Forbes: Renáta Kellnerová remains richest Czech, armaments billionaires climb rankings

Renáta Kellnerová and her family remain the wealthiest individuals in the Czech Republic, holding an estimated fortune of CZK 378 billion, according to the latest Forbes ranking. Kellnerová, the heiress to the PPF Group empire, has retained the top spot for another year.

Daniel Křetínský, majority owner of the Energy and Industrial Holding (EPH), secured second place again with assets valued at CZK 284 billion. In third, unchanged from last year, is Karel Komárek, owner of investment group KKCG, whose wealth is estimated at CZK 262.5 billion.

The standout shift in the rankings comes from Michal Strnad, owner of defense conglomerate Czechoslovak Group (CSG). Strnad’s wealth more than doubled over the past year, reaching CZK 230.5 billion and propelling him into fourth place. This surge reflects the global rise in defense industry demand, driven largely by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Pavel Tykač, owner of energy group Sev.en AG, slipped from fourth to fifth with Forbes estimating his fortune at CZK 180.2 billion.

Rounding out the top ten are real estate mogul Radovan Vítek in sixth place with CZK 120 billion; Agrofert owner and ANO party leader Andrej Babiš in seventh; Jaromír Tesař, founder of energy group Energo-Pro, in eighth with CZK 59.1 billion; Aleš Zavoral, founder of online retailer Alza.cz, in ninth with CZK 56.4 billion; and Pavel Baudiš, co-founder of cybersecurity firm Avast, in tenth with CZK 54.5 billion.

The global geopolitical climate has notably boosted other defense industry figures as well. Martin Drda and his family, owners of STV Group, and René Holeček, linked to the Colt CZ firearms manufacturer, both climbed into the top 20.

Collectively, the 100 wealthiest Czechs now hold assets totaling CZK 2.9 trillion—an increase of nearly CZK 300 billion from last year. While the rankings remain stable at the top, Forbes notes that competition is tightening. This year, a minimum net worth of CZK 4.3 billion was needed to enter the top 100, up from CZK 4 billion last year.

Four newcomers joined the rankings this year, including the family of Lenka Šmídová, owner of food company Le & Co, as well as Pavel Šebor, Petr Šebor, and Martin Český, the team behind video game developer SCS Software.

Forbes has tracked the wealth of the world’s richest since 1987, with the Czech edition publishing its national list since 2012. While traditionally released in autumn, the Czech rankings will now be published annually in May.

Source: CTK and Forbes