Martijn Van der Vorm

Martijn Van der Vorm, 61, the HAL trust’s executive chairman until five years ago, lives in Monaco and prefers solo sailing to glitzy galas. The Van der Vorms made their fortune building Holland America Line, a transatlantic shipping firm sold in the 1980s to Carnival Plc for about $600 million. The family put the money to work within the investment firm, which bears the initials of Holland America Line. Hal has since returned almost 2,000% and today spans timber, aviation and maritime holdings with assets of more than 11.3 billion euros ($12.5 billion). The family is worth about $11.2 billion based on the most recent filings for two holding companies it controls, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, though individual members may privately own other assets. Even as the family avoids the limelight, its fortune has continued to grow. Last year, Hal expanded further outside the Netherlands with an $840 million deal for U.S. flooring-maker Formica and a German orthopedic technology firm. The trust has stakes in more than 20 companies, including dredging firm Boskalis Westminster NV, Safilo Group SpA and oil and gas services firm SBM Offshore NV. The sale of its 77% stake in eyewear company GrandVision NV to EssilorLuxottica is expected to be completed by July 2021.