Most people think that they only way they could consider themselves a global business tycoon is to have a company they own be present in many countries around the world. That is not the only way to attain the wealth that one thinks of when considering some of the richest people on earth. In fact, that isn’t even the way most of them have gone about it. Instead, one can build a fortune across many different industries and sectors by having a stake in different businesses.
By buying into single-country, international, multinational or global companies, diversity can be achieved. Instead of having everything hinge on the success of one company, risk is spread out over many different companies.
Several of the world’s wealthiest people have gained success from global businesses in this manner. Others found their wealth in other ways and choose to invest their money globally.
Bernard Arnault
France’s richest man, Bernard Arnault, got his start in the construction industry with his father. He didn’t stay in just the real estate sector, however, as his interest turned toward luxury goods instead. Rather than just a stake in companies as some wealthy people do, he is in control of several companies, including Christian Dior, Carrefour and LVMH, with more than $34 billion in holdings.
Sjamsul Nursalim
As one of Indonesia’s richest people, Sjamsul Nursalim shows that wealth can come from quite varied industries. The main sources of his wealth are his investment in Gajah Tunggal, a tire producer, and his stake in the retailer Mitra Adiperkasa Iperkasa, which operates and holds licenses in several retail store brands in Indonesia. He also has a stake in the real estate company, Tuan Sing Holdings.
Amancio Ortega
Amancio Ortega is one of Europe’s richest men. He made the bulk of his money in the fashion industry, as co-founder of Inditex with stores around the world. He has since retired, but actively invests in real estate in cities such as New York, Chicago, Barcelona, Madrid, Miami and London.
Warren Buffett
In running Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett is the epitome of multinational conglomerate success. The holding company owns over 60 different major companies and is the third largest public company in the world. Many of the holdings are global companies.
While Warren Buffett has committed to donating his money to charities, particularly the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he is definitely still high on the list of the world’s billionaires that owe their wealth to global investing. His investment philosophy of owning partial interests in top-tier companies has shown the value of looking beyond what one company can do for you.
Richard Branson
Richard Branson is the founder of Virgin Group which controls over 400 companies in a wide variety of industries, including telecommunications, healthcare, hotels, and an airline. It began with Virgin Records in 1972 and each new launch is dubbed with the Virgin name. The group has also purchased other companies and invested in others. That has not to say that all his business ventures have been successful.
A few that didn’t make it include Virgin Clothing, Virgin Cars, Virgin Cola, and Virgin Publishing. Many of the launched companies have since been sold.
Takeaway
With some creativity, a bit of luck, and the courage to take a risk, many of today’s wealthiest individuals have shown that it is possible to enjoy the fruits earned in a global environment. As the number of billionaires in the world steadily climbs – currently at over 2,200 from 72 countries – it would seem that many have figured out that you don’t have to be born to money to become wealthy. We may even see some trillionaires in the next couple of decades, which certainly gives one hope that success is possible for those that strive to attain it.
Cover photo credit: By Dominic Lee, Priory Studios, Dublin, Ireland – Priory Studios, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10594940
