Who are the richest people in Colombia? Entrepreneurship and the industrious spirit, characteristic of the Colombian people, have led to the emergence of several large fortunes in the country. According to the most recent Forbes ranking, Colombia now has six billionaires. From industry magnates to entrepreneurs, meet the richest people in Colombia.
The richest people in Colombia, according for Forbes billionaires list
Jaime Gilinski Bacal
Jaime Gilinski Bacal is a prominent businessman with significant assets in the banking and real estate sectors in Colombia and across Latin America. According to Forbes Billionaires List, Gilinski is now the richest person in Colombia.
Originating from a family of businessmen in Cali, Gilinski Bacal has an estimated fortune of US$10.7 billion. He is the main shareholder of GNB Sudameris Bank, which operates in Colombia, Peru, and Paraguay. He is also a major investor in Colombia’s agribusiness sector.
His fortune grew considerably following the successful sale of the Nutresa Group, valued at $11 billion, to the Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Co. Earlier this year, Gilinski was awarded the prestigious “Businessman of the Year 2024” prize.
David Velez, the digital banking pioneer
David Velez is the richest man in Colombia along with Jaime Gilinski, with a personal fortune estimated at approximately US$10.7 billion by Forbes. Born and raised in Medellin, David Velez is the founder and CEO of Nubank, the largest digital bank in Latin America. He launched the company in 2013 with the vision of simplifying banking and eliminating excessive fees. In just ten years, Nubank has revolutionized the banking market, with the fintech now valued at US$49 billion. It primarily operates in Brazil, but also in Mexico and Colombia, serving over 100 million customers.
Luis Carlos Sarmiento, the finance giant
Luis Carlos Sarmiento is a historic figure in the Colombian business scene. With a fortune estimated at US$8.2 billion, he used to be the richest man in Colombia and remains one of the wealthiest in Latin America. Recently retired, the 91-year-old businessman from Bogota is the founder of the Aval Group, a conglomerate now valued at US$31.5 billion and one of the major players in the Colombian banking and financial sector, serving approximately 15 million banking customers and 16.6 million pension fund clients.
Beatriz Davila Santo Domingo
The Santo Domingo family is a powerful Colombian business dynasty with assets in industries such as transportation, media, and renewable energy, among others. The dynasty was founded by Julio Mario Santo Domingo, who passed away in 2011 and was the richest man in Colombia for many years. The family’s total wealth is estimated at $14.4 billion.
Beatriz Davila de Santo Domingo, his widow and current head of the family, is the richest woman in Colombia with a fortune estimated at US$4.4 billion.
The Santo Domingo family holding is currently directed by Beatriz Davila’s son, Alejandro, whose fortune is valued at US$2.8 billion. Alejandro’s younger brother, Andres, is not directly involved in the family business but still holds the sixth largest fortune in Colombia, valued at US$1.7 billion.
Among the family’s main assets is the holding company Valorem, which controls major Colombian media such as Caracol and the newspaper El Espectador, as well as the Bavaria group, the largest brewer in Colombia.
Beatriz Dávila de Santo Domingo es la única mujer que figura entre los colombianos más acaudalados de 2023 según la revista Forbes pic.twitter.com/6jesdCj9Da
— ShowMundial (@ShowmundialShow) April 4, 2024