A rich man's world: Who are Belgium's billionaires?

Many will be familiar with the likes of global billionaire tech tycoons Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, but who are the richest people in Belgium?

Since 2000, De Rijkste Belgen (The Richest Belgians) has shone a light on the wealthiest people in the country, not only through a rich list ranking but also through general news on their lifestyles and assets, created by journalist Ludwig Verduyn.

Topping the list of richest Belgians since 2020 is 78-year-old Eric Wittouck, who is worth €11.5 billion (up from €7.6 billion in 2023). He is the grandson of Paul Wittouck, the industrialist who laid the foundations for the sugar industry in Belgium, and sold the family's Tiense Suiker refinery to German company Sudzucker for €945 million in 1989. He then – somewhat ironically – bought American company WeightWatchers through his private equity firm Artal Luxembourg. Artal sold its last remaining shares in May 2023, however.

He now lives in Monaco and owns a luxury yacht, the Exuma. Measuring 49 metres and costing €18 million, the Exuma was once for rent for €189,000 per week but has only been used privately since 2016.

In second place after Wittouck is Alexandre Van Damme, worth €10.5 billion. He is the grandson of Belgian brewer Albert Van Damme, who was for years at the head of Liège brewery Piedboeuf which merged with Stella Artois in 1987. Alexandre Van Damme is now director of and one of the largest shareholders of beer giant AB InBev. He held the top spot on the rich list for 13 years until 2020, when AB InBev's stock market value collapsed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A meeting with AB Inbev in New York, during a Belgian Economic Mission to the US, June 2022. Credit: Belga / Laurie Dieffembacq

Various families then round off the top ten: Werner de Spoelberch (€7.5 billion); Roland D'Ieteren (€6.1 billion); Roussis – Van Gorp (€5.9 billion); Périer-D'Ieteren (€5 billion); André Emsens, Voortman, de Cartier de Marchienne and van der Rest (€3.6 billion); de Mévius (€3.4 billion); Boone and Stevens (€3.3 billion); and Colruyt (€3.3 billion).

De Spoelberch and de Mévius also major shareholders in AB InBev, alongside Van Damme. The de Mévius family has slipped down the ranking to eighth, having previously appeared in fifth place. Boone and Stevens, meanwhile, are the owners of Lotus Bakeries – the global company that took the classic Speculoos recipe and renamed it 'Biscoff'. Read the full story here.

The first woman to appear on the list is Ségolène Frère-Gallienne, in 15th place and with €2.9 billion. She is the daughter of the late Walloon billionaire Albert Frère and his second wife Christine Hennuy. Together with her husband, Ian Gallienne, she bought a new building in Paris, the '21 Paix', in November 2024.

Other big names include the Janssen family, owners of the chemical company Solvay, in 13th place with €3.1 billion, and football star Kevin De Bruyne, in 246th place with €102 million.

The Belgian Royals are – perhaps surprisingly – much less wealthy than those who feature on the list, with a comparatively measly fortune of €12.4 million. This makes King Philippe Europe's poorest monarch, costing the Belgian taxpayer just under €4 a year.

A rich man's world: Who are Belgium's billionaires?

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