SUNNY VARKEY

GEMS Education: $2.6bn

Sunny Varkey has become a global name in education after developing his group GEMS into the world’s largest operator of K-12 schools, with 250 locations across 14 countries and a value estimated at up to $5bn. The son of an expat teacher, who moved to Dubai from Kerala in 1959, Varkey has in recent years turned his eyes to charitable causes after establishing the Varkey Foundation in 2010 and the $1m Global Teacher Prize in 2014. This year he also pledged to donate at least half of his wealth to charity under the Giving Pledge.