10 Richest People You've Never Heard Of: Forbes List

In Pictures: The Richest People You've Never Heard Of

Our last census of the world's wealthy last March found more than 1,000 billionaires throughout the world. While they're hardly household names themselves, their companies make products that are pretty hard to miss.

His conglomerate Empresas CMPC holds millions of acres of pine and eucalyptus in Chile and Argentina. University of Chicago-educated Matte is also betting on Chile increasing its share of international trade, by expanding his huge port complex in Lirquen, Chile. Owns stakes in telecom and banking outfits, too!

Took over tiny screw business from his father at age 19. Today, Wurth Group has $12.5 billion in sales. Company also has interests in a bank and a solar energy company.

Wurth has professional pilot's license, rides a Harley-Davidson and has vast art collection, which includes works by Emil Nolde, Ernst, Leger, Alfred Hrdilicka, Edvard Munch and Pablo Picasso.

Turned small cork factory his grandfather started in 1870 into the world's largest producer of cork--$650 million (sales) Corticeira Amorim, which today also has real estate and tourism interests.

Has invested heavily in finance and energy. Inside his portfolio: 8% of Banco Popular; 27.5% of investment company Finpro; 18% of Galp, the former state energy company in Portugal; and 25% of bank BIC Angola.

Monaco-based, Romanian-born Israeli and his family control a vast global shipping empire, plus interests in banking and real estate. The family controls Israel Chemicals, Zim (shipping) and refineries through the umbrella holding company Israel Corp., which has seen its stock price double in the past year. The family also has a stake in Royal Caribbean

Grandson of the founder of Danish toymaker Lego. Ran the company for 25 years before stepping down in 2004 after several years of losses; remains its sole owner and vice chairman of the board.

Lemann shares control of global powerhouse brewer InBev of Belgium, a company born of a 2004 merger of AmBev of Brazil and Interbrew of Belgium. The Lemann-Telles-Sicupira trio also controls Brazilian retailer Lojas Americanas. His first big success was at investment bank Banco Garantia, which he founded 1971 and sold to Credit Suisse First Boston in 1998 for $675 million. Tennis player who once played in Wimbledon.

Fourth-generation head of engineering giant Bechtel Corp., the firm that built the Hoover Dam and the Chunnel.

New jobs include a 1,600-megawatt, coal-fired power plant in Illinois and a liquified natural gas processing plant in Angola. Completed U.K.'s first high-speed rail line and Tacoma Narrows Bridge near Seattle earlier this year.

Co-founded Kingston Technology with John Tu in 1987; today it's the nation's largest privately held computer memory firm. Company's USB flash drives and flash cards grace cellphones, digital cameras and MP3 players. Estimated sales up 22% to $4.5 billion in 2007. Pair started memory-chip outfit Camintonn in 1982, sold four years later for $6 million, then formed Kingston. Sold 80% stake to Softbank for $1.5 billion in 1996, bought it back for just $450 million three years later.

Co-founded Kingston Technology with David Sun in 1987; today it's the nation's largest privately held computer memory firm. Company's USB flash drives and flash cards grace cellphones, digital cameras, MP3 players. Estimated sales up 22% to $4.5 billion in 2007. Pair started memory-chip outfit Camintonn in 1982, sold it four years later for $6 million, then formed Kingston. Sold 80% stake to Softbank for $1.5 billion in 1996, bought it back for just $450 million three years later. Plays drums in a band.