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11. 03. 10. - 16:00

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11. 03. 10. - 16:00

Three Romanians on Forbes´s list of world´s billionaires

Romanian Times

Three Romanians are among the world's richest people, according to US business magazine Forbes’ rankings made public yesterday (Weds).

Dinu Patriciu is the highest ranked, 457th, with wealth estimated to be 2.2 billion Euros. Patriciu, 59, made his money in the refineries sector after selling the oil company Rompetro to Kazakhstan's state-owned energy operator, KazMunaiGaz, Forbes says.

Patriciu is also investing in real estate, media and energy deals. He owns Adevarul Holding media trust, which publishes Forbes Romania under license from Forbes Media LLC.

Ioan Niculae is 880th, with wealth estimated to be 1.1 billion dollars. Niculae, 55, has made his wealth from agriculture and is also a major stakeholder in the five biggest chemical plants in Romania. He owns InterAgro, the largest domestic agricultural producer.

Niculae invested more than 100 million dollars in a bio-ethanol plant in Zimnicea in September 2009. His diverse portfolio includes interests in refineries, four-star hotels, consulting firms, restaurants, slaughter-houses, soccer teams and real estate.

Former tennis legend Ion Tiriac is 937th, with wealth estimated to be one billion dollars. Tiriac, 70, has businesses in banking, insurance, auto-leasing and retail. Last year, he sold 49 per cent of the Romanian importer of Mercedes Benz.

Forbes also reminds that he was an "outstanding athlete, competing in the 1960 Olympics as an ice-hockey player. He later switched to tennis, eventually coaching several tennis greats including Boris Becker, Steffi Graf and Goran Ivanisevic. He is patron of the Madrid Masters tournament today."

Mexican mogul Carlo Slim Helu tops the Forbes rankings with an estimated fortune of 53.5 billion dollars.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates comes in second with 53 billion dollars, followed by investor Warren Buffet with 47 billion dollars.

Almost half of Romanians live in poverty
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