In Latin America, the richest people have fortunes exceeding billions of dollars. Notable figures include Carlos Alberto Sicupira from Brazil, with a net worth of 8.9 billion dollars from the beer sector, as well as Ricardo Salinas Pliego from Mexico, whose wealth amounts to 13.4 billion dollars derived from retail and media.
The ranking also includes Vicky Safra from Brazil with 20.6 billion, Jorge Paulo Lemann from Brazil with 16.4 billion, and Eduardo Saverin, also from Brazil, with a fortune of 28 billion dollars from Facebook. Among the top 10 richest in the region, there are Colombians such as David Vélez, with 10.8 billion dollars from his fintech company.
Two Latin American women stand out among the richest with fortunes exceeding 20 billion dollars, stemming from banking empires, real estate, and mining businesses, among other sectors. In Latin America, Chile is one of the main copper producers in the world, followed by Peru.
In this context, Iris Fontbona, a Chilean businesswoman, shines as the richest woman in Latin America, with a net worth of 25.7 billion dollars from the mining industry. Fontbona, 82 years old, owns Antofagasta Minerals, the largest copper producer in the world, and is the majority shareholder of Grupo Quiñenco, a conglomerate present in various industries such as beer, wood, and manufacturing.
After the death of her husband, Andrónico Luksic, in 2005, Fontbona inherited a multimillion-dollar mining business, managing to expand her assets and maintain the success of the family holding. With 660,600 tons of copper produced in 2023, generating revenues of 7.2 billion dollars, Iris Fontbona continues to solidify her position as one of the most influential and wealthy women in the region.
