But there is something impressive about being the richest person in a country.
The following list based on data from Forbes presents the top dollar man or woman in countries around the world.
The richest Argentine: Gregario Perez Companc
Background: The orphan businessman, Don Gregario was adopted by a socialite and married an heiress. He built his fortune as head of Petrolera Perez Companc, in which he sold a majority stake to Petrobras for $1 billion in 2002.
The ultra-conservative Catholic is known to be an avid car collector, who owns a Bugatti and a Ferrari F50.
The richest Australian: Andrew Forrest
Image: www.steel.org.au
Background: Andrew Forrest is an entrepreneur at heart. Before he finally hit it big with his iron ore company, Fortescue Metals Group, dabbled in everything from Cuban-style nickel mining to underground desert oceans.
Forrest also happens to be a generous billionaire. He's donated millions of dollars to Aborigines organizations to fight poverty and alcoholism. He has said he would rather give away his billions than die rich.
The richest Taiwanese: Terry Gou
Image: AP Images
Background: Terry Gou founded the company Ho Hai Precision Industry. Ho Hai owns the factory Foxconn where iPhones are produced. Gou claims he doesn't care how much money he has and is working for society, not himself.
The richest Egyptian: Nassef Sawiris
Image: AP Images
Background: Nassef Sawiris' father, Onsi, founded Orascom conglomerate. Nassef took over the company's construction and fertilizer division in 1998.
The richest Colombian: Julio Mario Santo Domingo
Image: AP Images
Background: Julio Mario Santo Domingo owns Bavaria Brewery in Colombia. He was born into a rich family.
The richest Israeli: Sammy Ofer
Background: Sammy Ofer is one of the world's biggest shipping tycoons. In 2008 he was knighted in London after a $20 million contribution to Britain's National Maritime Museum.
The richest Dutch: Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken
Background: Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken took over Heineken when her father, Henry Heineken, passed away leaving her his fortune. Carvalho-Heineken lives her life out of the spotlight. Unlike her father, who was known to show off his wealth, she lives an anonymous life with her husband and five kids.
The richest Chinese: Li Li
Image: AP Images
Background: Li Li founded Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Co. Li Li founded the company with his wife, who he met while studying chemistry at Sichuan University.
The richest South Korean: Lee Kun-Hee
Image: AP Images
Background: Lee Kun-Hee is the chairman of Samsung. In 2008, he stepped down as chairman due to charges of tax evasion and breach of trust. But after being pardoned at the end of 2009, he resumed his position in March of 2010.
The richest Czech: Petr Kellner
Image: Courtesy of PPF Group
Background: Petr Kellner is the major shareholder in Dutch holding company PPF Group N.V., which controls the PPF Group, founded by him in 1991. He was born in the Czech Republic and graduated from the University of Economics, Prague in 1986.
The richest Japanese: Tadashi Yanai
Image: AP Images
Background: Tadashi Yanai is CEO of Fast Retailing Co., a chain of run of the mill clothing. Yanai is known for being aggressive, opinionated, and unapologetic.
The richest Cypriot: John Fredriksen
Background: John Fredriksen is a oil-tanker and shipping Tycoon and owns company Frontline Ltd. He is known as a modern-day Aristotle Onassis.
The richest Kuwaiti: Nasser Al-Kharafi
Background: Nasser Al-Kharafi inherited his fortune from his father's company, M.A. Kharafi & Sons. Much of the company's profit comes from construction but they are also involved in investing and manufacturing.
The richest Swiss: Ernesto Bertarelli
Image: AP Images
Background: Ernesto Bertarelli inherited his father's company, Serono, SA in 1996 which his family sold in 2007. Today he is involved with Kedge Capital and Ares Life Sciences. Ernesto also founded a yachting team in 2000 and they won the America's Cup in 2003. Ernesto serves as navigator of the team.
The richest Chilean: Iris Fontbona
Background: Iris Fontbona and her family control one of the world's largest copper mining businesses, Antofagasta. Fontbona was once married to billionaire Andronico Luksic who died in 2005.
The richest Brit: Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Background: Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor's fortune comes from his Grosvenor Property Group. His real estate group has holdings on five continents. Cavendish is also sixth Duke of Westminster.
The richest Malaysian: Robert Kuok
Background: Robert Kouk's father was a trader, and very successful. When he died, he left his fortune for his three sons. Robert and one brother used the money to start a business buying and selling rice and sugar. As the brothers earned more money they invested in real estate and today their business is known as Kerry Properties. Robert Kouk is known as a soft-spoken and polite man.
The richest Russian: Vladimir Lisin
Image: European Shooting Confederation
Background: Vladimir Lisin went from rags to riches. Lisin began his career as a mechanic, then a steelworker. He later joined Trans-World Group, traders who had control of the steel and aluminum industry in Russia. After Trans-World Group split up, Lisin received a 13% share, and then a controlling share.
The richest Italian: Michele Ferrero
Background: Michele Ferrero owns European chocolate company Ferrero. Ferrero created Tic-Tacs, Kinder Eggs, Nutella, and of course Ferrero Rocher. Unlike most Italian billionaires, Ferrero prefers to live life out of the spotlight and simply has a passion for creating great chocolate.
The richest Canadian: David Thomson
Background: David Thomson is the chairman of Thomson Reuters. His grandfather Roy founded the company in 1934.
The richest Saudi Arabian: Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud
Background: This prince started young, he was chairman of his own company by the age of 14.
The richest Hong Konger: Li Ka-shing
Background: Li Ka-Shing dropped out of high school at age 15 and sold plastic flowers to help support his family.
The richest Swede: Ingvar Kamprad
Background: Kamprad bought matches cheaply in bulk in Stockholm and sold them individually for a profit when he was just a child. Now he owns successful furniture company IKEA.
The richest German: Karl Albrecht
Image: AP Images
Background: Karl Albrecht served in WWII for Germany's army and used lessons from war and postwar Germany to build successful company ALDI with his brother.
The richest Spaniard: Amancio Ortega
Background: Amancio Ortega began his career as a manager at a clothing shop. After noticing only the wealthiest customers could afford the expensive clothing, he decided to make a line of his own. Over time, his business grew and profited and today he owns Zara, a clothing store known for having the trends at low prices.
The richest Brazilian: Eike Batista
Background: Eike Batista built his fortune through the business of mining. Batista is a fashionable billionaire, as he says he prefers dark suits with pink ties.
The richest French: Bernard Arnault
Image: AP Images
Background: Bernard Arnault's fashion fortune began in 1984 when he bought bankrupt company, Boussac Saint-Frères, which owned luxury brand House of Dior. He soon bought LVHM which owns Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Tag Heuer, Donna Karan, Fendi, and Moët & Chandon.
Now, he obsesses over every detail of every collection released by the designers, his wife told the WSJ.
The richest Indian: Mukesh Ambani
Background: Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited, takes pride in his Indian roots. Money has not westernized him as he still prefers white shirts and black pants to American suites and only has taste buds for Indian food.
Ambani and his brother took control of his father's self-made business when he died six years ago.
The richest American: Bill Gates
Image: Andreas Pizsa via Flickr
Background: The wealthiest man in America did not even graduate from college. Gates dropped out of Harvard University his junior year when he had his idea for Microsoft.
The richest Mexican: Carlos Slim Helu
Background: Carlos Slim came from humble beginnings. His father was an immigrant shoe maker and Slim built his fortune from almost nothing. And although he has billions now, friends say he wears cheap suits and prefers pen and paper to fancy computers.
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