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- Over a dozen of the top 35 richest people in the world — according to Forbes real-time data — have children under the age of 40.
- Many of these children are poised to inherit billions from their superrich parents, while others will receive smaller cuts due to their parents signing the Giving Pledge.
- From Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s toddlers to Bernard Arnault’s LVMH executive sons, here’s a closer look at some of the world’s wealthiest heirs and heiresses.
- Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.
From preschool toddlers to high-ranking executives, the heirs of some of the world’s wealthiest are poised to inherit massive fortunes.
Many of the young heirs of famous billionaires — including the children of the richest people in tech and the richest people in business — will receive large inheritances, if they haven’t already. Meanwhile, other billionaires have promised to give some, most, or, in Warren Buffett‘s case, all, of their wealth away.
Read more: 16 heirs to some of America’s best-known brands who are poised to inherit millions
We looked at the 35 richest individuals and families in the world using real-time data from Forbes’ billionaire index. We listed those who have children under the age of 40 and ordered the list of heirs by their parent’s wealth, beginning with Jeff Bezos — currently the richest person alive.
For the purposes of this list, we looked only at the billionaires’ direct descendants and excluded grandkids. Notably, this methodology means that some high-profile billionaires’ grandchildren — amongst them François Pinault’s grandson of the same name, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers’ grandson who was called "The Prince of L’Oreal," and the Walton grandchildren — are not included in the round-up.
Keep reading for a look at some of the wealthiest heirs in the world.
Currently the richest person in the world, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has four children with his former wife MacKenzie.
Getty Images / Todd Williamson / Contributor
In early April, the couple announced that they had finalized the terms of their divorce. The two have three sons and one adopted daughter together. Jeff Bezos has a net worth of $156.7 billion. Following the divorce, MacKenzie Bezos’ net worth totals $36.7 billion, thanks to her 25% stake of Amazon shares.
Bill and Melinda Gates have three children together: Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe. Their oldest is 23 years old.
Bill Gates/Facebook
Since founding Microsoft, Bill Gates has accumulated a massive fortune of $96.5 billion. Now known for their philanthropy efforts, the Gates family is currently ranked No. 2 among the world’s richest people. Previous reporting from Business Insider’s Tanza Loudenback said that the couple’s oldest daughter Jennifer attended Stanford University. An accomplished equestrian, she is now 23 years old.
Rory, the couple’s only son, turned in 18 in 2017. His younger sister Phoebe, still in high school, attends the private Lakeside High School in Seattle.
Bill and Melinda Gates — along with billionaire Warren Buffett — are responsible for the launch of the Giving Pledge, a pledge signed by some of the world’s richest people who promise to give away the majority of their wealth. As reported by Business Insider’s Áine Cain and Allana Akhtar, "Each of the Gates’ kids will inherit about $10 million of their parents’ $98.1 billion fortune, while much of the rest will go to charitable causes."
Bernard Arnault, the richest person in Europe, has five children. Three of his heirs are under the age of 30.
Rindoff Petroff/Hekimian/Getty Images
All but one of Bernard Arnault’s five children are involved in his luxury-goods empire, LVMH. Arnault has two children in their forties from his first marriage, along with three younger sons from his second marriage.
His younger sons include Alexandre, Frederic, and Jean Arnault. According to previous reporting from Business Insider’s Katie Warren, Alexandre (age 27) is the CEO of LVMH’s Rimowa luggage label, while Frederic (age 24) is a director at TAG Heuer — LVMH’s largest watch brand. Bernard’s youngest son Jean is the only heir not yet involved in the company.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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- Before he was a billionaire, WeWork CEO Adam Neumann was broke. Here’s the NYC building where he and his wife lived in a tiny apartment before he built a $47 billion company
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Marissa Perino)