2015 World's Billionaires: Biggest gainers

US
Net Gain: $14.5 bln
Warren Bufett
Berkshire Hathaway’s huge 2014 pumped up Buffett’s net worth by 25 percent. Biggest deals: $4.7 billion buy of Duracell from Procter & Gamble and $3 billion financing of Burger King’s takeover of Tim Hortons.



Germany
Net Gain: $12.6 bln
Georg Schaeffler
A jump in the value of autoparts and tyremaker Continental AG and new financial information about ball-bearing maker Schaeffler AG fuelled the gain. He is now Germany’s richest man.

France
Net Gain: $9.7 bln
Patrick Drahi
The Moroccan immigrant has spent more than $20 billion acquiring five competitors since taking his cable company, Altice, public in January 2014. Since then shares have jumped 169 percent, pushing Drahi into the top 60 richest only a year after he debuted on the list.




China
Net Gain: $12.7 bln
Jack Ma
Ma’s wealth soared after Alibaba, the Chinese ecommerce behe- moth he founded, had the largest IPO in history in September on the NYSE.




China
Net Gain: $10.8 bln
Li Hejun
The stock of Hong Kong-listed Hanergy Thin Film Power 84 rose over 300 percent in a year for no clear reason, raising questions from analysts. The company sells nearly all its solar panel equipment to its parent, Hanergy Group, also run by Li.



China
Net Gain: $9.2 bln
Lei Jun
His smartphone maker Xiaomi was valued by private investors in December at an eye-popping $45 billion, which pushed his net worth way up. Xiaomi is working to take market share from Apple by selling lower-priced smartphones.



Images: WARREN BUFETT: CARLO ALLEGRI / REUTERS; PATRICK DRAHI: PHILIPPE WOJAZER / REUTERS; LI HEJUN: PICHI CHUANG / REUTERS; LEI JUN: JASON LEE / REUTERS