Among the 100 richest entrepreneurs in the region, 27 are from Croatia. This is the result of research by Belgrade’s Nedeljnika, which also used Lider’s data on the largest Croatian companies by revenue, and extracted companies that are majority-owned by Croatian entrepreneurs (or they have the largest share and control the business) from the complete list. However, while Lider ranked the business results by revenue, Nedeljnik’s stock analysts assessed the market value of these companies based on those results, as well as other candidates from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. Therefore, Lider’s and Nedeljnik’s lists are different.
Thus, Pavao Vujnovac, although he controls almost ten percent of the Croatian economy through Energija naturalis and Fortenova, and according to that criterion is convincingly the most powerful entrepreneur in Croatia, is ‘only’ in eighth place in the region in terms of the value of his businesses (1.6 billion euros), or fourth in Croatia – behind Infobip owned by Silvio and Roberto Kutić, and Izabela Jelenić (3.3 billion euros), the Agram Group of Dubravko Grgić (3.1 billion euros), and Rimac Group of Mate Rimac (3 billion euros). These three companies are also the most valuable in the region.
In addition to them, the value of another four businesses is estimated at over one billion euros: the tourist complex of Davor Lukšić Lederer (Plava laguna and Adriatic luxury hotels), the retail chain Plodine Mile Ćurković, Atlantic Emila Tedeschija, and the meat-confectionery complex of Ivica, Miljenko, and Neven Pivac.
See the complete list of Croatian companies in the regional top 100 by market value:
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Miroslav Mišković leads the Serbian list (which has 48 companies) with the value of his Delta holding of around three billion euros, followed by Miodrag Kostić (MK Group, 2.7 billion euros).
The first 23 positions in the regional top 100 are held by entrepreneurs from Croatia and Serbia. Only in 24th place is the richest businessman from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The value of the Bingo group of Senad Džambić is estimated at 892 million euros. The Prevent group of the Hastor family is in 38th place (696 million euros), and ahead of it are two of the most valuable groups from North Macedonia: Alkaloid of Živko Mukaetov is 35th (711 million euros), and only two million euros less is Makpetrol of Andrej Josifovski in 36th place. The Montenegrin business is led by the company Voli Dragana Bokana, which is 49th (505 million euros), while Bemax of Ivan Ubović is 56th (443 million euros).
There are no Slovenian entrepreneurs in the top 100 due to different methodologies. The Finance Manager list, namely, compiles a list solely based on personal wealth, so Slovenian billionaires are ranked separately. Among them, the Lah family, owners of Staklare Hrastnik (and the Paraćin Serbian Glass Factory) and the real estate fund Ceeref, is in first place with 385 million euros, surpassing long-time leaders, the married couple Longin (345 million euros). Sandi Češko has disappeared from the list, as his company went bankrupt, just like his Croatian company Studio moderna – TV sales.
