No.49 - JOHN DE MOL (TALPA HOLDINGS)

Age: 63

Years at current company: 8

Nationality: Dutch

Industry: Media

Turnover: $2.9bn (est.)

Rate of growth: 48.8% over the last five years

In 2010 a version of Talpa Media’s hit show ‘The Voice’ was produced in 180 countries worldwide, ringing the Talpa till to the tune of 270 million dollars. In 2015 UK TV station ITV paid over 575 million dollars for Talpa Media, and the latter’s worth is set to top billion dollar before 2020. John De Mol has just completed his first acquisition in another area of the media with the purchase of Dutch news agency Algermeen Nederlands Persbureau.      

Notable success: The Dutchman invented an entire genre of television, reality TV, with breakout hit Big Brother in 2000.