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Success stories of billionaires who started a business from scratch (20 photos). Success stories in business from scratch Biography of millionaires




In this section, we have collected biographies of the richest and most successful people in the world. The goal is to understand what helped them earn millions and billions of dollars, what skills and abilities they have, what qualities they develop in themselves and what values ​​they are guided by.

As one of them said, in order to become a millionaire, you must first become a person in a million. And we will add from ourselves, in order to become a person in a million, you need to study the stories of successful personalities, try to get into their heads and learn to think like them. We hope our materials will help you with this. We wrote them primarily for ourselves.

The section is constantly updated, so bookmark the page or subscribe to the site news to learn about the release of new biographies.

Bill Gates is the legendary founder of Windows, the world's most popular operating system. He is the richest man on the planet for more than a decade, he is also a charismatic business leader, innovator, knight of Great Britain and the father of three children. What events from the biography of Gates and the qualities of his character helped him become what he is?

Warren Buffett is the genius of the financial world, the most successful and unsurpassed investor in the world, who is also one of the richest people on the planet. Do you want to know the secrets of his success?

Steve Jobs, co-founder of the company "", as well as several other companies, including the animation studio Pixar, an innovative businessman who gave the world a lot of interesting, intelligent toys, such as iPod, iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.

Henry Ford

Ray Kroc is an American entrepreneur and founder of McDonald's, a chain of fast food restaurants. For the businessman's contribution to the formation and development of the catering industry, Time magazine in 1998 included him in the TOP 100 most significant people of the 20th century.

Thomas Edison is a famous American inventor and businessman, co-founder of General Electric Corporation. For the period of his professional activity, Thomas received 1093 patents at home and about 3000 outside the United States. He improved the telegraph and telephone, designed the phonograph. Thanks to his perseverance, millions of incandescent bulbs lit up in the world.

Coco Chanel is an outstanding fashion designer, the founder of a Fashion House, who proved that elegance is impossible without convenience. Her design fantasy includes a little black dress, pantsuit, chain bag and other branded items that create a sophisticated style.

Walt Disney is a legendary American artist, producer and director. The creator of the first musical and feature-length cartoons in the history of cinema, released about 700 cartoons, won 29 Oscars and 4 Emmys, received honorary degrees from Yale and Harvard Universities, and was awarded the highest civilian government award in the United States - the Medal of Freedom. On the Hollywood Walk of Fame, two stars are dedicated to Disney, one for the development of television, the other for his contribution to the cinema.

Richard Branson is one of the most brilliant and talented businessmen in the world, a billionaire, the founder of the international corporation Virgin, a champion in aeronautics, and the owner of his own island.

Donald Trump is an American construction magnate, owner of the Trump Organization, who later became President of the United States. Also known as the owner of the Miss Universe beauty pageant, host and executive producer of the reality show The Candidate. Time magazine named him Person of the Year in 2016.

Madonna is one of the most successful women in the world who was able to break through to the top from poverty itself. There was a period in Madonna's life when she spent the night in attics, and sometimes even checked the contents of trash cans in search of food. But it didn't break her. What helped our heroine to break through to the very top and become one of the most influential women on the planet?

Elon Musk is an American entrepreneur, inventor, co-founder of PayPal, founder and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, member of the Board of Directors of SolarCity. The Model S electric car released by Tesla accelerates to 96 km / h in 2.28 seconds. For his contribution to the commercialization of space, Elon Musk was awarded the Heinlein Prize and received $ 0.5 million (2011). He was named "Businessman of the Year" by Fortune (2013) and "CEO of the Year" by The Wall Street Journal (2013).

Mark Zuckerberg

Pavel Durov is a Russian businessman, programmer, developer and co-founder of the VKontakte social network, led VKontakte as CEO from 2006 to 2014, and is currently the founder and CEO of the Telegram messenger.

Phil Knight is an American businessman, co-founder of Nike, which has an annual income of $20 billion. He is the richest resident of his native state of Oregon, and in 2015 he was in the TOP-20 richest people on the planet.

Mary Kay is an American entrepreneur and founder of Mary Kay Inc., a company specializing in the production and sale of cosmetics and skin care products.

George Soros is an influential investor, financial guru, founder of charitable foundations in 25 countries, father of five children, and also the man “who collapsed the Bank of England”, a supporter of marijuana legalization, a master of market speculation.

Robert Kiyosaki is an investor, entrepreneur, financial advisor, and author of the best-selling Rich Dad vs. Poor Dad series. He is not one of the richest people on the planet, but at the same time, his fortune will seem fabulous to many. We are primarily interested not in his condition, but in what helped him become financially free and independent.

Carlos Slim Elu - what is the secret to the success of the richest man in the world? What needs to be done to achieve such heights? What skills and qualities do you need to develop in yourself in order to climb the podium of wealth and fame?

Zhou Qunfei is the richest woman in China and the richest woman in the world to make a fortune from scratch, as well as the youngest self-made woman billionaire. Founder and CEO of Lens Technology. The company is included in the Global 2000 lists, among its customers are Apple and Samsung corporations.

Wealth is the main goal of almost every person. How do the richest people live? What is their history? Let's delve into the chronicle of the life of successful people. Everyone wants to be successful in their favorite business and earn a lot of money. What is needed for this? Probably, first of all, to have a head on your shoulders. However, luck and success are important factors. Looking at the lives of billionaires, we always wonder how they got there. Sometimes we are simply tritely jealous and dream of being in their place. Some people simply admire the success of rich people, and some try in every possible way to learn from their experience.

All these people, one way or another, worked very hard and believed in their future. Over the years, they studied the structure of their activities, gained experience and made an invaluable contribution to their development. By tradition, Forbes magazine periodically publishes and updates the list of the richest people, where we will look.

Rich people statistics

The list of "Rich People of the World" for February 2015 has 1827 names. Their total fortune is equal to 7 trillion dollars! It's hard to believe, but it's true. Just think about this number. Compared to last year, statistics show that the total fortune of all the lucky ones has increased by $650 billion. In just one year, 285 new names entered the list of rich people. Interesting fact that all newcomers are citizens of the Republic of China.

Bill Gates story

His financial condition is about 75 billion dollars. It's no secret that Bill Gates is the founder of Microsoft. This is a man with a capital letter who changed the fate of mankind in the direction of computer technology. Bill Gates is a citizen of the United States of America, this is his native country, where he was born, raised and has lived for 59 years.

For many years, Bill has been at the top of the Forbes list of all the billionaires in the world. The creation of new computer technologies and investment continue to enrich the owner of Microsoft. Over the past year, his fortune has increased by 8.5 billion dollars. The continuous victories of the computer genius are confirmed by the fact that he became the leader of the list 15 times!

You can talk a lot about Bill Gates, but the most important thing to note is that he is the main philanthropist of mankind. The richest people also have a sense of humanity, well, at least some of them. Thanks to Gates, a family fund for the needy was created, which has already used over $27 billion. At the moment, the family foundation has risen to the fight against such a disease as polio. Aid is directed mainly to third world countries.

Media Mogul Carlos Slim

The capital of the owner of a large telecommunications network Grupo Carso is 72 billion dollars. Carlos was born in Mexico and is 75 years old. For the past four years, Carlos Slim has been at the top of the Forbes list of the richest people. However, with the depreciation, he shifted and lowered his position. Unfortunately, this is the only person on the list of the top 10 richest people in the world who has lost his fortune by $ 1 billion in the last year.

The Mexican financial corporation encompasses many different companies. Huge flows of money turnover haunt even government officials. Carlos' holdings include such well-known companies as Gruppo Carso, Gruppo Finacieo Inbursa and many others. The name of a Mexican can often be heard on television news, in various reports and statistics.

Amancio Ortega's secret to success

The Spaniard has a total fortune of $64 billion. Amancio is the main representative and owner of the largest trading platform Inditex. This includes brands such as Zara, Pull and Bear, Bershka and others. The Spanish oligarch is the richest man in Europe!

Over the past year, Amancio has increased his capital by $6.5 billion. This is an incredible figure, but do not forget that the year before last, Ortega managed to earn over $ 20 billion. At the moment he is not the king of Inditex. There is now another manager in his chair, but nevertheless Amancio still controls over 60% of the company's shares.

Ortega is a well-known collector. The subject of his collecting is real estate! The total estimated value of all facilities is about $4 billion. The most significant part of his ownership is a 43-storey skyscraper in Madrid called Torre Picasso. It is in this skyscraper in Madrid that the main branch of Google in Spain is located. In 2013, the billionaire purchased 26 new buildings for about $835 million.

Amancio Ortega grew up in a modest family of a railroad worker. The future businessman began his career in a clothing store. Ortega doesn't even have a high school education! The first production came out in 1972, hence his meteoric career began.

The American dream. Warren Buffett

This man knows a lot about investments. The academic knowledge gained at the university and the difficult life experience helped him to reach a fortune of 58 billion dollars. The 84-year-old American is the second richest person in the United States of America.

Warren is not embarrassed by his advanced age, so he continues to work actively and make new financial transactions, which are discussed with obvious interest on the pages of international media. According to the statistics of the past year, Buffett became richer by 5 billion dollars.

He managed to get such an excellent profit thanks to the purchase of a large holding for the production of Heinz ketchup, as well as a successful investment in the Central Asian oil industry. The American does not forget about charity! His most recent donations to those in need amounted to $3 billion, and all-time over $20 billion.

As the billionaire himself says, his success largely depends on the book he read in his youth. The Smart Investor - This business and investing primer by Benjamin Graham inspired a young businessman to great feats. Buffett has acquired basic investment skills and the right approach to this business. The eternal advice that can be heard from Warren Buffett: "You should not turn your attention to short-term investing, which can be scattered over trifles to smithereens, you should always focus on long-term investments and wait."

Larry Ellison - America's Information Genius

Born in the USA and has about 48 billion dollars. Larry enters big business as an IT representative. His company is named Oracle. Ellison is already 70, and he is not going to stop his activities. His credo is to always be the first in everything. The tech genius has overstated his fortune by $5 billion over the past year. He often likes to talk about competing companies that fail in his opinion. Similar statements could be heard against companies such as Google and Apple.

Larry Ellison also likes to collect real estate. The largest cluster of his private objects is located in the city of Malibu. In addition, he is the owner of a small island in Hawaii. The cherished dream of a billionaire is to build a house on the island of Lanai, which will combine all the signs of paradise on our planet.

Charles and David

The fortune of the brothers Charles Koch and David Koch totals about 80 billion dollars for two. They share 6th and 7th place in the top "List of World Billionaires". Each has about 40 billion. The American brothers have long passed over 70. Charles is 79 years old, and David is 74 years old.

In 1967, Charles Koch becomes chairman of the board of directors and part-time CEO Koch Industries. This company ranks second in the United States in terms of profit. Over the past year, the company managed to earn $120 billion, while Koch himself replenished his capital by $6 billion.

The Koch brothers own over 80% of the shares of Koch Industries. Younger brother David Koch is considered the richest Mr. of New York City. Charles and David are involved in charity work and are among the 10 most influential philanthropists in the world.

Sheldon Adelson - the king of the gaming empire

He is an interesting and incredibly talented person. His source of income is the gaming business, namely the Las Vegas Sands casino. At the age of 81, Adelson has $38 billion. In 2013, Sheldon made $33 million overnight. This incident helped the billionaire rise to the top of the World's Billionaires List. The king of the gaming empire got rich in the shortest possible time due to the introduction of his business in the countries of Southeast Asia.

To date, countries such as Macau and Singapore have become very popular. All this thanks to the largest playgrounds where the richest people from all over the world like to gather. In Southeast Asia, $12 billion was earned.

And Sheldon Adelson does not think to stop there. His plans include opening large casinos in Western Europe. Not far from Madrid, Adelson is developing a new project in which $30 billion has already been invested. Such business strategies are incredibly risky. However, the billionaire achieves his goals, which as a result gives him the growth of all shares up to 3% per month.

Paradoxically, Sheldon Adelson supports the Republican Party of the United States of America. The multi-billionaire invests huge sums for the provision and goals of the party. Recently, thanks to Sheldon, a ban on online casinos in the United States has been made public.

Members of the Walton family

There are 4 billionaires in the Walton family. The fortune of Christy Walton is 37 billion, Jim Walton - 35 billion, Alice Walton - 34.5 billion, Robson Walton - 34 billion. All members of the clan are tied to the Retail company. The age of billionaires is 70, 67, 65, 70 respectively.

A rare case when almost the whole family is on the Forbes list. Christy Walton is the richest female billionaire in the world. The founder of Retail is John Walton (Christie's late husband). For the last year, the promotions of the chain of stores retail increased by 6%, which made it possible to earn 460 million dollars.

The Retail Empire was founded in 1962. At the moment, the company has about 11 thousand different branches and franchises around the world, and the total number of employees of the company is over 2 million people. In addition, the family also owns ArvesBank banks and the Hyatt Hotels chain.

Forbes: list of rich people in Russia

Among the most wealthy in the Forbes list there are also Russians. The number of rich people from Russia has more than 100 people. Each of them is followed by the press, and statistics are kept for the American Forbes magazine. Almost everyone on this list once started working for a penny. They are always talked about on television, in newspapers, and just on the streets.

It is impossible to determine the capital of a billionaire with 100% accuracy. Their financial condition is changing every second. For some it grows, for others it falls. Some people make significant changes, some don't.

Here is a list of the top ten places taken from the 100 richest people in Russia:

  • Vladimir Potanin - about $15.4 billion.
  • Mikhail Fridman - $14.6 billion
  • Alisher Usmanov - approximately $14.4 billion.
  • Viktor Vekselberg, his fortune is estimated at $14.2 billion.
  • Alexey Mordashov has $13 billion.
  • Vagit Alekperov - just over $12.2 billion;
  • Leonid Mikhelson - $11.7 billion
  • Vladimir Lisin - $11.6 billion
  • Gennady Timchenko occupies the penultimate place with a fortune of $10.7 billion.
  • Closes the list of billionaires Mikhail Prokhorov. His net worth is $9.9 billion.

Most of the Russian list began to walk up the career ladder in the early 90s. All of them also studied at schools, higher educational institutions, worked and worried about their future. They all believed in the good old saying: "Patience and work will grind everything."

It is difficult to find a person who does not want to live in abundance. And if some have to work hard every day to earn a penny, then fate has given others huge fortunes in the form of an inheritance.

1. Wealth without happiness is an empty jingle of coins

Unfortunately, most of us are not the minions of fate, and there is no end in sight to our daily chores. But many rich people created their first capital thanks to resourcefulness, the correct use of their talents, on which their entire biography was built. And thoughts, as time shows, are united in one thing - to work as much as possible with the mind and not be lazy.

The famous French writer and philosopher Stendhal believed that a person lives on earth not in order to become rich, but in order to become happy. Achieving high prosperity does not mean finding peace and joy in life. Direct proof of this is the biographies of the richest people in the world. Many billionaires, drowning in luxury, still remained lonely and unhappy.

2. Biography and thoughts of the richest people in the world, also kind

The successful people of this world are known to everyone. Bill Gates, for example, has been one of the leaders for a number of years. Where did you start? I just loved technology, was fond of computers and created the Microsoft program. He simply took a risk, but he risked deliberately, realizing that the product is necessary for users of personal computers. His main motto is not to stop there. It was he who suggested that intellectual property has a shelf life of bananas.

Let's look at another successful lady. Oprah Winfrey, a black American, lived in a poor family, went to a simple school. Only self-improvement, curiosity and a diligent attitude to everything she does led her to the bench of the Faculty of History. Perhaps it was the biography and thoughts of the richest people in the world, which she learned about from history books, that taught her a lot. “Don't give up on your dreams. Don't be disappointed in yourself. Your perseverance will pay off anyway!” are her words. They are a direct confirmation of her determination. A sharp mind, a desire to delve deeper into the fate of people, the purity of speech made her OWN program the most popular and in demand among viewers. So not all biographies of the richest people in the world are full of gifts of fate.

3. Acquired or appropriated?

I don’t really want to find out how the Russian magnates got rich, the thing is that here, in addition to intelligence and resourcefulness, the “freebie” effect worked. Many Russian rich people have become owners of the property left over from the Soviet period: factories, factories, combines, etc. The biography and thoughts of the richest people in the world in relation to Russian billionaires lose their instructiveness and meaning. Everything was earned fraudulently in the dashing 90s by appropriating foreign or state capital.

Another thing is the American billionaire Donald Trump. He was brought up in an ordinary family with four children. Donald was a difficult child, and in order to curb the boy's hard temper at least a little, he was placed at the Military Academy at the age of 13. And there he learned discipline and rigidity. He perfectly described his temper with the words: “In business, it is better to be impudent, even impudent, than tough and intractable.” The study gave him a morale start and Donald decided to be more aggressive in order to get the result he wanted. The owner of numerous casinos and hotels scattered around the world, began with the fact that, with the support of the state, together with his father, he reconstructed the Commodore Hotel. The biography of the richest people in the world - Donald and Fred Trump - tells that there are no easy ways to wealth. Life rewards those who are not afraid of difficulties.

The biography of the richest people in the world often begins precisely with moral and psychological shocks. The main thing is to be able and not to deviate from the intended goal.

Ksenia Sobchak is a name that is familiar to almost every inhabitant of the former USSR. Her life is a vivid example of determination and self-confidence. She was able to achieve considerable success on television, the journalistic field, and journalism. The biography and personal life of Ksenia Sobchak often become the subject of discussion. We decided not to be like the "yellow press" and will briefly talk about the difficult path to recognition that she managed to go through.

Today we will talk about who Donald Trump is: biography, rise to the top of business, political Olympus and other main facts from his life. At the moment, Trump is the 45th President of the United States and therefore is in the spotlight, but there are many interesting points in his biography, which we will consider in this article.


Every year, the popular American magazine Forbes publishes a ranking of the richest people in the world. Moreover, not only men, but also women fall into it. These days, women have gained financial independence - they build their own empires, earn billions, open charitable foundations and chase success. Strong women inspire all representatives of the beautiful half of humanity and serve as an example for them. Many, and we are sure not only women, will be interested to get acquainted with the latest statistics from Forbes Woman magazine. We will talk about all the successful ladies who got to the top of the list of rich people in 2016 in our article. Enjoy reading!


Robert Kiyosaki is one of the most successful investors and businessmen of our time. His life principle is not to go with the flow, but always look for non-standard ways to solve problems in the business sphere. This approach motivated the entrepreneur to write a whole series of motivational books, the main one of which, according to experts and critics, is Rich Dad Poor Dad. Now Kiyosaki conducts trainings all over the world. His books have been translated into 51 languages ​​and are sold in over a hundred countries.

Carlos Slim owns a holding, which he began to develop back in the late 60s, and the America Movil telecommunications corporation. The richest man in the world believes that the main thing is to change your children for the better, and not give them something ready-made.

The richest people in the world and on earth

Let's see who it is - the richest people in the world. For most people, wealth is associated with the success of its owner in society. This is so and not so. Hundreds of thousands of people consider themselves successful people without significant funds. They live in prosperity, but do not have wealth. Since the wealth of individuals arises, and what it takes to become rich: the life goal of constant enrichment; luck or luck; unique ability or talent; high education and knowledge? Let's look at these people, their biographies and maybe we will understand what is the mystery and clue of acquiring wealth.

The generally recognized ranking of the world's rich is published annually by the American magazine Forbes, the first copy of which appeared in 1917, and the first ranking of the rich people was published in 1918 and John Rockefeller occupied the first line in it. In Russia, the magazine has been published for 10 years, assessing the wealth of the richest people in Russia every year. This is the most authoritative source of information about the wealth of people and its rating on the pages of the magazine is considered the most reliable.

Forbes rich people ranking 2015

The richest people in the world in Forbes are 1826 people, they own 7 trillion dollars, with an average fortune of about 4 billion dollars. Of course, the magazine does not list all 1826 people on its pages, but only lists the 300 richest people in the world, and we will only list the top ten richest people in the world:

  1. Bill Gates (USA) - founder of Microsoft with a fortune of $79.2 billion;
  2. Carlos Slim Elu (Mexico) - the owner of a telecommunications network with a fortune of $ 77.1 billion;
  3. Warren Buffett (USA) - the largest investor with a fortune of 72.7 billion dollars;
  4. Amancia Ortega (Spain) - founder and owner of Zara, worth $64.5 billion;
  5. Larry Alison (USA) - founder of the software company Oracle with a fortune of $54.3 billion;
  6. Charles Koch (USA) - construction and oil refining business with a fortune of $42.9 billion;
  7. David Koch (USA) - construction and oil refining business with a fortune of $42.9 billion;
  8. Christy Walton (USA) - co-owner of the Wal-Mart retail chain with a fortune of $ 41.7 billion, and the richest woman in the world;
  9. Jim Walton (USA) - banker and co-owner of the Wal-Mart retail chain with a fortune of $40.6 billion;
  10. Liliane Bettencourt (France) is the owner of the cosmetics empire L'Oreal and the richest woman in Europe with a fortune of $40.6 billion.

Rating of rich people in Russia 2015 according to Forbes

  1. Vladimir Potanin - owner of TMK Norilsk Nickel, fortune $15.4 billion;
  2. Mikhail Fridman - controls the financial and industrial company Alfa Group, worth $ 14.6 billion;
  3. Alisher Usmanov - owns the assets of the metallurgical giant Metalloinvest, the mobile operator Megafon and a number of other assets, a fortune of $ 14.4 billion;
  4. Viktor Vekselberg - owner of the Renova group of companies and a number of other assets, worth $14.2 billion;
  5. Alexey Mordashov - owner of Severstal company with a fortune of $13 billion;
  6. Vagit Alekperov - owner of the largest private oil company Lukoil, worth $12.2 billion;
  7. Leonid Mikhelson - the owner of Novatek with a fortune of $11.7 billion;
  8. Vladimir Lisin - the owner of Novolipetsk metallurgical plant, a fortune of 11.6 billion dollars;
  9. Gennady Timchenko - the owner of many assets with a fortune of $ 10.7 billion;
  10. Mikhail Prokhorov is a banker, media tycoon, co-owner of the world's largest producer of potash fertilizers, Uralkali, worth $9.9 billion.

Of course, the richest people in Russia are not limited to this list and their distribution within the list is very often modified, for example, for the last two years it was headed by Alisher Usmanov.

Biographies of the richest people in the world

Analyzing the life path of each of the richest people on the planet, they can be divided into heirs of huge fortunes and people who have risen to this list from the very bottom, or who have achieved their fortune with organizational talent, a sense of time and other abilities necessary for a successful business.

The biography of the richest people in the world shows the features of the ways to achieve wealth by each of them. Of the ten richest people in the world according to Forbes, only three inherited huge capital: Christy Walton, Jim Walton - the heirs of the largest retail chain Wal-Mart, and Liliane Betancourt, who inherited L'Oreal from Eugene Scheller's father. Of course, there are a lot of rich people on the Forbes lists, whose fortunes were made by their fathers and even grandfathers. Among them are well-known names: Rockefellers, Morgans and others. Preserving the wealth inherited is also not an easy task, but much easier than making a multibillion-dollar fortune from scratch.

The richest people in the world are described Rich people are not so few as it seems at first glance.

The ranking of the richest people in the world begins with Bill Gates (William Bill Gates), a man who made his fortune with his intellect, organizational talents, and the gift of foresight. His company Microsoft is the world's leading manufacturer of software for personal computers, the general development of which, Gates foresaw. He did not even finish his studies at Harvard University and, having left his third year, founded Microsoft. Gates was actively involved in the development of software products and developed a strategy for the development of Microsoft.

The list of the richest people in the world was occupied by representatives of the United States, but for some time, from 2010 to 2013, it was headed by a representative of Mexico, of Arab origin, Carlos Slim Elu, a man who has achieved everything he has with his work, perseverance, knowledge and desire to win. I must say that the basis of the future capital of Carlos Slim Elu was made by his father. After graduating from the National University of Mexico City and receiving an engineering degree, at the age of 25 he began to create the future Grupo Carso empire. In 1982, taking advantage of the crisis in Mexico, he bought shares of many well-known companies for next to nothing, and in early 1990 he bought the telecommunications company Telmex (Telefonos de Mexico). He further specializes in this industry and buys telecommunications companies throughout Latin America. He was included in the Forbes list in 2002.

Warren Buffett, the richest and no less famous investor in the world, was born in the family of a stock trader and from childhood he was familiar with financial transactions, the stock exchange. He made his first stock purchase at age 11, buying several shares of Cities Service at $38. The stock quickly fell in price to $27, but later rose to $40. Warren immediately sold it, earning $5. A few days later, the shares jumped in price to $200. After that, Buffett formed one of the most important principles of investing: "patience is rewarded." Unlike Bill Gates, Buffett received an excellent education, graduating from Columbia University and earning himself the nickname "The Oracle of Omaha" as a successful investor. "The main secret of successful investing is to choose good stocks at the right time and hold them as long as these stocks remain good" - this principle of Buffett is used by thousands of investors around the world.

Biographies of Russian billionaires are not so impressive. Although it is believed that their wealth was created from scratch, the rich people of Russia made their fortunes through certain financial schemes, the legal purity of which is of questionable nature. And biographical information is not always available.

Among the dozen names of Russian billionaires, Mikhail Prokhorov looks like an example of a typical growth from a simple entrepreneur to the Forbes list. Prokhorov in 1989, after graduating from the Financial Academy, worked until 1992 at the International Bank for Economic Cooperation, where Vladimir Potanin became his business partner until 2008. Then he went his own way, developing his business.

Today, these people are on the Forbes list, but the beginning of their lives did not portend such a development. Many billionaires have made their fortunes by overcoming social, political, and psychological barriers. Inspirational examples of the richest people in the world.

Members of the Forbes list are considered to be minions of fate, who pulled out a lucky ticket and do not know the hardships of a simple life. However, many billionaires have made their fortunes by climbing out of poverty and overcoming incredible social, political and psychological barriers. The most inspiring stories of the 2015 world ranking in our selection.

Moed Altrad

  • Net worth: $1 billion
  • Country: France

The story of the 67-year-old French billionaire, who entered the Forbes ranking for the first time this year, is like a fairy tale. Born to a Bedouin family in the Syrian desert, Moed lost his mother at the age of four. His father regularly beat him, and eventually abandoned his son altogether. The orphaned child was raised by his grandmother. Out of superstition, she forbade Moed to attend school, so that the boy actually had to do it in secret.

The craving for knowledge was so great that Altrad received a scholarship to study in France. He moved to his new homeland 46 years ago without a penny in his pocket and without knowing the language. At first, Moed ate no more than once a day the most meager food. But the talent for physics and mathematics gradually helped him out of poverty. He received a degree in information technology and began his career with internships in technology and oil companies.

In 1985, Altrad decided to go into business himself, for which he bought a bankrupt construction plant in the south of France. Despite the lack of experience in the industry, the aspiring entrepreneur very quickly learned the basics of business, made his company profitable and engaged in an expansion that has not ended to this day.

Li Ka-shin

  • Wealth: $33.3 billion
  • Country: Hong Kong

The richest man in Asia, Li Ka-shing knows firsthand what life is like on the edge of poverty. At the age of 12, he had to drop out of school and work in a watch band factory to support his family. By 1950, he had amassed his first capital and entered the trade in plastic toys and related products. Later, Li Ka-shing bought the factory himself, and things went uphill. Since then, the billionaire's business has grown into a diversified holding with assets in real estate, ports, technology and a host of other industries. Li Ka-shin employs 270,000 people in 52 countries.

Leonardo Del Vecchio

  • Wealth: $20.4 billion
  • Country: Italy

The mother of the future billionaire sent her son to an orphanage when Leonardo was seven years old - the family did not have enough money to raise a child. After going through a tough orphanage school, at 14 Del Vecchio got a job as an apprentice in a factory that produced eyeglass frames and auto parts. After another eleven years, he founded his own company - Luxxotica. Today it is the world's largest manufacturer of sunglasses and prescription eyewear, owning the Ray Ban and Oakley brands and making products for Burberry, Bulgari, Chanel, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany, Versache and many other companies. Del Vecchio in his homeland is deservedly called the "king of points".

Roman Abramovich

  • Wealth: $9.1 billion
  • Country Russia

The world's most famous billionaire from Russia 14 was orphaned when he was four years old and raised by relatives. Having not received a higher education, he went to serve in the army, and upon his return he started his first business - selling toys from his own apartment. Later, the enterprising entrepreneur made a fortune on oil deals and in 1995 acquired the then powerful Boris Berezovsky as a business partner. In tandem, they bought Sibneft from the state at a more than modest price tag, which became the basis of Abramovich's fortune.

David Murdoch

  • Wealth: $3.1 billion
  • Country: USA

Dyslexic David did not finish his studies at school and was forced to start working at a gas station from his teenage years until he joined the army in 1943. Returning from the front, he borrowed $1,800 from friends and opened a diner restaurant. Since then, Murdoch's business has grown at an incredible rate. Today he runs the world's largest fruit and vegetable producer and exporter, Dole Food Corporation.

Sheldon Adelson

  • Wealth: $31.4 billion
  • Country: USA

The son of a taxi driver, Adelson grew up in a small apartment in a "social" house on the outskirts of Boston. He had to sleep on the floor, and his grandmother became the main teacher of the boy. At the age of 12, Sheldon borrowed $200 from his uncle and started selling newspapers and magazines. Since then, the business has grown exponentially. Over the decades of his entrepreneurial career, Adelson has experienced ups and downs - he traded vending machines, advertising publications, consulting services, a service for organizing large conferences, etc. In the end, the businessman found his niche in the gambling business - he became the "King of Las Vegas" , the owner of the largest casino management company Las Vegas Sands, which has a representative office not only in the United States, but also in Macau, China.

John Paul Dejoria

  • Wealth: $2.8 billion
  • Country: USA

In the early 1980s, DeJoria found himself homeless and sleeping in his car on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. A Vietnam War veteran, he was selling shampoo door-to-door at the time. The businessman has since turned his $ 700 savings into John Paul Mitchell Systems, one of the largest hair care product manufacturers in the country, which he founded together with Paul Mitchell. Today, the company sells a wide range of products, from familiar shampoos to exotic product categories such as tequila (Patrón Spirits brand) and mobile phones (ROK Mobile).

Jan Kum

The iconic TV presenter, producer and women's rights activist was born when her mother was still a minor. She was raised by her grandmother on a farm in Mississippi. Winfrey made her first steps in television in Nashville, Baltimore. She then moved to Chicago, where she forcibly turned a third-rate morning show into the number one federal talk show. Over time, Oprah left the frame, preparing for herself a real business empire, which today includes many businesses, from producing Hollywood films to publishing bestsellers.

Christos Lazari

  • Wealth: $2.1 billion
  • Country: UK

Now one of London's most influential real estate investors, Lazari arrived in the British capital at the age of 16 from his small village in Cyprus with £20 in his pocket. At first, he washed dishes and served guests in restaurants, thus saving money for studying design courses. Later, Christos created his own brand Drendie Girl, but the fashion industry did not work out - and in 1978 the aspiring entrepreneur switched to the real estate market. Today, his Lazari Investments owns 2.5 million square feet of office space in prestigious areas of London.

Miki Jagtiani

  • Wealth: $5.2 billion
  • Country: India

In his youth, Jagtiani dropped out of college and tried to gain a foothold in London, not disdaining the work of a cleaner at a hotel and a taxi driver. He ended up leaving Britain for Bahrain to help the family run a children's goods store. Soon, within just one year, Miki lost all his close relatives - his mother, father and brother. Business management fell entirely on his shoulders. But Jagtiani managed - and turned a modest store into trading network Landmark Group with $5 billion in revenue and 1,900 points of sale in the Middle East, Africa and India.