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Bilanz" has published the list of the 300 richest Swiss.
Bildmontage
The "Bilanz" shows in its new richest list: Switzerland's super-rich have once again increased their wealth - to a total of 851.5 billion Swiss francs, more than ever before. Only those who own at least around 15 billion francs make it into the top ten.
Switzerland will continue to be a magnet for great fortunes in 2025. The new "Bilanz" rich list shows: The total wealth of the 300 richest people has never been as high as it is today. If you want to make it to the top, you need sums that command respect even among billionaires.
The entry threshold for the top ten is around CHF 15 billion. And at the top are entrepreneurial dynasties that dominate very different sectors of the economy - from luxury cosmetics to container shipping.
Alain (l.) and Gérard Wetheimer.
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Brothers Gérard and Alain Wertheimer have been at the helm of the Chanel fashion empire for decades - and will still be among Switzerland's absolute wealthy elite in 2025. The luxury business is currently struggling due to global uncertainties: Chanel sales fell by 5.3 percent to 18.7 billion dollars in 2024, and profits by as much as 28.2 percent. A dividend, like the 5.7 billion of the previous year, was not paid out this time.
Instead, the Wertheimers are investing massively in the future of the brand: 1.8 billion dollars are flowing into new boutiques, including top locations in Paris, New York, Nanjing, Chengdu and Tokyo. Chanel now operates around 700 stores worldwide.
Her family office Mousse Partners - managed by half-brother Charles Heilbronn - is strongly committed to diversification. The brothers own 14% of luxury label The Row and invest in real estate, watches, eyewear, gastronomy and skiwear. Gérard's son David is also building up his own luxury portfolio with 1686 Partners.
Maja Hoffmann presides over the Locarno Film Festival, among other things
KEYSTONE
The Roche heirs control 72.5 percent of the voting shares in Roche - making them one of the most influential family dynasties in Europe. After decades of relative reticence, the family is now appearing more frequently in the limelight: Maja Hoffmann presides over the Locarno Film Festival, André Hoffmann promotes "responsible capitalism" as co-author of a book.
Roche itself is facing a historic structural reform: the traditional profit participation certificates are to be modernized and converted into participation certificates. The pharmaceutical company is facing business challenges - US tariffs, price discussions and geopolitical uncertainties are putting pressure on the environment.
In response, Roche is investing 50 billion dollars in the USA: production plants, research facilities and capacities for new medicines. For example, the subsidiary Genentech is building a plant for obesity drugs for 700 million dollars. Roche is also acquiring the biotech company 89bio for 2.4 billion dollars.
Andrea Pignataro in a rare photo.
Imago via Getty Images
Fintech pioneer Andrea Pignataro, who lives in Engadin and London, is probably Switzerland's most enigmatic billionaire. Born in Italy and with a doctorate from Imperial College London, he founded the ION Group in 1999, which is now a global heavyweight group for financial information, software and trading technologies.
Over the years, Pignataro bought up competitors and built up a network of companies that, according to Bloomberg, comprises over 13,000 employees in more than 50 countries. The corporate network is deliberately opaque: hardly any figures, hardly any appearances, almost no interviews.
Nevertheless, the group made the headlines - firstly because of a tax dispute in Italy, which Pignataro settled for 280 million euros, and secondly because of a successful hacker attack on the ION systems.
Gian Luigi Aponte is one of the heads of the family.
IMAGO/ABACAPRESS
The Aponte family's Geneva-based logistics group MSC is a global giant: around 900 ships, 25 percent of global container traffic and an aggressive expansion strategy. Despite geopolitical risks (Houthi attacks, route extensions via Africa), 2024 was one of the third best years in the industry, with an estimated profit of 78 billion dollars in the sector.
MSC relies heavily on terminal infrastructure: after its entry in Hamburg, it bought a large Asian terminal network through its subsidiary TiL for 22.8 billion dollars - a step towards becoming the global market leader in port operations.
The 55-year-old family company employs over 200,000 people worldwide.
The Safra dynasty, which lives in Switzerland, controls one of the world's most important private banking empires. In 2024, Basel-based Bank J. Safra Sarasin increased its net profit by 7.3 percent to CHF 505 million and its assets under management to CHF 224 billion.
Under the informal head of the family, Jacob Safra, the group is focusing on aggressive expansion: for example, the group bought 70 percent of Saxo Bank for an estimated 1.1 billion euros.
The family has a broadly diversified portfolio - and is one of the wealthiest players in the global financial system.
Klaus-Michael Kühne has had a difficult year.
KEYSTONE
It was a difficult year for logistics mogul Klaus-Michael Kühne: his stakes in Kühne+Nagel (54 percent) and Hapag-Lloyd (30 percent) together lost around CHF 6 billion in value. The special boom caused by the pandemic is over, freight rates are falling and the dollar is weakening.
At the same time, Kühne continues to expand outside of logistics: Stake in long-distance bus provider Flix, purchase of pharmaceutical group Aenova and expansion of its stake in Lufthansa to almost 20 percent.
Ernesto Bertarelli is CEO of Alinghi Red Bull Racing.
KEYSTONE
The Bertarellis had a financially strong year in 2024: their pharmaceutical company Boston Pharmaceuticals, part of the B-Flexion family office, received an upfront payment of 1.2 billion dollars from GSK for a drug to treat liver disease. If successful, the payments could rise to 2 billion.
Things went less smoothly in sailing: Alinghi Red Bull Racing missed out on the final races of the America's Cup in Barcelona. It remains to be seen whether the team will compete in 2027.
Jorge Lemann in 2015 together with his wife Susanna.
KEYSTONE
Swiss-Brazilian billionaire Jorge Lemann, founder of 3G Capital, made a big splash in 2024: He and his partners Carlos Sicupira and Marcel Telles bought the US shoe manufacturer Skechers for 9.4 billion dollars.
Speculation about a merger with On Running immediately began to circulate - not unrealistic, as Lemann's son Marc holds 6.2 percent of On shares and partner Sicupira a further 6.9 percent.
Andrey Melnichenko in a photo from 2017.
Wikimedia Commons
The Russian-born billionaire based in St. Moritz (formally) experienced a lost year: the European Court of Justice confirmed the EU sanctions against him. His claim that he had sold his companies did not convince either Brussels or London.
Melnichenko controls - directly or indirectly - two heavyweights: EuroChem in Zug and Suek, which focuses on coal and energy. EuroChem is also in conflict: Banks refused to make payments of 212 million euros, and in spring there were investigations into possible indirect supplies to the Russian arms industry.
As he is no longer allowed to enter Switzerland, he commutes between Dubai and Moscow.
Alfred Schindler remains a strong industrial giant.
KEYSTONE
The Lucerne-based Schindler Group remains a stable industrial giant - and firmly in the hands of the founding families. Patriarch Alfred Schindler, who has been with the company for 48 years, continues to sit on the Board of Directors. His cousin Luc Bonnard stepped down in 2025, replaced by daughter Marion Bonnard.
Operationally, there was a major restructuring: long-term CEO Silvio Napoli stepped down unexpectedly and Paolo Compagna became the new CEO in February 2025.
Schindler shares have clearly recovered: by almost 90 percent since the low point in 2022. The Group remains profitable - even if competitor Otis is ahead in terms of margins.
