At the age of 47, Peter Claessens, a Hungarian agricultural entrepreneur of Belgian origin, took his own life.Continue reading
Every year, Forbes Hungary publishes its billionaires list, which reveals the richest Hungarians. This year the list had some surprises, as for the first time in several years, Lőrinc Mészáros did not come in first place, but dropped to third.
Sándor Csányi, whose fortune is estimated at HUF 541.6 billion (EUR 1.34 billion), has now taken the top spot on the Forbes Hungary list. He is the CEO of Hungary’s leading bank, OTP, and Forbes estimates that he increased his wealth by more than HUF 70 billion (EUR 173 million) last year. He is the first person in the history of the list to cross the 500 billion mark. Csányi was also the founder of Bonafarm Group, a food production company, which has been the engine of growth for his wealth, as the group increased its value by 20 percent in a year.
Zsolt Felcsuti came in second on the billionaire list with an estimated fortune of HUF 468.6 billion (EUR 1.16 billion). This is the first year that he has finished second on the Hungarian list, and his wealth has also made it onto the global rich list alongside Lőrinc Mészáros and Csányi. Felcsuti’s group, MPF Holding, is mainly known for its machine parts, grinding tools, cooling and heating equipment, and industrial components. Its rapid growth is probably due to its entry into new markets, having branched out into radiator production and automation technology in the last two years, and its grinding tools are now being bought by industrial players.
Third place went to Mészáros, whose wealth is currently estimated at HUF 436.5 billion (EUR 1.08 billion). The Hungarian entrepreneur, who is close to the government and used to be a gas fitter, also served as mayor of Felcsút between 2011 and 2018 (Felcsút is the home of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán). The man, who is known to have good relations with the prime minister, has been in the media spotlight several times, as there has been much controversy over the fact that he has gone from almost nothing to being extremely wealthy in a few years, with many citing his good relations with governing party Fidesz as the reason.
Mészáros ranked number one in Forbes Hungary‘s 2022 rankings with a fortune of around HUF 488 billion (EUR 1.2 billion), but now his position has changed significantly and his wealth has fallen sharply.
According to Forbes, the decline may be due to Mészáros’ high exposure to the stock market, with the price of Opus shares linked to him falling by around 40 percent at the close of the year compared to January 1, 2022, which has also left its mark on his wealth.
On the list, the top 10 also include György Gattyán, a businessman who recently founded a political party and ran in the April elections, but was unsuccessful; Tibor Veres, László Szíjj, Dániel Jellinek, Mrs. Sándor Demján and her family, Gábor Széles, and Ruszlan Rahimkulov.
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