Twenty-six Thais are among a record 2,781 billionaires worldwide, according to an annual survey by Forbes magazine.
The Thai group is down by two from last year, but the top names on the list are familiar ones, headed by Dhanin Chearavanont, the patriarch of the agribusiness, retail and telecoms company Charoen Pokphand Group. With a net worth estimated at $12.5 billion, he ranks 159th on the global table.
In second place is the alcohol and real estate tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi at $11.3 billion (177th globally), followed by energy mogul Sarath Ratanavadi (200th) with $10.7 billion in estimated assets.
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, with a net worth of $2.1 billion, is in 1,545th place worldwide.
Bernard Arnault, head of the luxury goods giant LVMH, tops the global table with a net worth estimated at $233 billion. He’s followed by Tesla founder Elon Musk ($196 billion) and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos ($194 billion).
The American pop megastar Taylor Swift ($1.1 billion) has joined the club, making her one of 14 celebrities with a net worth in the 10 figures.
