7Xavier Niel – Net worth – $7.9 billion
Born on August 25, 1967, Xavier Niel is a French entrepreneur and businessman, best known as the founder and majority shareholder of the Internet service provider Iliad, the parent company of his telecom outfit Free.
Free Mobile was launched in 2002 and sells unlimited calls, texts and Internet for $27.50 a month, which is half the price of similar services sold by France’s other telecom networks.
Xavier Niel has gotten $1 billion richer in the past year and today he has a net worth of $7.9 billion. His first venture was WorldNet, France’s first Internet provider.
Last year, the billionaire created ’42’, an IT school designed to train computer specialists. And the best part is that is for free.
Also, he owns a controlling interest in French newspaper ‘Le Monde’.
