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Updated 32 minutes ago
In Bloomberg's ranking of the richest families in the world, the Walton family, owners of the Walmart supermarket chain, returned to first place this year.
More than six decades after Sam Walton opened the first supermarket, his descendants are richer than ever thanks to the spectacular performance of the multinational's shares, whose value has increased by 80% this year.
According to Bloomberg, a key to the companies on the list is that they have remained united in the ownership of their assets and, in some cases, created business pacts that keep fortunes together.
The publication, whose full list includes 25 families, cites as examples of this family and business unit the owners of Walmart, the luxury brand Hermès or the pharmaceutical company Roche.
Here are the 10 richest families in the world and the origin of their fortune.
1. The Waltons
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Net worth: $432 billion
The Waltons own about 46% of the supermarket chain, a stake that forms the basis of the world's largest family fortune.
Founder Sam Walton strategically distributed the wealth among his children in order to maintain family control.
2. The Al Nahyans
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Net worth: $323 billion
Country: United Arab Emirates
In the United Arab Emirates, the ruling Al Nahyan family made their fortune in the oil sector.
The ruler of Abu Dhabi (one of the seven emirates), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is also the country's president.
3. Les Al Thani
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Net worth: $172 billion
The Al Thani family government in Qatar owns oil and gas businesses.
Family members hold important political positions and own large companies in various industries.
The family is huge, although power is concentrated in a few key branches.
4. The Hermès
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Net worth: $170 billion
The sixth generation of the family, which has more than 100 members, owns the French luxury fashion company.
Among the family members who hold leadership positions in the company is Axel Dumas, executive chairman.
5. Les Koch
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Net worth: $148 billion
Brothers Frederick, Charles, David and William Koch inherited the oil company from their father, Fred, but after an argument, only Charles and David remained in the business.
The Koch Company operates in the petroleum, chemicals, energy, minerals, cloud computing, finance, commodities trading and investments industries, among others.
6. The Al Saud
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Net worth: $140 billion
The fortune of the Saudi royal family comes from the oil sector. Bloomberg's net worth estimate is based on cumulative payments members of the royal family reportedly received over the past 50 years from the Royal Diwan, the king's executive office.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally controls assets worth more than US$1 billion.
7. The Mars
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Net worth: $133 billion
Mars is best known for products such as M&M's bars, Milky Way and Snickers, but pet products now account for more than half of the company's revenue.
8. The Ambanis
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Company: Reliance Industries
Net worth: $99 billion
Mukesh Ambani runs the world's largest oil refining complex. He lives in a 27-story mansion, considered the most expensive private residence in the world.
He and his brother inherited their father's fortune.
9. Les Wertheimer
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Net worth: $88 billion
Brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer inherited the fortune their grandfather made financing designer Coco Chanel in Paris in the 1920s.
Their family owns the fashion house as well as racehorses and vineyards.
10. The Thomsons
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Company: Thomson Reuters
Net worth: $87 billion
The family owns a roughly 70% stake in financial data and services provider Thomson Reuters.
The fortune of Canada's richest family dates back to the early 1930s, when Roy Thomson opened a radio station in Ontario.
