Stéphane Bancel (France)
Net worth: $1.5 billion
Gains: +109%
Income source: Moderna
Stéphane Bancel is the CEO of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech firm Moderna Therapeutics. The drug-making company was founded in 2011. It obtained a grant worth $483 million from the US government in 2020 with the assignment of developing a vaccine for the coronavirus infection. Bancel fulfilled his pledge having completed successfully the vaccine human trials by the fall 2020. Its effectiveness is estimated at 94.5%.
Gustavo Denegri (Italy)
Net worth: $4.5 billion
Gains: +32%
Income source: DiaSorin
Holding a bachelor's degree in chemistry, Gustavo Denegri decided to buy the ailing biotechnological company DiaSorin in 2000. At that time, the firm produced diagnostic kits for smear tests. In 2020, the company rapidly adjusted its facilities for the production of diagnostic kits to test blood samples for the coronavirus antibodies. Nowadays, the company has production facilities in the UK, Italy, Germany, and the US, having increased sales around the world.
Seo Jung-jin (South Korea)
Net worth: $8.4 billion
Gains: +22%
Income source: Celltrion
The entrepreneur established his own biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion in 2002 in Seoul. Seo Jung-jin took it public six years later in 2008. This year, the company has set about developing its own diagnostic division. Apart from this new direction, the company gives priority to various methods to treat COVID-19. Celltrion has already obtained permission from the authorities to conduct human trials of its antiviral drug.
Alain Mérieux (France)
Net worth: $7.6 billion
Gains: +25%
Income source: BioMérieux
BioMérieux, a multinational biotechnology company, was founded by Alain Mérieux as the diagnostic division within the Institut Mérieux conglomerate which had been created by his grandfather back in 1897. Due to the COVID-19 challenge, the company has to refocus its production on diagnostic solutions which test the coronavirus infection. The production of such kits, including reagents and instruments, was launched in March 2020. This diagnostic system provides results in mere 45 minutes. Such diagnostic kits gained enormous popularity worldwide, thus boosting the wealth of Alain Mérieux.
Maja Oeri (Switzerland)
Net worth: $3.2 billion
Gains: +10%
Income source: Roche
Roche is a well-known Swiss company founded in 1896. Responding to the coronavirus pandemic, the company decided to expand the scope of its activities. In March 2020, Roche announced that it had begun the 3rd stage of trials of the medicine for the arthritis treatment for COVID-19 patients. Moreover, Roche invented and introduced its own serology test to detect antibodies against COVID-19 in patients who have already been exposed to the virus.
Economic inequality remains one of the most pressing issues in today's world. To measure the gap between the rich and the poor in each country, the Gini index is used. This coefficient reflects how income is distributed within a society: the closer the index is to 100, the greater the inequality. Let's explore which countries currently have the highest Gini index values
This year has been pivotal for Bitcoin, the world's leading cryptocurrency. One of the key milestones was the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In April 2024, Bitcoin also experienced a halving event, which is typically seen as a positive development for the digital asset. This year, the cryptocurrency is up 57%, and analysts remain optimistic about its future. However, they highlight four key factors that could influence Bitcoin's trajectory, both for better and for worse
Analytical periodical US News and World Report has presented its ranking of the best countries in the world in terms of quality of life, based on a survey of nearly 17,000 people. The list considers factors such as economic and political stability, a strong labor market, income equality, family-friendliness, safety, the quality of education, and healthcare systems. Let's find out which countries made it to the top of this list.
