Manny Villar still richest Filipino in Forbes list; Philippines now has 20 billionaires

Business tycoon and former politician Manny Villar kept his grip as the country's richest person, according to Forbes World’s Billionaires List for 2022.

Villar is joined by 19 other Filipinos who made it to the elite list, up from 17 last year.

According to Forbes, Villar’s estimated net worth ballooned to $8.3 billion  this year — over $1 billion higher than his reported total assets of $7.2 billion in 2021.

The real estate mogul is now ranked 263rd among global billionaires, a big jump from his last year’s standing of 352.

Villar is behind Vista Land & Lifescapes, a property development company engaged in real estate and retail industries. He is also the chairperson of mall operator VistaMall.

Ports magnate Enrique Razon Jr. followed Villar with an estimated net worth of $6.7B, ranking 369th in the worldwide index.

Henry Sy Jr., co-vice chairman of SM Investments, landed at third with $2.8B in total assets. He placed 1096th worldwide.

Chinese Filipino billionaire Andrew Tan is fourth with an estimated net worth of $2.8B. He is currently the chairperson of Alliance Global, a holding company with interests in food and beverage, gaming and real estate.

Brothers Hans Sy and Herbert Sy, meanwhile, shared the fifth spot with an estimated net worth of $2.6B each. They were followed by their siblings Harley Sy and who both posted total assets of $2.4B.

Another Sy heir, Elizabeth Sy, is at ninth with an estimated net worth of $2.1B.

San Miguel Corp. president and CEO Ramon S. Ang is the tenth richest Filipino with total assets of $2B.

Rounding up the 20 Filipino billionaires are:

• 1,292 – Teresita Sy-Coson, $2.4 billion

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• 1,818 – Lance Gokongwei, $1.6 billion
• 2,190 – Tony Tan Caktiong, $1.3 billion
• 2,324 – Betty Ang, $1.2 billion
• 2,324 – Lucio Tan, $1.2 billion
• 2,324 – Grace Uy, $1.2 billion
• 2,578 – Nari Genomal, $1 billion
• 2,578 – Ramesh Genomal, $1 billion
• 2,578 – Sunder Genomal, $1 billion
• 2,578 – Roberto Ongpin, $1 billion
• 2,578 – Dennis Anthony Uy, $1 billion

From the list, Ang, Grace Uy, the Genomals and Dennis Anthony Uy are new entrants.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, meanwhile, was named the richest man in the world for the first time after he dethroned Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. He has an estimated net worth of $219 billion.

There are currently 2,668 billionaires worldwide, Forbes said, down from 2021’s 2755. Their combined assets fell slightly from last year’s $13.1 trillion to $12.7 trillion. Of the figures, 236 are identified as newcomers— far fewer than 2021’s 493.

A total of 329 people also dropped from the list this year, the most in a single year since the 2009 financial crisis.—With Jon Viktor Cabuenas/LDF/KBK, GMA News