Forbes reveals its 2024 billionaires list: See how the richest Czechs rank

Business magazine Forbes has released its World's Billionaires List 2024, with 11 Czechs featuring among the world’s ultra-wealthy elite – the same number as in 2023. The Czech dollar billionaires on the list, including a former prime minister, specialize in various industries – most often in investment, energy, and real estate.

Forbes notes that 2024 has more “billionaires than ever…who are richer than ever.” Two-thirds of the list, which has over 2,700 people in total, is substantially worth more than a year ago. Only one-quarter of the world’s billionaires are poorer. 

The wealthiest Czech – by a wide margin – remains Renáta Kellnerová, widow of billionaire founder of the PPF investment group Petr Kellner and chairwoman of the Kellner Family Foundation. Kellnerová has a net worth of USD 18 billion (CZK 241 billion), placing her as the 104th-richest human on the planet after her wealth increased by USD 1.5 billion. 

Czechia’s second-wealthiest Czech is Karel Komárek, founder and owner of the KKCG company that specializes in industries such as energy and gambling, who boasts a total net worth of USD 9.5 billion.

Daniel Křetínský trails closely behind in third, with a net worth of USD 9.4 billion. The businessman, best known for co-owning football clubs Sparta Prague and West Ham United in the UK, is also the majority owner of the EPH energy group. Another energy entrepreneur – and also the owner of the Sev.en energy conglomerate – Pavel Tykač is Czechia’s fourth-richest person, although his net worth declined by USD 300 million om the past 12 months.

Radovan Vítek rounds off the top five – the well-known investor specializes in real estate and owns the large CPI property group. He is worth USD 6.7 billion and is Czechia’s richest real estate magnate.

A notable new entry to the list of Czechia’s wealthiest people is Michal Strnad, who – at the age of just 31 years – is the youngest Czech in the Forbes list. The sixth-richest Czech overall, Strnad made his fortune after inheriting the industrial-technological Czechoslovak Group holding, which specializes in military equipment and the defense industry, from his father. Strnad’s net worth doubled in the past 12 months, to over USD 4.4 billion, due to the heightened demand for military supplies in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war.

A familiar name, whose overall Forbes ranking has dropped over 200 places and who has lost a chunk of his net worth, is former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. In the past 12 months, Babiš lost CZK 600 million and currently has a net worth of CZK 3.5 billion, making him Czechia’s seventh-richest person. Babiš obtained most of his net worth via the multinational Agrofert conglomerate specializing in agriculture, food, chemicals, construction, and more. He also owns the country’s largest publishing group, Mafra.

Founders of the Avast antivirus company Pavel Baudiš and Eduard Kučera, owner of the Alza.cz e-shop Aleš Zavora, and co-founder of the Penta investment group Marek Dospiva are the other dollar billionaires from the Czech Republic.

According to the Forbes list, the richest person in the world is Bernard Arnault, owner of the LVMH fashion conglomerate, which includes luxury brands Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior. Arnault is worth USD 233 billion – around USD 36 billion more than second-placed inventor Elon Musk and owner of e-commerce giant Amazon Jeff Bezos, who is the world's third-richest person.