Richest Young Billionaires under 40

Facebook is definitely in but the guy who created it — Mark Zuckerberg — is out of Forbes Magazine’s 2009 list of the world’s youngest billionaires.

The 24-year-old Facebook creator was the youngest billionaire in 2008 with around $1.5 billion networth. This year, he was dislodged from the Top 10 as the company’s revenues did not follow the growth of the site’s membership.

The title of youngest billionaire is now held by German Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis with a networth of $2.1 billion.

Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are still the richest among the young billionaires.

Here is the 2009 list of the world’s richest and youngest, ranked based on networth.

2009 List of World’s Youngest Billionaires under 40

#1 & 2. Sergey Brin and Larry Page
Age: Brin (35) and Page (36)
Net Worth: $12 billion each

Both sons of Professors, the two met in a computer science Ph.D. program at Stanford University. Dropped out in 1998 to start Google from a friend’s garage. Google went public in 2004. Fortune down $6.6 billion since last March after stock fell 30% Sales: $21.8 billion. Net margins: 19%.

#3. Sheik Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahayan
Age: 39
Net Worth: $4.9 billion

A member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family, shelled out $300 million for soccer team Manchester City last September. One month later, he rescued British bank Barclays from possible nationalization with a $5 billion cash investment. Wields major clout at home: chairs the state’s oil-oriented sovereign wealth fund; serves as minister of United Arab Emirates Presidential Affairs.

#4. Daniel Ziff
Age: 37
Net Worth: $3.5 billion

Along with older brothers Dirk and Robert, invests in real estate, hedge funds, corporate debt, and equities via Ziff Brothers Investments. Father was publishing magnate William Ziff Jr. (died in 2006), who inherited the Ziff-Davis publishing company from his father in 1953 and parlayed it into niche media conglomerate (PC Magazine, Car & Driver, Boating). Three sons cashed out when family sold 95% of business to Forstmann Little for $1.4 billion in 1994; father retired to Florida. Today, family trust said to be worth more than $10 billion.

#5. John Arnold
Age: 35
Net Worth: $2.7 billion

Became an oil trader at Enron in 1995; said to have generated $750 million of the firm’s profits in 2001 at the age of 27. Founded Centaurus Energy hedge fund after Enron’s bankruptcy. Returns said to exceed 200% a year since 2002.

#6. Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis
Age: 25
Net Worth: $2.1 billion

This year’s youngest billionaire first appeared on the World’s Billionaires list at age 8, but the German prince officially inherited his fortune in June 2001 on his 18th birthday. Attended high school in Rome, studied economics and theology at Edinburgh University in Scotland. Assets include real estate, art, a technology company and 30,000 hectares of woodland in Germany. Tours with a German auto-racing league.

#7. Chu Lam Yiu
Age: 39
Net Worth: $1.5 billion

The only woman on the list, chairs Huabao International which makes fragrances and flavorings for use in cigarettes, detergents, beverages, dairy products and cosmetics. Fortune fell 20% since last March after manufacturing slowdown. Founded the company a decade ago; took it public through a backdoor listing. Sold 9% in 2008; still owns two-thirds of shares.

#8. Kenneth Griffin
Age: 40
Net Worth: $1.5 billion

Started trading stocks from Harvard dorm room; founded Chicago hedge fund outfit Citadel with $4.6 million in 1990. Today, firm manages $13 billion (down 35% from peak last year); accounts for roughly 10% of U.S. equity trading volume. Flagship Wellington Fund plunged 55% in 2008. Shut down Fusion, a $1 billion hedge fund of funds, in October. Net worth down $2.2 billion — 60% — since September.

#9. William Ding
Age: 38
Net Worth: $1.1 billion

Founder of China’s No. 2 online game company, Netease. Was once China’s richest man. Flagship game, “Fantasy Westward Journey,” among nation’s top 10 downloads. Signed three-year contract with U.S. game developer Blizzard Entertainment to distribute “StarCraft II” and Battle.net to Chinese mainland. Netease’s U.S.-listed shares up 9% in past year.

#10. Jerry Yang
Age: 40
Net Worth: $1.1 billion

Met partner David Filo in grad school at Stanford, turned Internet directory project into Web portal Yahoo!. Took it public 1996. Yahoo! co-founder quit as chief executive in January. Yahoo! stock is down nearly 55% since original Microsoft offer last February.

Are you young — and rich enough! — to be part of this list?

Source: Forbes