The rich go on getting richer

What financial crisis? Switzerland’s wealthiest 300 grew even richer in 2011 and together are worth SFr481 billion ($525 billion).

That’s SFr11 billion more than in 2010 and is roughly equivalent to Switzerland’s gross domestic product.

Were they to divide it equally between all Swiss residents, everyone (including babies) would receive more than SFr60,000.

The figures, drawn up by the business journal Bilanz and published on Friday, show that wealth is not equally distributed even among the super-rich.

The wealthiest ten account for SFr120 billion. In other words, three per cent of the 300 own 25 per cent of their total wealth.

The Swede Ingvar Kamprad, founder of the Ikea furniture chain, remains by far the richest Swiss resident, as he has been for the past ten years, with assets estimated by Bilanz at SFr35-36 billion. He is unlikely to have noticed the three billion he is thought to have lost as a result of the weak euro.

A long way behind, at SFr13-14 billion, are the Hoffmann and Oeri families, which control the Roche pharmaceuticals concern. 

They are followed by the Brenninkmeijer family, who owe their SFr12-13 billion to the clothing business, real estate and investments in energy enterprises.

Bilan, the French-language equivalent of Bilanz, said Switzerland now has 140 billionaires, 17 of whom have more than SFr5 billion. Six new members joined the club this year.