Just picture being a billionaire while still in your twenties. For a small percentage of Gen Z, that is their reality, not just a fantasy. These youthful business titans are redefining what it means to be successful early on, making significant profits in sectors including gaming, pharmaceuticals, and eyeglasses.
The 19-year-old German Johannes von Baumbach, the youngest billionaire in the world, is at the top of the list. Boehringer Ingelheim, his family’s pharmaceutical company, has given Johannes a $5.4 billion fortune, demonstrating the inherited nature of business.
Not far behind are 20-year-old Clemente and 22-year-old Luca Del Vecchio of Italy. Both brothers are thought to be worth $5 billion each after inheriting shares in EssilorLuxottica, the multinational conglomerate that makes Oakleys and Ray-Bans. What a way to view things from a luxurious perspective!
Another German on the list, 22-year-old Kevin David Lehmann, earned his billions by owning 50% of DM, one of the biggest pharmacies in Europe. What is his net worth now? A cool $3.5 billion.
In South Korea, Kim Jung-youn, age 21, and Kim Jung-min, age 23, inherited shares in Nexon, a significant online gaming company. Now, each sister is valued at almost $1.3 billion, all before the age of 25.
And what’s more striking? The majority of these billionaires acquired their riches through inheritance rather than founding their companies from the ground up. It’s not easy to manage billion-dollar assets at such early ages, though.
With Gen Z’s reputation for audacious concepts, it’s reasonable to argue that some very young, and quite talented, people already hold the key to the future of large money.
