World's Billionaires 2009

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7. Mukesh Ambani Net Worth: $19.5 billion Source: Petrochemicals/India Age: 51 Marital Status: Married, three children

• Oversees Reliance Industries, India's most valuable company by market cap, despite stock falling 40% in past year.

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• Merging his Reliance Petroleum with flagship Reliance Industries. As part of deal, will exercise right to buy back Chevron's 5% stake in Reliance Petroleum at $1.2 per share--the same price at which he sold it three years ago. Today the stock trades for $1.80 a share.
• Increased stake in Reliance Industries last October; paid $3.4 billion to convert 120 million preferential warrants into shares.
• Reliance Petroleum refinery on India's western coast began operating in December despite falling global demand and declining margins.
• Late father Dhirubhai founded Reliance and built it into a massive conglomerate. After he died, Mukesh and his brother, Anil, ran the family business together for a brief time. But siblings feuded over control; mother eventually brokered split of assets. Brothers may be looking to bury hatchet; played joint hosts at mother's recent 75th birthday bash.
• Has yet to move into his 27-story home that he's building at a reported cost of $1 billion.
• Ardent fan of Bollywood films.
• Wife, Nita, oversees school named after his father.

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8. Lakshmi Mittal Net Worth: $19.3 billion Source: Steel/India Age: 58 Marital Status: Married, two children

• Indian immigrant heads world's largest steel company; ArcelorMittal was formed via hostile takeover three years ago.
• Stock in company makes up bulk of his fortune; shares at a four-year low, with steel prices down 75% since last summer.
• Company forced to pay heavy fines after a French antitrust investigation found 10 companies guilty of price-fixing in European steel markets.
• Arcelor posted $2.6 billion loss in most recent quarter; announced plans to slow acquisitions, cut capital expenditures, pay down debt.
• Started in family steel business in the 1970s, branched out on his own in 1994.
• Initially bought up steel mills on the cheap in Eastern Europe. Company bought 19.9% stake in Australia's Macarthur Coal last year.
• Also owns pieces of Mumbai's Indiabulls Group, London's RAB Capital; owns stake in, sits on board of Goldman Sachs.
• Holds substantial cash; owns 12-bedroom mansion in London's posh Kensington neighborhood.

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9. Theo Albrecht Net Worth: $18.8 billion Source: Supermarkets/Germany Age: 87 Marital Status: Married, two children

• Runs discount supermarket group Aldi Nord; firm holding up amid economic downturn. Sales expected to hit $31 billion in 2008.
• After World War II he and older brother Karl transformed their mother's corner grocery into Aldi.
• Brothers split ownership in 1961; Karl took the stores in southern Germany, plus the rights to the brand in the U.K., Australia and the U.S. Theo got the northern Germany stores and the rest of Europe.
• Unable to operate Aldi stores in U.S., Theo developed discount food store Trader Joe's; now has more than 320 U.S. stores.
• Also owns stake in Supervalu.
• Became a recluse after being kidnapped for 17 days in 1971; said to collect old typewriters, loves golf.

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10. Amancio Ortega Net Worth: $18.3 billion Source: Fashion/Spain Age: 73 Marital Status: Divorced, remarried; three children

• Railway worker's son started as a gofer in a shirt store.
• With then wife Rosalia Mera, also now a billionaire, started making dressing gowns and lingerie in their living room.
• Business became one of world's most successful apparel manufacturers.
• Today Inditex has more than 4,000 stores in 71 countries. Sales: $12.3 billion. Ortega is chairman.
• Company exported its cheap chic Zara stores to four new markets last year: Ukraine, South Korea, Montenegro and Honduras.
• Stock up 1% in past 12 months, but fortune down because of weak euro.
• Also has personal investments in gas, tourism, banks and real estate.
• Owns properties in Madrid, Spain; Paris; London; and Lisbon, Portugal; plus a luxury hotel and apartment complex in Miami, a horse-jumping circuit and an interest in a soccer league.
• Shuns neckties and fanfare.
• Daughter Marta works for Inditex; recent speculation suggests she is being groomed to eventually replace her father.

© AARON SKINNER/Bloomberg News /Landov

11. Jim C. Walton Net Worth: $17.8 billion Source: Wal-Mart/U.S. Age: 61 Marital Status: Married, four children

• Wal-Mart remains the exception to the rule in the crumbling retail sector, thanks to its global footprint and deeply discounted prices. Also helping: the exodus of competitors like Circuit City and Linens 'n Things.
• Shares down 25% since September.
• Fourth-quarter profit hurt by lawsuit settlements, poor currency exchange; still beat analyst expectations.
• Stake in solar-paneling outfit First Solar fared far worse; shares down 60% since August after surging 120% in previous 12 months.
• Sam Walton started as J.C. Penney clerk in 1940; opened Newport, Ark., five-and-dime store Benjamin Franklin five years later. Lost lease in 1950.
• With brother James started general store chain in Bentonville, Ark., in 1962.
• Today Wal-Mart is world's largest retailer: 7,200 stores, 2 million employees serve 200 million customers. Sales: $378 billion.
• Jim chairs Arvest Bank Group, Community Publishers.

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