August von Finck

August von Finck Jr., who inherited a fortune and increased it through select investments, died at age 91 in December 2021. Merck Finck & Co. is the private bank that spawned, among other companies, the Loewenbraeu breweries and insurers Munich Re and Allianz. With cash from the 1990 sale (to Barclays Bank) of Allianz shares and Merck Finck & Co., von Finck Jr. invested in a diversified portfolio. He sold his most of 15% stake in the Swiss verification, testing and certification firm SGS for $2.4 billion in early 2020. Von Finck is survived by his four children, with whom he had invested in real estate and industrial companies. CNN's chief domestic correspondent discusses "Priced Out in America," a new series examining the affordability challenges facing Americans. As a continent, Europe defied some of the trend across the rest of the Forbes 2016 Billionaires List: New fortunes were created, though overall net worth fell compared to 2015. When it comes to creating wealth, America still reigns supreme. The U.S. boasts 540 billionaires, more than any other country on the planet and more than all of Europe combined. Here's the full list of every American with a ten-digit fortune. Only 23 billionaires have weathered the booms and busts to make the cut every year since we started counting them, in 1987. To make digesting the ranking and our work easier, a simple list of the Top 500. All share a commonality: they too have made capitalism work very well. The world's billionaires club is getting less exclusive, with 1,426 members this year. Here we take a look at the richest of the rich, the top 500. Minimum net worth: $2.9 billion These 24 people from seven countries have staying power: They have been on FORBES lists as billionaires for each of the past 26 years. These titans control entire swaths of the global economy, from energy and steel to fashion and telecom.