 billionaires are:

1. Bill Gates - US$86b.

2. Warren Buffett - US$75.6b.

3. Jeff Bezos - US$72.8b

4. Amancio Ortega - US$71.3b

5. Mark Zuckerberg - US$56b

6. Carlos Slim Helu - US$54.5b

7. Larry Ellison - US$52.2b

8. Charles Koch - US$48.3b

8. David Koch - US$48.3b

10. Michael Bloomberg - US$47.5b