The big five billionaires

Johannesburg mining mogul Desmond Sacco has become a member of Forbes World's Billionaires club, with a net worth of R13.65-billion.

To make us ordinary folk feel even more worthless, the Assore chairman's wealth is a pittance in the greater scheme of things. He ranks only 974th on the list.

But Sacco is the 15th-richest person in Africa and fifth-richest in South Africa.

Ahead of him is Patrice Motsepe (who recently pledged to donate half the funds generated from assets owned by his family to charity), at 490 on the list, with a net worth of R26-billion.

Shoprite chairman Christo Wiese is at spot 384, with R32-billion. Nicky Oppenheimer and family are 182 on the list, with R59-billion, three spots behind Johann Rupert and family, who are worth about R60-billion.

Forbes Top 10 World's Billionaires are:

• Carlos Slim Helu and family - R664-billion;
• Bill Gates - R610-billion;
• Amancio Ortega - R519-billion;
• Warren Buffett - R487-billion;
• Larry Ellison - R391-billion;
• Charles Koch - R309-billion;
• David Koch - R309-billion;
• Li Ka-shing - R282-billion;
• Liliane Bettencourt and family -- R273-billion; and
• Bernard Arnault and family - R264-billion.