12 Filipino billionaires make it on Forbes world’s richest list 2018

A dozen Filipino billionaires made it to the Forbes’ 2018 annual ranking of the world’s richest people, and SM Group’s Henry Sy Sr. is still the Philippines’ wealthiest for 11 years in a row.

A retail, property, and banking magnate who is turning 94, Sy remains the country’s richest man with a net worth of $20 billion compared with $12.7 billion last year.

The chairman emeritus of conglomerate SM Investments Corp. is ranked 52nd richest in the world.

John Gokongwei Jr., founder of JG Summit conglomerate with interests in air transportation, telecommunications, banking, food, power, and property followed with a net worth of $5.8 billion. Gokongwei is the 305th richest on the worldwide list.

Enrique Razon Jr., owner of International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI), claimed the third spot in the country with a net worth of $4.9 billion. Razon is the 404th richest in the world.

LT Group’s Lucio Tan is the fourth richest Filipino with $4.7 billion. Tan is the 441st richest person in the world.

Homegrown fastfood giant Jollibee Foods Corp.’s Tony Tan Caktiong came in fifth with $4 billion. Tan Caktiong ranked 550th in the world.

GT Capital’s George S.K. Ty is sixth on the roster with a net worth of $3.9 billion. Ty is 572nd on the world’s elite roster.

Former politician and now focused businessman Manuel Villar of Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc. came in at seventh with a net worth of $3 billion. Villar is the 791st richest in the world.

Megworld Corp.’s Andrew Tan is the country’s eighth richest man with $2.7 billion, and the 887th richest worldwide.

San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang claimed the ninth spot with a net worth of $2.5 billion, and 965th richest globally.

Insurance magnate Robert Coyiuto Jr., chairman and CEO of Prudential Guarantee & Assurance, is the 10th richest Filipino valued at $1.4 billion and ranked 1,650th worldwide.

San Miguel Corp. chairman Eduardo Cojuangco came in at 11th with $1.3 billion and Alphaland’s Roberto Ongpin is 12th with $1.1 billion. Cojuangco ranked 1,756th globally while Ongpin ranked 1,999th.

This year’s Forbes “World’s Billionaires” list includes fewer Filipinos compared with 14 last year. The late David Consunji of DMCI Holdings and DoubleDragon Properties Corp.’s Edgar Sia are not on the 2018 list.

Meanwhile, Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos is the richest in the world with a net worth of $112 billion. Bezos is followed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates whose fortune is valued at $90 billion.

In its 2018 rankings, Forbes listed 2,208 billionaires in US dollar terms across the world with a collective net worth of $9.1 trillion.

A net worth of at least $1 billion is needed for a person to land on the list. —Ted Cordero/VDS, GMA News