Ikea's Ingvar Kamprad still richest man in Switzerland

Ingvar Kamprad, founder of Swedish furniture giant Ikea, has retained his place atop Switzerland's rich list, with his net worth estimated at up to 39 billion Swiss francs (32 billion euros, USD 42 billion), Swiss magazine Bilan said Friday.

In its annual review of the country's 300 wealthiest residents, Bilan estimated that Kamprad's fortune rose by around 1.0 billion Swiss francs in 2012. The 86-year-old Swede, who was also listed as the fifth wealthiest person on the planet, did not however keep pace with the 9.0-per cent average boost seen by Switzerland's 137 billionaires, the magazine said, estimating their total worth at more than 438 billion Swiss francs.

Number two on the list is Jorge Lemann, a Brazilian national born to Swiss emigrants, whose assets were estimated at between 17 and 18 billion Swiss francs.

Lemann, who lives in Brazil and Zurich, saw his fortune shoot up by 9.0 billion Swiss francs in a year, Bilan said, thanks to the increasing value of his 15-per cent holding in InBev, the world's biggest brewer.

There were 21 newcomers on this year's list of families and individuals with fortunes of 100 million Swiss francs or more, with three billionaires among them, Bilan said.

Topping the newcomer list is Mohammed Elkhereiji, who recently returned to Geneva after spending three years in Saudi Arabia and who is estimated to be worth around 2.6 billion Swiss francs.

Fourteen nationalities were represented on Switzerland's rich list, with Swiss citizens filling 168 of the 300 spots, Bilan said.

French citizens came in second with 43 names on the list, followed by Germans with 37 and Britons with 16.

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