The richest person in Ukraine: Rinat Akhmetov
Net worth: $6.7 billion
Forbes rank: 201
Background: Akhmetov's net worth is comprised of DTEK, his energy company, and Metinvest, his steel producer. Recently, his wealth has suffered from weak demand and slumping prices for his steel and iron ore assets. Akhmetov also once called deposed Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich an ally, which is causing some protest of his business. The ongoing fighting in Ukraine has also hurt his net worth, in the past year, his worth decreased by almost half.
The richest person in New Zealand: Graeme Hart
Net worth: $6.9 billion
Forbes rank: 195
Background: Hart's company, Reynolds Group Holdings, which manufactures packaging material, has annual revenue of about $14 billion. Hart also owns Carter Holt Harvey, an Australasian paper, packing and building supplies company. The billionaire dropped out of school when he was 16, and once worked as a truck driver.
The richest person in South Africa: Johann Rupert and family
Net worth: $7.4 billion
Forbes rank: 179
Background: Rupert built his fortune on luxury goods, including with the Swiss-based Compagnie Financiere Richemont, which owns brands like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Montblanc. In 2014, Rupert went on sabbatical and "spent time reading and fly-fishing," according to Forbes.
The richest person in the Czech Republic: Petr Kellner
Net worth: $8.4 billion
Forbes rank: 160
Background: Petr Kellner created an investment fund by borrowing $1 million against an office supplies business. Through the fund, he acquired a controlling stake in an insurer during its privatization. Last year Kellner also bought Spanish giant Telefónica's Czech business for $3.2 billion, and lost money on his investment, according to Forbes. His net worth dropped by $2.6 billion as a result.
The richest person in Switzlerland: Ernesto Bertarelli
Net worth: $8.7 billion
Forbes rank: 149
Background: Ernesto Bertarelli inherited his father's company, Serono, SA, which manufactured a drug to combat multiple sclerosis. His family sold the company in 2007 for $9 billion. Today he is involved with Kedge Capital and Ares Life Sciences and co-chairs the Bertarelli Foundation, which focuses on marine conservation and life sciences research.
The richest people in Singapore: Robert and Philip Ng
Net worth: $9.6 billion
Forbes rank: 131
Background: The Ng brothers inherited a property empire, the Far East Organization, from their father. The company developed more than 700 hotels, malls and condos in Singapore and Hong Kong that have a combined value of more than $6 billion. The Ng's fortune took a hit in 2014 because of the "sluggish real estate market in both Singapore and Hong Kong," according to Forbes.
The richest person in Denmark: Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen
Net worth: $19.7 billion
Forbes rank: 129
Background: The is the grandson of the inventor of Legos, the ubiquitous kids' building block. He ran the company for 25 years before stepping down in 2004. Currently, he is majority owner and deputy chairman of the board. Kristiansen also invested in Merlin Entertainments, which went public at the end of 2013 and operates attractions like the Madame Tussaud's wax museums.
The richest person in Cyprus: John Fredriksen
Net worth: $10.5 billion
Forbes rank: 120
Background: John Fredriksen is a oil tanker and shipping tycoon who owns Frontline Ltd. In 2005 he got into the deepwater drilling business with Seadrill, which still pays him $400 million a year in dividends. Fredriksen also expanded into the fish farming business.
The richest person in Austria: Dietrich Mateschitz
Net worth: $10.8 billion
Background: Mateschitz is the creator of Red Bull, the energy drink that is popular worldwide and has seen its sales increase 16% in the past two years. His fortune grew by $1.6 billion in the past year. He also owns stakes in two soccer teams, a Formula One racing team, and a luxury resort in Fiji.
The richest person in South Korea: Lee Kun-Hee
Net worth: $11.3 billion
Forbes rank: 110
Background: Lee Kun-Hee is the chairman of Samsung, which accounts for around 20% of Korea's gross domestic product. In 2008, he stepped down as chairman due to charges of tax evasion and breach of trust. But after being pardoned, he resumed his position in March of 2010.
The richest person in Malaysia: Robert Kuok
Net worth: $11.3 billion
Forbes rank: 110
Background: Kuok made his fortune in the shipping, palm oil, cane sugar fields and properties in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. His biggest source of wealth is still his stake in Wilmar, the world's largest listed palm oil company.
The richest person in the Netherlands: Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken
Net worth: $11.6 billion
Forbes rank: 107
Background: Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken took over the beer company Heineken when her father, Henry Heineken, passed away, leaving her his fortune. Carvalho-Heineken lives her life out of the spotlight. Unlike her father, who was known to show off his wealth, she lives an anonymous life with her husband and five kids. Over the past year, Carvalho-Heineken's net worth grew by $1.2 billion.
The richest person in Australia: Gina Rinehart
Net worth: $12.3 billion
Forbes rank: 94
Background: Rinehart acquired her wealth through the inheritance of her father's mining assets. She's the executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting, and in March 2014, she finalized a $7.2 billion deal to develop the one of the world's largest iron-ore mines, Roy Hill, according to Forbes.
The richest person in Colombia: Luis Carlos Sarmiento
Net worth: $13.4 billion
Forbes rank: 85
Background: Sarmiento started out in the construction industry and later expanded his empire into financial services. His company, Grupo Aval, which he still chairs at 82 years old, now controls one-third of all banking in Colombia.
The richest person in Chile: Iris Fontbona
Net worth: $13.5 billion
Forbes rank: 82
Background: Iris Fontbona and her sons inherited control of one of the largest copper mining companies, Antofagasta. She also owns resorts and has interests in energy, transportation, and port services.
The richest person in Thailand: Dhanin Chearavanont and family
Net worth: $13.6 billion
Forbes rank: 81
Background: In 2014, Chearavanont gained another $2.2 billion in net worth. Shares of two of his biggest holdings doubled in the past year. He expanded his conglomerate Charoen Pokphand's core businesses in agribusiness, food, telecommunications, retail, and distribution.
The richest person in the Philippines: Henry Sy and family
Net worth: $14.2 billion
Forbes rank: 73
Background: Sy has vast property holdings that he recently merged with mall operator SM Prime Holdings to create a company with a $9.3 billion market cap. Sy opened the City of Dreams Manila, a resort in December of 2014. It cost $1.3 billion to build.
The richest people in the United Kingdom: Hinduja Brothers
Net worth: $15 billion
Forbes rank: 69
Background: The Hinduja brothers took the top spot in the UK from Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor in 2015. Two of the London-based brothers co-chair multinational conglomerate the Hinduja Group. Their net worth increased this year in part to "a rebound in the auto sector that boosted shares of their Indian truck maker, Ashok Leyland," according to Forbes.
The richest Nigerian: Aliko Dangote
Net worth: $14.7 billion
Forbes rank: 67
Background: After adding $9 billion to his wealth in 2013 when he announced his move into the oil industry, Dangote net worth fell again because of Nigeria's weakened currency. Dangote first made his name as a commodities trader with interests in sugar, flour, salt and cement.
The richest person in Russia: Vladimir Potanin
Net worth: $15.4 billion
Forbes rank: 60
Background: Vladimir Potanin took Russia's top spot this year from Alisher Usmanov. Potanin is the chairman of Interros, a conglomerate with stakes in mining and metals. Potanin started the conglomerate with Mikhail Prokhorov in 1993, and became the sole owner when the two split in 2007.
The richest person in Japan: Tadashi Yanai and family
Net worth: $20.2 billion
Forbes rank: 41
Background: Tadashi Yanai took Japan's top spot from Masayoshi Son in 2015. Yanai, whose fortune is in retail, owns popular brand Uniqlo. Yanai's fortune grew in 2014 because of a 65% increase in Uniqlo's international sales, according to Forbes.
The richest person in India: Mukesh Ambani
Net worth: $21 billion
Forbes rank: 39
Background: A Stanford dropout, Ambani is head of India's largest company, Reliance Industries. Ambani is $2.4 billion richer now than he was in 2014.
The richest person in Saudi Arabia: Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud
Net worth: $22.6 billion
Forbes rank: 34
Background: This prince started young; he was chairman of his own company by the age of 14. Bin Talal owns stakes in private and public companies in the US, Europe, and the Middle East, mostly through Kingdom Holding Co. Forbes estimated the prince's net worth by calculating the value of the assets owned by Kingdom Holding because of the lack of any analyst coverage and the holding's relatively thin trading. He filed a defamation suit against Forbes in 2013 over its valuation of his wealth.
The richest person in Italy: Maria Fraca Fissolo and family
Net worth: $23.4 billion
Forbes rank: 32
Background: Maria Fraca Fissolo is the widow of candy tycoon Michele Ferrero, who died in February 2015. The Ferrero family owns European chocolate company Ferrero. Ferrero created Tic-Tacs, Kinder Eggs, Nutella, and of course Ferrero Rocher.
The richest person in China: Wang Jianlin
Net worth: $24.2 billion
Forbes rank: 29
Background: Jianlin owns 75 department stores, 85 shopping plazas, and 51 five-star hotels. He bought the US movie chain AMC in 2012 and listed it on the New York Stock Exchange at the end of 2013. In December 2014, Jianlin's company Wanda Commercial Properties IPOed, raising him $3.7 billion.
The richest person in Sweden: Stefan Persson
Net worth: $24.5 billion
Forbes rank: 28
Background: Persson is the chairman of H&M, the budget retail store that has expanded quickly across the US and Europe. His father founded H&M in 1947. Persson increased his wealth by adding more English countryside to his real estate portfolio.
The richest person in Brazil: Jorge Paulo Lemann
Net worth: $25 billion
Forbes rank: 26
Background: Lemann founded Banco Garantia in 1971 and sold it in 1998 for $675 million. He now holds stakes in the world's largest beer company, Anheuser-Busch InBev. His private equity firm 3G Capital also recently bought Heinz with Warren Buffett.
The richest person in Canada: David Thomson
Net worth: $25.5 billion
Forbes rank: 25
Background: David Thomson is the chairman of the media and publishing company Thomson Reuters. His grandfather Roy founded the company in 1934. The private holding company Woodbridge runs the business for the family with a 57% stake.
The richest person in Germany: Georg Schaeffler
Net worth: $26.9 billion
Forbes rank: 23
Background: Georg Schaeffler took Germany's top spot from Karl Albrecht this year. Schaeffler and his mother, Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler-Thumann, are the proprietors of Schaeffler Group, "one of the world's largest producers of ball bearings and machine components," according to Forbes.
The richest person in Hong Kong: Li Ka-shing
Net worth: $33.3 billion
Forbes rank: 17
Background: Li Ka-Shing is Asia's richest person. He runs Hutchison Whampoa, one of the largest companies in the world, which started by manufacturing plastic toys and flowers, and now has 260,000 employees in 52 countries. In 2015, Ka-shing plans to create two new companies, according to Forbes.
The richest person in France: Liliane Bettencourt
Net worth: $40.1 billion
Forbes rank: 10
Background: Liliane Bettencourt added to her fortune in 2014 when she purchased 8% more of her family's cosmetic company, L'Oreal, from Nestle. Bettencourt, who suffers from dementia, is no longer involved in running the company her father started. She's currently in the middle of a court case against 10 people accused of trying to cash in on her wealth.
The richest person in Spain: Amancio Ortega
Net worth: $64.5 billion
Forbes rank: 4
Background: Amancio Ortega, the world's richest retailer, began his career as a manager at a clothing shop. In 2011, he stepped down as chairman of Inditex, best known for the profitable brand Zara, which sells trends at low prices.
The richest person in Mexico: Carlos Slim Helu
Net worth: $77.1 billion
Forbes rank: 2
Background: Carlos Slim was the richest man in the world for four years running until Bill Gates eclipsed him in 2014. Slim is the founder and chairman of telecommunications conglomerate Grupo Carso. In January 2015, Slim became the top shareholder in the New York Times and now owns 17% of the company, according to CNN Money.
The richest person in the United States: Bill Gates
Net worth: $79.2 billion
Forbes rank: 1
Background: The wealthiest man in America did not even graduate from college. Gates dropped out of Harvard University his junior year when he had his idea for Microsoft. He stepped down as Microsoft chairman in February 2014 when new CEO Satya Nadella took over. Gates has focused on philanthropy like the Giving Pledge, which some of the world's super rich have signed to give away at least half of their net worth to charity.
