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Temporary employment king tops Quote 500 Dutch rich list

November 3, 2016
Frits Goldschmeding in his study. Photo: Marijn Alders/Hollandse Hoogte
Frits Goldschmeding in his study. Photo: Marijn Alders/Hollandse Hoogte

The richest man in the Netherlands remains Frits Goldschmeding, founder of the Randstad temporary employment agency, according to the annual rich list published by Quote magazine.

Goldschmeding, who founded the world’s second biggest staffing agency in 1960 when he was 27, is worth some €3.5bn, the magazine said. This is down around 25% on last year’s Quote 500 estimate.

By contrast, numbers two and three on the list – construction magnate Dick Wessels and chemicals billionaire Hans Melchers – have both seen their worth grow.

Wessels, who retains an 85% stake in VolkerWessel, is said to be worth €3.3bn, a rise of 10% on last year. Melchers, who has a large stake in investment group HAL Trust, is said to be worth €2.5bn, up 25% on a year ago.

TV mogul John de Mol and car importer Wijnand Pon complete the top 5.

The richest Dutch national living abroad is Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, whose fortune is estimated at €11bn by Quote. The richest Dutch family is the Brenninkmeijer clan, founders of the C&A department store group, with an estimated worth of €21bn.

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