No one is ever born rich. Even those who inherit must have the same answer if they ask their forefathers how they came about the fortune. Hard Work does the magic. All rich men however have their stories to tell.
1. Sir Richard Branson – Net Worth: 5.2 Billion USD Sir Richard Branson is one of Britain’s most talked-about billionaire success story. For those of you who don’t know him, he owns a conglomerate of businesses under the “Virgin Brand”.
Some of his most popular products & services go by the name of Virgin Media, Virgin Mobile and certainly Virgin Galactic. But his humble beginnings make the journey look almost impossible. Starting off his own magazine at the age of 16, Branson showed the tendency to take risks and starting a business. He set-up a mail order record business in 1970 by the name of Virgin Records and by the 80s was expanding his empire with full pace. Spread on almost every continent, Branson’s companies are thriving day by day
2. Larry Ellison – Net Worth: 51.9 Billion USD An American entrepreneur who is easily one of the world’s richest persons, Joseph Larry Ellison is the co-founder of the world-famous Oracle Corporation. The company is famous for its database that goes by the same name and is a global leader in the field. Born in New York but brought up in Chicago, Larry grew up an orphan as his mother gave him away, not meeting her until he was 48! His adopted father lost all his fortune during the Great Depression. The string of difficulties continued to haunt Larry until he attended the University of Chicago and developed an interest in computing!
3. Mohed Altrad – Net Worth: 1.59 Billion USD This is a truly touching billionaire success stories that shows the power of devotion. Mohed Altrad is a Syrian-born Billionaire who moved to France with the goal to succeed and escape the primitive, nomadic lifestyle. His mother died when Mohed was young and he was raised by his grandmother. Finding it difficult to adjust into such a closed-minded society, Mohed moved to France, famously living off only one meal a day. His fortunes turned however as he bought a failing scaffolding company, transforming it into the all-powerful Altrad Group.
4. Oprah Winfrey- Net Worth: 2.9 Billion USD A woman who needs no introduction, Oprah Winfrey belongs to a poor family in Mississippi but had her fate turned upside down when she won a scholarship from the Tennessee State University. At a time when racial tensions were running high, Oprah became the first African American TV correspondent, that too at age 19. In 1983, she moved to Chicago and started hosting a talk-show, which would later on become “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. Today, she’s an established host, author, producer and philanthropist.
5. Howard Schultz – Net Worth: 2.9 Billion USD For a man who grew up in a housing complex for the poor, being mentally healthy is a feat on its own. For Howard Schultz, however, the sky was the limit. Born in Brooklyn, Schultz always had the urge to do something that would help him escape the substandard lifestyle he resided in. After getting a scholarship from the University of Northern Michigan, Schultz landed at a random coffee shop called Starbucks. He grew this company to more than 16,000 outlets and is a billionaire who deserves every bit of praise he gets
6. Roman Abramovich – Net Worth: 8.4 Billion USD A Russian billionaire success story. It doesn’t get any classier than this. Roman Abramovich was an orphan who grew up in Southern Russia in extreme poverty. Being raised by someone else and in a subarctic region, made him tough physically & mentally. He started off with a small company producing plastic toys but eventually ventured into the oil business, and quickly made a name for himself. Today he enjoys watching Chelsea Football Club (acquired in 2003), has the world’s largest yacht and a lifestyle only Kings can imagine. 
7. Sir Philip Green – Net Worth: 4.7 Billion USD Often viewed negatively in his own country, with comparisons being made to Donald Trump, Sir Philip Green may not be the nicest person on the planet but he is a poor billionaire nonetheless. Born in England, Sir Philip Green left school at 15 and kicked off a retail career, selling jeans to retailers. He formed the Arcadia Group eventually shooting him into stardom and billionaire status. Today he is surrounded by a string of controversies but his hard work, devotion and humble beginnings are commendable.
8. Li Ka-Shing – Net Worth: 31.3 Billion USD Famous for simply being Hong Kong’s richest man, Li Ka-Shing made his way to the top of China’s complex ecosystem with sharpness, an opportunist attitude and devotion. Li’s father died from Tuberculosis after he returned from the Sino-Japanese war. At age 12, Li had to quit school to work at a watch-strap company. By 14, he was fully immersed in plastics. The long-hours and unforgiving managers only helped motivate Li into achieving the extraordinary. Soon he opened up his own plastic toys and from thereon started up an entire conglomerate. Today he employs more than 290,000 people and is one of the world’s richest persons.
9. Amancio Ortega – Worth: 70.1 Billion USD A conquistador no-less, Amacio Ortego rules the world’s fashion industry with textile brands like Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, etc. He started off with a meagre textile company with little marketing and caught the entire retail establishment off guard. Today he invests in all types of industries, specifically real-estate and regularly switches places with Bill Gates as the world’s richest man!
10. John Fredriksen – Worth: 9.8 Billion USD A self-made billionaire, John Fredriksen is not only rich but is proudly the owner of the world’s largest oil tanker fleet! Born in Norway, Fredriksen was the son of a welder who knew he had to capitalize his way to the bank. He was quick to buy off slumping drilling companies and operated them on a profit, eventually becoming a poor billionaire off it. It is thought that the Norwegian has a mega cash pile of $5 billion!
11. Sheldon Adelson – Worth: 32.2 Billion USD A political heavy-weight and a casino magnate; all came from nothing. Sheldon Adelson is a prime example of survival of the fittest and extreme payback of extreme risks. He grew up on the floors of a Boston tenement and started regular work at a newspaper corner, which he bought with a loan. He then did a string of jobs before joining the army and finally settling down giving chartered tours. He transformed the millions he earned from this business into billions from his casinos!
