عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

France’s Wealthiest People Gain Fortunes at Fastest Pace in World

Francois Pinault. (AFP)
Francois Pinault. (AFP)
    Paris, London - Asharq Al-Awsat
TT
TT

France’s Wealthiest People Gain Fortunes at Fastest Pace in World

Francois Pinault. (AFP)
Francois Pinault. (AFP)

The fortunes of the wealthiest names in France have seen a swift peak in the first half of the year, more than any other country in the world.

According to Bloomberg, 14 people from France on the 500-member Bloomberg Billionaires Index added a combined $78 billion to their collective net worth since December 31, a 35 percent increase.

The agency reported that this is more than the wealth growth pace in other countries, as the fortune of China's richest increased by 17 percent, and the US's 15 percent.

The best returns outside of France came mostly from Asia as Thailand's wealthiest were a close second at 33 percent, followed by Singapore's 31 percent and 24 percent for Japan.

The figures exclude countries with fewer than two billionaires in the ranking. That makes Aliko Dangote, the sole Nigerian on the list, an outlier. His wealth has surged 60 percent to $16.8 billion this year, the German news agency reported.

Luxury titans Bernard Arnault and Francois Pinault and L'Oreal's heir Francoise Bettencourt Meyers led the way for France, adding a combined $53 billion during the same period.

Bloomberg reported that the demand for luxury goods from China has proven resilient despite uncertainty caused by that country's trade dispute with the US.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

7-month-old Tree Kangaroo Peeks Out of Mom's Pouch at Bronx Zoo

This photo, provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society, shows a Matschie's tree kangaroo joey that made its first appearance from its mother's pouch at New York's Bronx Zoo, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Wildlife Conservation Society/Terria Clay via AP)
This photo, provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society, shows a Matschie's tree kangaroo joey that made its first appearance from its mother's pouch at New York's Bronx Zoo, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Wildlife Conservation Society/Terria Clay via AP)
TT
TT

7-month-old Tree Kangaroo Peeks Out of Mom's Pouch at Bronx Zoo

This photo, provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society, shows a Matschie's tree kangaroo joey that made its first appearance from its mother's pouch at New York's Bronx Zoo, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Wildlife Conservation Society/Terria Clay via AP)
This photo, provided by the Wildlife Conservation Society, shows a Matschie's tree kangaroo joey that made its first appearance from its mother's pouch at New York's Bronx Zoo, Thursday, July 18, 2024. (Wildlife Conservation Society/Terria Clay via AP)

The second baby of a tree-dwelling kangaroo made its public debut this week in New York, poking its pink head out of its mom's furry white pouch.

The tiny Matschie’s tree kangaroo, or Dendrolagus matschiei, was born in December and is the second born to the same mother since 2022. It also was the third of its kind born at the Bronx Zoo since 2008, The Associated Press reported.

The tree kangaroo species only gestate for about six weeks before they are born and immediately crawl into their marsupial moms' pouches, the zoo said in a statement. It takes around seven months for the young to start peeking out of the pouch.

There are only around 2,500 tree kangaroos in the wild and 42 in captivity, the zoo said. In a statement Friday, a Bronx Zoo spokesperson said that the kangaroo's birth was significant for the network of zoos that aims to preserve genetic diversity among endangered animals.

"It's a small population and because of that births are not very common," said Jessica Moody, curator of primates and small mammals at the Bronx Zoo. “So it's a rare and exciting event,” adding that baby tree kangaroos are “possibly one of the cutest animals to have ever lived. They look like stuffed animals, it's amazing.”

The tree kangaroos are native to the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea, where they are threatened by human activities such as habitat destruction and hunting, the statement said. They live primarily in trees and are smaller than Australia’s better-known red kangaroo. An adult tree kangaroo weighs between 20 and 25 pounds (9–11 kilograms). The joeys are about the size of a human thumb when they are born, but grow to as long as 30 inches (76 centimeters).