Sy still wealthiest Pinoy

MANILA, Philippines - Shopping mall, banking and property tycoon Henry Sy remained the Philippines’ richest and the only Filipino to land in the top 100 in Forbes magazine’s annual listing of dollar billionaires.

Ten Filipino businessmen and their families, down from 11 last year, made it to the list of 1,426 billionaires in the world for 2014.

The wealth of Sy and family slipped 13 percent to $11.4 billion from last year’s $13.2 billion. Still, the tycoon retained his spot as the richest in the Philippines and 97th worldwide.

Airline and tobacco magnate Lucio Tan and family ranked 227th in the world and second in the Philippines with a fortune of $6.1 billion, up 22 percent from $5 billion a year ago.

Tycoon Andrew Tan, with the robust earnings of his gaming, hotels, brandy and fast food businesses, advanced one spot to third in the country rankings. The 19-percent jump in his wealth to $4.7 billion allowed him to secure the 319th spot worldwide.

Enrique Razon Jr. emerged as the fourth richest in the Philippines and 354th worldwide with recorded $4.2 billion in wealth through port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. and casino complex developer Bloomberry Resorts Corp. Razon was the third richest Filipino last year with $4.9 billion in wealth.

John Gokongwei Jr. is this year’s fifth richest Filipino and 388th across the globe – a new entrant to the dollar billionaires’ list with a net worth of $3.9 billion. 

Gokongwei’s JG Summit Holdings Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the country, given its involvement in property development, budget airline, banking, petrochemicals and snacks and beverage.

Other Filipinos in the elite list are David Consunji (483rd) with $3.3 billion, Metrobank Group’s George Ty and family (764th) with $2.3 billion, Jollibee’s Tony Tan Caktiong and family (1,046th) with $1.7 billion, insurance businessman Robert Coyuito Jr. (1,154th) with $1.5 billion, and Filinvest Group’s Andrew Gotianun (1,565th) with $1 billion.

Former trade minister Roberto Ongpin, (1,175th worldwide with $1.2 billion in 2013), and the husband and wife tandem of Puregold’s Lucio and Susan Co (736th and $2 billion in 2013), failed to make it to the 2014 list.

“The ranks of the world’s billionaires continue to scale new heights – and stretch to new corners of the world,” Forbes said.

Forbes’ global wealth team found 1,645 billionaires with an aggregate net worth of $6.4 trillion, up from $5.4 trillion a year ago.

Following a four-year hiatus, Microsoft founder Bill Gates reclaimed the title of the world’s richest with a wealth of $76 billion, while Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim Helú slipped to the second spot with a net worth of $72 billion.

Hong Kong’s Li Ka-shing ($31 billion) was again the richest man in Asia and 20th in the world.

Forbes, which has been ranking dollar billionaires since 1987, gauges wealth through the valuation of individual and family assets.