The World's 25 Richest Families Revealed by Bloomberg

The ranking of the richest families in the world has been led for the first time by the ruling dynasty of Abu Dhabi's sheikhs and emirs, with a net worth of $305 billion. According to Bloomberg, the Al Nahyan family has governed the area now represented by the UAE for decades, even before oil transformed the royal family's economy and finances. It was noted that family members still hold high positions in the UAE today. Specifically, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the president of the country, while national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan oversees nearly $1.5 trillion worth of assets, both personal and sovereign.

In Bloomberg's ranking, the Walton family, who owned the world’s largest retail and wholesale network Walmart, took second place (previously leading the ranking for four consecutive years). The agency estimated the family's wealth at $259.7 billion, which has increased by $35.2 billion over the past year. Walmart was founded by businessman Sam Walton in 1962. Today, the number of stores worldwide exceeds 10,500, and the company's revenue stands at $611.3 billion. The Walton family owns 46% of the network's shares.

Other notable entries include:

• The Hermès family (owners of the French fashion house Hermès) - $150.9 billion (up $56.3 billion year-on-year)
• The Mars family (owners of Mars confectionery and long-term preservation products) - $141.9 billion (down $18.1 billion)
• The ruling Al Thani dynasty in Qatar - $133 billion (first time on the ranking)
• The Koch family (owners of the American Koch Industries petrochemical corporation) - $127.3 billion (up $2.9 billion)
• The Saudi royal family, Al Saud - $112 billion (up $7 billion)
• The Ambani family (owners of the Indian oil extraction and refining holding Reliance Industries) - $89.9 billion (up $5.5 billion)
• The Wertheimer family (owners of the French fashion house Chanel) - $89.6 billion (up $10.6 billion)
• The Thomson family, owners of the controlling interest in Reuters news agency - $71.1 billion (up $8.9 billion)

The ranking also includes the Cargill family (owners of the agricultural company Cargill), the Beringer/von Baumhach family (owners of the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim), and the Cox family (owners of the telecommunications company Cox Enterprises), among others.

According to Bloomberg, the combined wealth of the world's richest families has increased by $1.5 trillion over the past year, comparable to the total wealth of the top 25 families in last year's ranking. The agency also notes that all three families in the Gulf region included in the ranking are likely much richer than these conservative estimates.