Switzerland: Home of Europe's richest industrialists

Many of the richest European industrialists have chosen Switzerland as their "homeland", the Swiss magazine "Bilan" announced today.

In the list of rich people made by that publication, at least two-thirds of the 100 names live in Switzerland, including the richest among them, the founder of the Swedish company "Ikea" Ingvar Kamprad.

Kamprad (86), a resident of Lausanne, heads the list with a fortune of 35 billion francs (29 billion euros, 36 billion dollars).

Zurich

To enter the club of the ultra-rich, it was necessary to have assets of at least five billion francs (4 billion euros, 5 billion dollars), the AFP agency reported.

The list of "Bilan" magazine is dominated by Germans, who number 28, two more than Russians; followed by the French and Swiss rich with 9 each, while the Italians are fifth with 7 on the list

In second place on the list is the Spaniard Amansio Ortega Gaona, creator of the ready-to-wear brand "Zara" and owner of the global textile giant "Inditeks". His fortune is estimated at 32,9 billion francs (27 billion euros, 34 billion dollars).

The German-Dutch Breninkmeier family, owner of the C&A clothing chain, is worth an estimated 27,9 billion francs (23 billion euros, 29 billion dollars), placing it in third place.

Overall, the list of the Swiss magazine is dominated by Germans, who number 28, two more than the Russian super-rich. They are followed by French and Swiss rich people with nine each, while Italians are fifth with seven on the list.

Geneva

The list clearly shows that behind some of Europe's richest people are traditional businesses, which are passed down from generation to generation, with the most represented trading houses and manufacturers of textile brands and luxury goods.

Perhaps surprisingly, the list includes very few new technology rich people and almost no innovators from the Internet or mobile phone sectors.

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