Joseph Safra In comparison to some of the other players on our list it was a relatively quiet 2017 for Joseph Safra, often described as the world’s richest banker. After a Brazilian corruption case against Safra Group staff was dropped in December 2016, the billionaire who comes from a banking family that dates back to the caravan… In comparison to some of the other players on our list it was a relatively quiet 2017 for Joseph Safra, often described as the world’s richest banker. After a Brazilian corruption case against Safra Group staff was dropped in December 2016, the billionaire who comes from a banking family that dates back to the caravan trade during the Ottoman Empire, stayed out of the headlines and kept his head down as his net worth gradually increased from $20.5bn in March to $22.7bn in January, according to Forbes. And there is a sense the secretive Syrian-born banker would prefer it that way as he continues to oversee one of Brazil’s largest lenders and others in Europe and the US with hundreds of billions of dollars in combined assets under management. On top of this, an eye for real estate has seen him accumulate assets including a dozen US properties and the Gherkin building in London. Chairman, Safra Group Origin:Syria Residence:Brazil Sector:Finance