THE CLASS OF 2020

EVEN WITH THE STOCK MARKET’S MARCH MELTDOWN, 178 PEOPLE FROM 20 COUNTRIES CLIMBED INTO THE RANKS OF THE WORLD’S WEALTHIEST FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS PAST YEAR. INGENUITY TRUMPED INHERITANCE, AS 144 SELF-MADE ENTREPRENEURS DEBUT. THEY’VE MADE THEIR FORTUNES IN STEEL, SKIN CARE, ONLINE TUTORING, MOBILE GAMES, SPIKED SELTZER AND MUCH MORE. HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE.

Larry Xiangdong Chen NET WORTH: $4.5 billion • China • AGE: 48

Even before the coronavirus outbreak closed schools around the world, China’s rising family income and competitive education system helped make the country one of the world’s largest markets for online learning. Chen became a billionaire following the June 2019 IPO of his five-year-old GSX Techedu, which provides online after-school tutoring for K-12 students. Its stock is up two-thirds since the coronavirus outbreak at the start of the year.

Alexandre Behring NET WORTH: $4.3 billion • Brazil • AGE: 53

A founding partner and CEO of private equity firm 3G Capital, Behring also serves as chairman at two of its biggest investments: food giant Kraft Heinz and Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King. He got to know the billionaire Brazilian partners of 3G Capital—Jorge Paulo Lemann, Marcel Telles and Carlos Sicupira— while working at GP Investimentos, a private equity firm cofounded by Lemann and Sicupira.

Anthony von Mandl NET WORTH: $3.3 billion • Canada

Best known for creating the popular canned alcoholic beverage White Claw Hard Seltzer and, before that, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, von Mandl began his career at age 22 in the Canadian wine business in the 1970s as an importer. In December, he told Forbes that his U.S. business is estimated to deliver close to $4 billion in revenue this year.