1. United States Of America

The American economy is the largest economy in the world with a GDP of $13.812 trillion. This GDP accounts for more than 25 percent of the entire world.

In terms of purchasing power parity too, the United States is leading the world.

However, its per capita income at $46,040, per year, puts it on the 15th spot in the world.

2.Japan

Japan is the second largest economy of the world with a total GDP of $4.377 trillion. In terms of purchasing power parity, it ranks 3rd in the world.

Japan’s annual per capita income stands at $ 37,670, making it 25th highest in the world.

3. Germany

Germany is the world’s third largest economy with a GDP at $3.297 trillion.

It’s per capita income is at $38,860, the 23rd highest in the world.

4. China

China is the fourth largest economy of the world with a GDP at $3.281 trillion.

It is the fastest growing economies in the world.

5. United Kingdom

Britain is the world’s fifth largest economy with a GDP at $2.728 trillion.

Britain is a rich country and its annual per capita income stands at $42,740 ranking it on 19th spot.

6. France

France is the 6th largest economy of the world with a GDP at $2.563 trillion.

The per capita income of $38,500 ranks French at the 24th richest person in the world.

7. Italy

Italy is the world’s seventh largest economy with its GDP at $2.107 trillion.

Italy’s per capita income of $33,540 makes it the 30th highest in the world.

 8. Spain

Spain is the eighth largest economy in the world with its GDP at $!.429 trillion.

The per capita income of $29,450 makes its people 36th richest in the world.

 9. Canada

Canada is the ninth largest economy of the world with its GDP at $1.326 trillion.

The people of China enjoy a lavish lifestyle with their per capita income of $39,420, the 22nd highest in world.

 10. Brazil

Brazil is also one of the fastest growing economy. It is the tenth largest economy with its GDP at $1.314 trillion.

It has a annual per capita income of $5,910, which makes its people 85th richest in the world.

11. Russian Fedration

Russia is 11th largest economy in the world with its GDP at $1.291.

The per capita income of Russia stands at $7,650 that brings the country on the 78th place in terms of people’s richness.

 12. India

The Gross Domestic Product of India is $1.171 trillion, which makes it world’s 12th largest economy.

Though, India is growing at a very good rate but it has a very low annual per capita income of $950.

 Kelly Sotherton
Country: Great Britain

Event: Heptathlon

Dhirubhai Ambani

Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani (1932-2002) was born to a school teacher. He dropped the school and went to Aden to work and earn. There he worked as a gas-station attendant and then a clerk in an oil company. After serving there for 10 years, he returned to India and started a small business with small capital.

By the time he died, he had established his company – Reliance Industries Ltd, a large business empire. Dhirubhai added a new chapter in the history of Indian stock market by bringing thousands of investors to the stock market. During the process, he had become one of the world’s richest persons.

His sons, Mukesh and Anil now stand among the top 10 richest persons of the world.

Bill Gates

William H Gates III ( October 28, 1955-), son of William H Gates II, Seattle attorney grew up in Seattle with his two sisters. The world’s richest man for long, until upstaged by the legendary investor Warren Buffett recently, is a computer whiz kid, entrepreneur, compassionate capitalist, top manager and so on.

Bill started programming computers at a small age of 13. He entered Harvard University as a freshman in 1973, where he developed a version of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer  – the MITS Affair.

Gates left Harvard to devote his qualities to Microsoft, the company which he founded in 1975 with his childhood friend Paul Allen. He stepped down as chief executive officer of Microsoft in January 2000. Then he also left the Microsoft in June 27, 2008. Now he remains as a part-time, non-executive chairman of the company.

Today Bill Gates is one of the richest persons in world.

Gautam Adani

Gautam Adani (1962-) owns one of India’s largest export and trading huses. He is the chirman of Adani Group and is one of the richest Indians with an estimated wealth of $6.7 billion.

He is a college drop out at the age of 18 years and went to Mumbai to work in a diamond store. Later, he stepped up into his own business of diamonds. The Adani Group was established in 1988 in partnership with a meager capital of Rs 500,000. And, Adani Enterprises Ltd. is one of the fastest growing enterprises now.

Today, Gautam Adani also owns two private jets.

Subhash Chandra

Subhash Chandra is one of the richest persons in India. The founder of Zee TV and the Essel Group, dropped out of the school at an age of 12.

He started his own vegetable oil and rice trading when he was just 19 years old. In October 1992, Subhash launched Zee Telefilms to supply content to Zee TV  – India;’s first Hindi Satellite Television Channel.

He also came out with amusement park, Esselworld, laminted tubes (Essel Tubes) and set up world class facilities that prepared quality products at reasonable prices.

He owns the wealth worth around $2.3 billion.
 

Li Ka-shing

Li Ka-shing, one of the richest persons in Asia, has a net worth estimated at $18.8 billion. The Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong Holdings was only 12 when his family had to flee from China during the Japanese invasion in the country.

His father passed away when he was only 15. Then, he had to drop out of school to support his family after the demise of his father in Hongkong. He took to work on his uncle’s shop selling watches. Soon, he established his own plastic manufacturing unit making high quality plastic flowers. Then, he also started real estate development, retail, power, electronics, telecommunication and ports.

Carl Icahn

Carl Icahn, a billionaire financier with an estimated net worth of $ 1.4 billion left before completing graduation at New York University, School of Medicine. It remained good for Icahn not becoming a doctor.

He is an activist investor leading a shareholder revolt at Yahoo and wants to sell out Yahoo to Microsoft.

Roman Abramovich

Roman Abramovich started doing business in late 1980s when the economic reforms started taking place in Russia. Today, he is best known for owning the United Kingdom’s Chelsea Football Club.

He has invested nearly $500 million into Chelsea Football Club since the year 2003, when he bought it. It turned the fortune of the London team in just 2 years.

Abramovich also owns a private investment company Millhouse Capital. The net worth of his wealth comes around to $23.5 billion.

Ralph Lauren was so much enamoured of fashion that he used to work after his school to make money to buy suits. He got admission in the City College of New York to study business but dropped out. He even joined army for sometime and then he got job with Brooks Brother as a salesman.

Then, he started a necktie business under the brand name ‘Polo’ in 1967. Very soon he became popular worldwide as a fashion designer and an impressive businessman.

His wealth is estimated at around $3.8 billion.

David Geffen

David Geffen, dropped out from the University of Texas in Austin. He started his career with working in the mailroom in a talent agency. His company signed on the popular artists such as Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Browne at the age of 28 in the year 1971.

Then his company merged with Elektra Records in 1972. He is the founder of Geffen Records and Dreamworks SKG. In 1975, he became the vice chairman of Warner Brothers. He established Geffen Records in 1980.

His wealth is estimated at $4.4 billion.

 Steve Jobs

Steven Paul Jobs (1955-) was born in the United States to an  unknown Egyptian-Arab father. He was adopted soon after his birth. He dropped out of Reed College after one semester.

When Steve was 21, he founded Apple Computer Co. in partnership with 26 years old Steve Wozniak. Steve is credited with revolutionizing the concept of home computers. The company introduced Macintosh in 1984. Also, Steve had a big role in building the World Wide Web. Steve is former CEO of Pixar Animation Studios.

Apple is one of the most impressive company with rovolutionary brands like iPod and iPhone. Jobs got a listing in the Guinness Book of world records as ‘Lowest Paid CEO’ for working at an annual salary of $1. Though, he was gifted a $90 million jet by the company.

Steve’s net worth stands at more than $5.4 billion.

Larry Ellison

Lawrence Joseph Ellison (1944-) founded his company in 1977 with a meager amount of $2,000. He is the co-founder and CEO of Oracle Corporation.

Ellison is a school dropout, who is one of the richest people in America today. He worked for the Ampex Corporation, where he worked for the project meant for CIA. He named it Oracle. Later, he had to reuse the name ‘Oracle’ for his company.

His wealth is estimated at around $25 billion.

Andrew Carnegie

The famous Industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) was the steel tycoon. His story of being rich is also one of the most famous among the Americans.

He is a school dropout who worked as a bobbin boy in a textile mill at the age of 13 years. He is also famous for his donations of over $350 million to raise public education.