On 21 October 2026 the Forbes real-time list had 17 billionaires from Belgium, with a combined net worth of $54 billion. That is 0.3% of the world total and puts Belgium #36 of 77 countries on the list. On 19 January 2020 it was 3 billionaires and $12 billion (0.1% of the world).
The video shows the richest people one by one. This article looks at what the tiles cannot show: the whole list, where the money comes from, how the country total moved, and what the average billionaire looks like.
How concentrated is the wealth?
The richest person, Eric Wittouck, holds $9.0 billion, or 17% of the national total. The top three together hold 35% and the top ten 82%. On the world list Eric Wittouck is ranked #408.
The average billionaire from Belgium had $3.9B in January 2020 and has $3.2B now, 18% less.
The number of people on the list grew from 3 to 17, so the increase in the total reflects both higher valuations and more people being listed.
Where the money comes from
Counting each person under the main industry Forbes gives, finance and investments is the largest source of wealth in Belgium: $17 billion, or 31% of the total. It is followed by manufacturing (17%), automotive (15%).
No single sector dominates: the top three industries are close to each other.
How the total moved
The combined net worth of billionaires from Belgium started at $12 billion in 2020, fell to $8.0 billion on 12 March 2020 and reached its highest point of $56 billion on 11 February 2026, when the list had 18 billionaires from Belgium.
By 31 August 2026 (the last day of the country series) it was $54 billion, close to the peak.
The number of billionaires from Belgium on the list ranged from 1 to 18 during this period. A person can enter or leave the list because the cut-off moves with the market, not only because their own wealth changes.
Biggest movers among the people in the video
Comparing 1 February 2020 with 21 October 2026, the largest relative gains were Eric Wittouck ($7.6B to $9.0B, +18%) and Patokh Chodiev ($2.8B to $1.1B, -59%).
The weakest development was Patokh Chodiev ($2.8B to $1.1B, -59%).
Who the billionaires are
Of the 17 billionaires from Belgium, 2 are women (12%). Ages are known for 3 of them; their average age is 49 and the median 49.
How to read the numbers
- Figures are Forbes estimates in current US dollars, taken from the real-time list. The source project states that it makes no claim to accuracy or completeness.
- A person is assigned to a country by citizenship, not by where they live. A family entry (marked “& family”) refers to the family fortune.
- Daily values are noisy because they follow stock prices, so the video steps through the data in half-month intervals and the chart above shows weekly values.
- The country series ends on 31 August 2026; the list used for the 21 October 2026 numbers is the latest one available.
Sources
Forbes real-time billionaires, compiled by komed3 (rtb-api on GitHub, MIT licence).
