Starting with a small woodworking outfit in India, P.N.C.Menon built a multimillion-dollar empire straddling India and the Middle East. He got into interior decorations in Oman and went on to embellish palaces across the Middle East. Menon derives his fortune from his listed Sobha Developers, of which he owns 60.6%, and real estate projects in Dubai, new information on which gets him on the list. Son Ravi leads the Indian business where Sobha, named after Menon's wife, is known for having built campuses for Infosys. Was briefly a billionaire back in 2007 when Sobha debuted on the Indian bourses and was oversubscribed 126 times. Menon plans to give away half his fortune, though he hasn't signed the Giving Pledge.