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These People Became Billionaires Without Doing Any Work

These People Became Billionaires Without Doing Any Work

Mandi Woodruff

Lily Safra, 75, is the widow of late billionaire banker Edmond Safra.

Billions of dollars really do grow on trees –– at least for the handful of Forbes' 2013 Billionaires who didn't have to work for their ten-figure bank accounts.

Of more than 1,400 billionaires listed, Forbes listed "inherited" as the source of income for only a handful.

Though we are sure there are other billionaires whose wealth came by way of inheritance (Sam Walton's billionaire heirs, for one), we are highlighting the ones Forbes specifically calls out.

We've taken a closer look at how they found their way to riches.

1. Lily Safra

Forbes ranking: #1175
Net Worth: $1.2 billion
Age: 75
Country: Monaco

Lily Safra, 75, owes her wealth to her late husband, billionaire banker Edmond Safra, who died in a 1999 apartment fire, according to Forbes.

The well-heeled widow is the third wealthiest person in her native Monaco.

Charitable giving: Safra made headlines in 2012 when she auctioned off a 70-piece collection of jewelry to benefit nearly three dozen charities. The lot sold for an astounding $38 million.

2. Elaine Marshall & Family

Forbes ranking: #145
Net Worth: $8 billion
Age: 70
Country: U.S.

The 48th wealthiest woman in the U.S., Elaine Marshall inherited her billions from her late husband, J. Pierce Marshall in the form of a 14.6 percent stake in Koch Industries. The funny thing is no one knew about her fortune until Bloomberg named her the 4th richest woman in the U.S. in 2012.

Fun fact: She's the daughter-in-law of Anna Nicole Smith, who was married to Elaine's late father.

3. Jorn Rausing

Forbes ranking: #233
Net Worth: $5.2 billion
Age: 53
Country: Sweden

Swedish billionaire Jorn Rausing may have inherited his $5.2 billion fortune from his late mother, Birgit, but he hasn't used that as an excuse to escape the working world. Rausing sits on the board of Tetra Laval, the company his grandfather founded that is responsible for the Tetra Pak –– the special boxes used to store milk and juices without refrigeration, according to Forbes.

Fun fact: A plan to kidnap Jorn by pro-Palestinian terrorists was thwarted in 1989.

4. Finn Rausing

Forbes ranking: #239
Net Worth: $5.1 billion
Age: 58
Country: Sweden

Along with younger brother Jorn, Finn Rausing sits on the board of Tetra Pak-maker Tetra Laval. He's the fifth richest person in Sweden, behind Jorn, who's the fourth.

5. Eduardo Hochschild

Forbes ranking: #704
Net Worth: $2.1 billion
Age: 49
Country: Peru

Peru's fourth richest man, Eduardo Hochschild owed his wealth to his great uncle, who founded hte wildly successful Peruvian gold and silver mining company in 1911, according to forbes. Hochschild studied science in the U.S. at Tufts University and first joined Hochschild Mining in 1987 as a safety assistant.

Like another billionaire heir, Jorn Rausing, Hochschild survived a kidnapping. A gunman killed his father and Hochschild was held captive for six days before his release.

6. Yoshiko Mori

Forbes ranking: #1342
Net Worth: $1 billion
Age: 72
Country: Japan

When Minoru Mori, one of Japan's most powerful real estate tycoons, passed away last year, his wife, Yoshiko, took over the family fortune. She's now ranked the 20th richest person in Japan.

According to Forbes, her late husband was most known for building China's tallest building, the Shanghai World Financial Center.