Belgium’s Van Damme, De Spoelberch, and De Mevius families, linked to the AB InBev brewing company, hold a combined fortune of $53.8 billion, placing them 21st among the world’s richest dynasties, according to Bloomberg.
These families held the same ranking last year with a fortune of $43.7 billion. In 2018, they peaked at 4th place with $54.1 billion.
The Walton family, founders of Walmart, remains the wealthiest dynasty worldwide, with a fortune of $513.4 billion.
Europe’s richest family is the one behind French luxury brand Hermès, ranking fifth globally with $184.5 billion.
Bloomberg reports that the 25 richest dynasties gained $358.7 billion collectively over the past year, controlling a total wealth of $2.9 trillion.
Elon Musk continues to be the world’s wealthiest individual, with a fortune now surpassing $638 billion after SpaceX was valued at $800 billion in a recent share deal.
Musk’s wealth increased by $167 billion due to this valuation, crossing the $600 billion mark for the first time. The planned public listing of SpaceX in 2026 could potentially make him the first trillionaire.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google’s founders, are currently second and third among individuals with fortunes of $265 billion and $246 billion respectively.
