Everyone loves a chance for wealth and riches, merely by being born into the right family! Winning the lottery windfall is excellent, but if born into a wealthy family, a life of luxury is yours, with the promise of more to come. Certainly more attractive than any lottery! We welcome the sudden riches that come with a winning lottery ticket.
Being rich and wealthy is the secret desire of everyone, and those lucky to be rich merely because of bloodlines, are born lucky proving that blood is thicker than water, after all. The Bloomberg Index lists the wealthiest families around the globe who exercise control over US$1 trillion of the entire world’s money. These families come from different industries, from drug manufacturers to owning supermarkets, making chocolates to manufacturing beverages. This is an huge money and we take a closer look at some families with bulging bank accounts. While we know about Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and the Rothschilds, there are some equally famous families.
Walton – Walmart
Stories of incredible inheritances are incomplete without the Waltons! Rob Walton inherited billions after his father, Samuel Moore Walton, the founder of everyone’s favorite retail chain Walmart, passed away in 1945. Rob ran the chain until he passed away in 1992 and in 2016, Steuart Walton took over the reins of the Walmart Board. This family’s fortune is estimated at $190 billion!
Koch – Wood River Oil and Refining Company
Another incredible inheritance story is from the Koch family, with a fortune of $99 billion! The Koch family fortune grew due to their oil refinery firm, passed on from one generation to the next, starting with Fred Koch in the 80s. The Kochs had a well-publicized fight over management and control of the family’s immense wealth, when Charles, William, David, and Frederick, inherited the firm. But Charles and David managed the company after William and Frederick left Wood River Oil and Refining Company. The two brothers rake in annual profits of approximately $110 billion! David Koch retired from the company due to ill health upon turning 78.
Mars – Mars Enterprises
Frank Mars passed away in 1934, but his hard work brings huge rewards, long after his death, to his only heir, Forrest Mars. The company now sells Mars Bars, M&Ms and pet care products, and the family has been operating since 1883, and are one of the most successful companies in the candy and pet care industry, with a combined wealth of $89.7 billion. The family is rarely photographed and their annual revenue is a $35 billion!
Anheuser-Busch InBev – De Mevius, Van Damme, and De Spoelberch
The world’s biggest brewery empire is Anheuser-Busch InBev, with an impressive $54.6 billion in sales in 2018! When downing a bottle of Corona, Stella Artois, Budweiser, Beck’s, or Leffe, think of the Interbrew Empire with Belgian roots. The lucky inheritors are Vicomte Werner de Spoelberch’s son, De Spoelberch, Baron Eric de Mevius’s son De Mevius and Van Damme.
Dumas – Hermes
Among the more significant of inheritances is that of Jean-Louis Dumas, the grandson of Emile Dumas. He was fortunate to take over his family business and earn accolades for the Hermes enterprise. He retired in 2006, but as Chairman, the enterprise rose to great heights. The company’s CEO now is Axel Dumas inheriting $49.2 billion!