Forbes magazine's annual survey of the world's billionaires for 2026 included six persons from Lebanon, unchanged from the2025 survey. The list included three members of the family of the late Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, two members of the Mikati family, and one member from the Mouawad family.  The survey ranked Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Mr. Taha Mikati in 1137th place each, up from 1172nd place in the 2025 survey, with an estimated net worth of $3.8bn for each one of them compared to a net worth of $3.1bn each last year. Further, Mr. Bahaa Hariri ranked in 1834th place, down from 1763rd place in 2025, with a net wealth of $2.3bn relative to $2bn in the previous survey. Also, Mr. Robert Mouawad ranked in 2600th place, down from 2233rd place in the 2025 survey, with an estimated net worth of $1.5bn, unchanged from last year's survey. Further, Mr. Ayman Hariri came in 2712th place, down from 2356th place in the 2025 survey, with an estimated net worth of $1.4bn, similar to his net worth in 2025; while Mr. Fahd Hariri ranked in 3185th place, down from 2623rd place in 2025, with a net worth of $1.1bn, compared to a net worth of $1.2bn last year. The survey ranks individuals according to their assets, including stakes in public and private companies, real estate, art and cash. It pointed out that the aggregate net worth of the Lebanese billionaires on the list reached $13.9bn in 2026, constituting an increase of 13% from $12.3bn in 2025.  The survey indicated that the Mikati brothers made their fortune mainly in the telecommunications sector. It said that Mr. Bahaa Hariri accumulated his wealth mostly from real estate and investments, while Mr. Robert Mouawad generated his fortune mainly in the jewelry sector. Also, it noted that Mr. Ayman Hariri and Mr. Fahd Hariri made their money in the construction sector and from investments. The 2026 list included a record high 3,428 billionaires compared to 3,028 individuals in the 2025 survey, and 2,781 persons in the 2024 survey. It indicated that their aggregate net worth reached $20.1 trillion in 2026, up from $16.1 trillion in 2025, $14.2 trillion in 2024, $12.2 trillion in 2023 and $12.7 trillion in 2022. The average net worth per billionaire stood at $5.86bn in this year's survey relative to $5.32bn in 2025. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Byblos Bank, LTW, 9-14 March 2026