Who are the oldest billionaires in the world? George Joseph, the founder of insurance company Mercury General, leads the 2024 Forbes list at 102 years old. With a fortune of US$1.7 billion, Joseph tops a trio of centenarians with billions in assets, including David Murdock, former president of Dole Food, and Robert Kuok, Malaysia’s richest man.
But Joseph isn’t alone. Forbes’ list also features 13 women aged 90 and above who are billionaires.
It shows that success knows no age or gender. Dive into the full report to learn more about these remarkable individuals.
This article is for those searching for:
- Who are the oldest billionaires in the world?
- Who is the richest nonagenarian in the world?
- What other famous names are on Forbes’ list of nonagenarian billionaires?
- Who tops the list of oldest billionaires globally?
- Who are the wealthiest individuals over 90 years old?
- Who are the top billionaires in their 90s?
- Who are the richest seniors in the world?
- Who are the notable nonagenarian billionaires?
- Who are the oldest billionaires according to Forbes?
- Who are the richest octogenarians and nonagenarians?
- Who are the wealthiest elderly individuals worldwide?
- Who are the most famous nonagenarian billionaires?
- Who has the highest net worth among nonagenarian billionaires?
- Who are the oldest billionaires and what is their net worth?
- Who are the top-ranking nonagenarian billionaires according to Forbes?
Who are the oldest billionaires in the world?
- George Joseph: 102 years old
The oldest billionaire in the world on the Forbes list is the American George Joseph. Founder of the insurance company Mercury General, the businessman turned 102 years old on September 11th and has a fortune of US$1.7 billion (R$8.5 billion).
Born in 1921, the centenarian grew up during the Great Depression — the name given to one of the biggest financial crises in the world, which happened in 1929 — and became a pilot during the Second World War.
A 1949 Harvard graduate with majors in mathematics and physics, Joseph founded Mercury General in 1962, after managing to raise approximately US$2 million in capital.
To attract customers, it offered reduced-rate insurance to drivers who drove safer than the North American average.
Mercury General currently offers auto, home and fire insurance, and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) . Joseph has 35% control of the company.
The billionaire is married and has five children.
David Murdock: 101 years old
American businessman David Murdock, aged 101 and with a fortune of US$3.4 billion (around R$17 billion), is also among the oldest on the Forbes list of billionaires.
Murdock, who led Dole Food Products for 35 years, left the company’s board in 2021, before the company launched its shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
According to Forbes, the businessman served in the US army during the Second World War. He then went on to develop properties in Arizona in the United States .
Currently, the billionaire owns a number of residential and commercial properties in the country, in addition to having a collection of Arabian horses.
Robert Kuok: 100 years
Malaysia’s richest man completes the trio of centenarians on the Forbes billionaires list.
At 100 years old and with a fortune of US$11.4 billion (R$57.1 billion), Robert Kuok is the owner of the Kuok Group, a multinational conglomerate that operates in the maritime, real estate, logistics, hotel, food, and agribusiness.
The businessman is also responsible for founding the Shangri-La hotel and resort chain in Singapore in 1971.
Furthermore, the billionaire’s businesses are kept within the family. His youngest son, Kuok Khoon Hua, for example, is chairman of Kerry Properties, a Hong Kong real estate company.
The billionaire’s nephew, Kuok Khoon Hong, heads Wilmar International, an investment and food processing holding company in Singapore. Both companies belong to the Kuok Group.
The businessman, who graduated from Raffles College in Singapore, is married and has eight children.
Who is the richest nonagenarian in the world?
The title of richest nonagenarian in the world, in turn, goes to mega-investor Warren Buffett . At 93 years old, the billionaire accumulates assets of more than US$133 billion (the equivalent of R$666.1 billion) and occupies 6th place on the Forbes list. SEE THE TOP 10 HERE.
Known as the “Oracle of Omaha”, Buffett is considered by many to be the most successful investor of the 20th century. He is the main shareholder and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Berkshire Hathaway group.
Born in 1930 in the United States, Buffett began investing in stocks at a young age, influenced by his father, who worked as a financial market operator. He bought his first shares when he was just 11 years old.
An entrepreneur from an early age, his first business was in high school, when he and a friend bought a pinball machine and installed it in a barbershop. With the profit, the friends bought and installed three other machines and, in a short time, sold the business for US$1,200.
Then, in 1956, the mega-investor opened the Buffett Partnership, making a profit by investing in companies that were valued below their real value.
It was through this holding company that, four years later, the businessman began buying shares in Berkshire Hathaway, in the textile sector, until, in 1965, he was already in charge of the company. With that, he dismantled the Buffett Partnership to focus on the new business.
Gradually, Berkshire Hathaway exited the textile business and began buying assets from various sectors to found a conglomerate. Among the large companies in which Buffett owns full or partial shares are: Apple, Coca-Cola, American Express, Duracell, among others.
With degrees from Columbia University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Buffett is married and has three children.
What other famous names are on Forbes’ list of nonagenarian billionaires?
In addition to those already mentioned, other well-known names among Forbes’ nonagenarian billionaires are:
With an estimated fortune of US$19.5 billion (R$97.7 billion), Rupert Murdoch is a businessman and media mogul and is 93 years old.
Known for being one of the most iconic and controversial names in the sector — largely due to his conservatism —, the billionaire built an empire that includes the Fox television channels and the newspapers “The Wall Street Journal”, “The Sun”, and ” The Times of London”.
The businessman is engaged to Elena Zhukova , and has six children.
- Bernard Marcus: 94 years old
At 94 years old and with an estimated net worth of US$10.3 billion (R$51.6 billion), Bernard Marcus is also on the Forbes list of billionaires.
The businessman is a co-founder of the company Home Depot, launched in 1978.
He is married and has three children.
- George Soros: 93 years old
Hedge fund mogul George Soros is also on the list. Aged 93 and with a fortune estimated at US$6.7 billion (R$33.6 billion), the billionaire managed clients’ money in New York from 1969 to 2011.
Born in Hungary, he left his home country at the age of 17 and entered the London School of Economics working as a waiter and railway porter.
He is married and has five children.
- Doris Fisher: 92 years old
Businesswoman Doris Fisher, co-founder of clothing retailer Gap, is also on the list of billionaires. At 92 years old , she has a fortune of US$1.5 billion (R$7.5 billion).
She worked at the company from the day it was founded until 2009, when she left the company’s board of directors.
An economics graduate from Stanford, the widow has three children.
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