Villar is still top Filipino billionaire with $17-B net worth

TYCOON and former Senate President Manuel B. Villar, Jr. is the richest Filipino, according to Forbes’ latest World’s Billionaires List.

With an estimated net worth of $17.2 billion, Mr. Villar ranked 117th on the list, which also included 14 other Filipino billionaires.

Mr. Villar is the chairman of several listed companies: Golden MV Holdings, Inc.; Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc.; supermarket chain AllDay Marts, Inc.; home improvement chain AllHome Corp.; Vistamalls, Inc.; and VistaREIT, Inc. His biggest asset is Golden MV, which posted nearly P1 trillion in net profit in 2024.

Ports and casino tycoon Enrique K. Razon, Jr. ranked 227th on the list with a net worth of $10.9 billion. He is the chairman of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and Bloomberry Resorts Corp., which operates Solaire Resort and Casino.

San Miguel Corp. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramon S. Ang ranked 979th on the list with a net worth of $3.7 billion.

LT Group, Inc. Chairman Lucio C. Tan placed 1,219th with a $3-billion net worth.

The World’s Billionaires List also included the six children of the late Henry Sy, Sr., who founded the SM Gorup.

Henry T. Sy, Jr. was ranked 1,573rd with a net worth of $2.3 billion, followed by Hans T. Sy at 1,626th place with $2.2 billion, Herbert T. Sy at 1,688th with $2.1 billion, Harley T. Sy at 1,850th with $1.9 billion, Teresita T. Sy-Coson at 1,850th as well with $1.9 billion, and Elizabeth T. Sy at 2,019th with $1.7 billion.

Alliance Global Group, Inc. Chairman Andrew L. Tan landed on 2,110th place with a $1.6-billion net worth.

Puregold Price Club founder Lucio L. Co ranked 2,356th with a $1.4-billion net worth, while his wife Puregold Chairman Susan P. Co was at 2,479th place with a $1.3-billion net worth.

Tony Tan Caktiong, chairman of fastfood giant Jollibee Foods Corp., ranked 2,479th with a $1.3-billion net worth.

Gaming, education, and shipping tycoon Eusebio H. Tanco landed on 2,623rd spot with $1.2-billion net worth. He is the chairman of DigiPlus Interactive Corp. and STI Education Systems Holdings, Inc.

The 2025 list featured 3,028 billionaires, the most since being started in 1987, with a collective wealth of $16.1 trillion.

Tech mogul Elon Musk topped the list, with an estimated net worth of $342 billion, led by higher valuations of his companies xAI and SpaceX, and a surge in Tesla stocks.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg ranked second with an estimated net worth of $216 million, followed by Jeff Bezos at $215 billion, Larry Ellison at $192 billion, and Bernard Arnault and family at $178 billion.

“It’s another record-breaking year for the world’s richest people, despite financial uncertainty for many and geopolitical tensions on the rise,” Forbes Senior Editor for Wealth Chase Peterson-Withorn said in a separate statement.

“And, from Elon Musk to Howard Lutnick and the other billionaires taking over the US government, they’re growing more and more powerful,” he added.

The 2025 list saw 288 newcomers, while the US has the most billionaires on the list with 902 and a total net worth of $6.75 trillion.

The list also saw 15 people with 12-figure wealth, higher than 14 last year, with a total net worth of $2.4 trillion.

The Forbes World’s Billionaires List used stock prices and exchange rates from March 7, 2025. — RMDO