It hasn’t been an easy year for the world’s wealthiestindividuals.

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Volatile stock markets, tanking oil prices and a stronger dollarled to a dramatic reshuffling of wealth around the globe and a dropin billionaire fortunes for the first time since 2009, according toForbes.

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In its 30^th annual guide to the world’s richestpeople, Forbes found 1,810 billionaires, down from a record1,826 a year ago. Sixteen individuals with ties to the insuranceindustry — down from 20 last year — made Forbes' 2016 list of worldbillionaires.

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This year’s billionaires with connections to the insuranceindustry include the son of a Chicago meat-packer, a formerappliance door-to-door salesman, a World War II flight navigatorand a passionate environmentalist.

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Related: Meet the world's 20 insurancebillionaires

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Overall, the United States has 540 billionaires, more than anyother country in the world. It’s followed by mainland China with251 and Germany with 120.

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Here are the world’s 16 billionaires with wealth linked toinsurance, according to Forbes’ 2016 list:

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(Photo: YouTube)

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No. 1,694: Ion Tiriac, 76
Bucharest, Romania

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Net worth: $1.14 billion.

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Source of wealth: banking, insurance,self-made.

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Financial and real estate investor Ion Tiriac hold shares ininsurance and auto leasing concerns and still runs his high-end carmuseum dedicated to his cars and motorcycles from Jaguar, Bentley,Mercedes-Benz, Rolls Royce and their ilk.

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Tiriac competed in the 1960 Olympics as an ice hockey player andlater switched to tennis, eventually coaching several tennisgreats, including Boris Becker, Steffi Graf and Goran Ivanisevic.Most recently, he advised Romanian tennis ace Simona Halep to signsponsorship contracts with companies such as Adidas andVodafone.

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(Photo: www.wrberkley.com)

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No. 1,577 (4-way tie): William Berkley, 69

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Greenwich, Conn.

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Net worth: $1.14 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance, self-made.

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William R. Berkley got the entrepreneurial bug as a young man.He founded insurance company W.R. BerkleyCorp. in 1967 with just $2,500 while he was an MBA student atHarvard. The company, which had $5.3 billion in revenue in 2013,does business through 27 subsidiaries that insure everything frommobile surgery units to jewels to fine art. One of itsfastest-growing units insures sports and entertainmentcompanies.

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Berkley took the company public in 1974. Revenue surpassed the$1 billion mark in 1995 after nearly two decades of acquisitions.He has a nearly 20% stake, though roughly half of his shares arepledged as collateral for loans. For this reason, Forbes applied a50% discount to the pledged shares. Berkley is chairman and CEO.His son, W. Robert Berkley, is president and chief operatingofficer.

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(Photo: YouTube)

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No. 1,577 (4-way tie): Henry Engelhardt,58
Cardiff, United Kingdom

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Net worth: $1.22 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance, self-made.

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The son of a Chicago meat packer, Henry Engelhardt aspired to bea journalist before turning to entrepreneurship. He startedinsurance company AdmiralGroup in 1993. The Welsh company offers car and home insurancein the United Kingdom and was behind the country's first onlineinsurance price comparison website.

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Based in Cardiff, Admiral also has operations in Spain, France,Italy and the United States. Its American brands include Elephant Auto Insurance and Comparenow.com.Admiral is known for its lighthearted, employee-friendly culture.Its "Ministry of Fun" organizes events for all staff members, suchas dress-up days, rock band contests and surfing trips.

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Engelhardt announced that he'll step down as CEO in mid-2016,but he will still be involved in the company in some capacity. Heand his wife, Diane, started the Moondance Foundation, and havedonated 6.5 million Admiral shares in the past four years.

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(Photo: YouTube)

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No. 1,577 (4-way tie): V. Prem Watsa, 65
Toronto

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Net worth: $1.04 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance, investments,self-made.

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Prem Watsa founded Toronto-based financial services companyFairfax Financial Holdings in 1985 and remains its chairman andCEO. Born in Hyderabad, India, he later joined his brother inCanada, and then enrolled in the University of Western Ontario'sMBA program. He paid his way through school by selling appliancesdoor to door. After a stint as an investment analyst, Watsa struckout on his own in 1984.

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Watsa began snatching up insurance companies, modeling hisbusiness after the success of his idol: Warren Buffett. Fairfax nowmaintains property and casualty insurance and reinsurance interestsacross four continents, and holds stakes in numerous companies,including IBM and phone maker BlackBerry. He also owns a stake inFairfax India, a publicly traded subsidiary investing in Indianbusinesses.

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Surin Upatkoon, a Thai national, currently lives in KualaLumpur, Malaysia. (Photo: iStock)

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No. 1,577 (4-way tie): Surin Upatkoon, 66
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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Net worth: $1.15 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance, telecoms,lotteries.

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The Thai national started his career as a manager at hisfather's textile company, MWE Weaving Mills, in 1971. He got hisbiggest break when he participated in the acquisition of a majorstake in Multi-Purpose Holdings Bhd., which he later split intoMPHB Capital, an insurance and real estate outfit.

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More than 60% of Surin Upatkoon's wealth comes from the 10%stake in Thai telecom InTouch he sold in 2013. He also hasinterests in gambling company Magnum.

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This May 7, 2012 photo shows Charles Munger, vice-chairmanof Berkshire Hathaway, during an interview in Omaha,Neb. (Photo: Nati Harnik/AP Photo)

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No. 1,476 (tie): Charles Munger, 92
Los Angeles

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Net worth: $1.29 billion.

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Source of wealth: Berkshire Hathaway,self-made.

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As vice chairman of BerkshireHathaway, Charlie Munger is Warren Buffett's right-hand man andinvestment partner. Berkshire has several subsidiary insurancecompanies. Munger is also chairman of the Daily Journal Corp.,a California-based publisher, and he sits on the board of wholesaleretailer Costco.

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An Omaha native, Munger attended the University of Michigan, butdropped out to serve as a meteorologist in the U.S. Army Air Corpsduring World War II. He later graduated from Harvard Law and, in1959, met Buffett at a dinner party.

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Like Buffett, he's a pragmatic investor and a majorphilanthropist. In 2013, Munger pledged more than $100 million fornew graduate residences at the University of Michigan, and in 2014,he gave $65 million to the University of California, SantaBarbara's Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics for a newvisitor's residence.

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Toronto is where Hal Jackman made hisbillions. (Photo: iStock)

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No. 1,476 (tie): Hal Jackman, 83
Toronto

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Net worth: $1.24 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance, investments,self-made.

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Hal Jackman and his family are the largest shareholders of E-LFinancial Corp., a Toronto investment and insurance holdingcompany, which provides insurance and financial services throughits subsidiaries, the Dominion of Canada General Insurance Co. andEmpire Life Insurance Co.

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Born to a former member of parliament, Harry Jackman, HalJackman served as the 25th lieutenant governor of Ontario from 1991to 1997. The University of Toronto alumnus has donated over $40million to his alma mater and was its chancellor from 1997 to 2003.He chairs the Hal Jackman Foundation, which supports arts andcultural institutions in Toronto.

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Jackman has handed over his business to the next generation. Hisson, Duncan, is the chief executive officer and president of E-LFinancial, although Jackman remains the honorary chairman.

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The only retail insurance company in the Soviet Union,Rosgosstrakh is still Russia's largest insurance company, and ownedby billionaire Danil Khachaturov. (Photo:iStock)

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No. 1,275: Danil Khachaturov, 44
Moscow

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Net worth: $1.5 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance, banking, realestate, self-made.

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Khachaturov studied construction and finance at Moscow schoolsand went to work at privately held BIN Bank and then at Slavneft,an oil company led at the time by billionaire MikhailGutseriev.

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Between 2001 and 2003, he and his partners spent $60 millionbuying 75% of then-insolvent Rosgosstrakh from the government. In2010, they bought the remaining 25%. What was once the only retailinsurance company in the Soviet Union, Rosgosstrakh is stillRussia's largest insurance company, with $2.4 billion in revenue.In May 2015, the Bank of Russia suspended the insurer's license for13 days after receiving 2,300 complaints from clients.

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In this Oct. 9, 2012 photo, George Joseph, the chairman ofMercury General Corp., poses for photos in his office in LosAngeles. (Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

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No. 1,198: George Joseph, 94
Los Angeles

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Net worth: $1.54 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance, self-made.

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Back in 1961, door-to-door insurance salesman George Josephrealized that Auto insurance companies weren't screening theircustomers correctly. That led him to start Mercury General, which offered cut-rate deals tosafer-than-average drivers.

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Joseph, a former World War II flight navigator, is still on thejob today, serving as chairman of his $3 billion (in sales)publicly traded insurer. In 2012, the nonagenarian backedProposition 33, a California ballot measure that would have givendrivers "persistency discounts" for maintaining Auto insurance.Critics said it would drive up prices for people who hadn't beenable to afford insurance. It did not pass.

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In 2005, Rolf Gerling, a current resident of Zurich,Switzerland, sold his 94% stake in Gerling Konzern to Talanx Group,Germany's third-largest insurance company, for an estimated $1billion. (Photo: iStock)

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No. 1,067: Rolf Gerling, 61
Zurich, Switzerland

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Net worth: $1.65 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance.

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In 1904, Rolf Gerling's grandfather launched a small insurancebusiness, Gerling Konzern, which his father Hans expanded into aglobal insurance group. In 1992, following the death of his father,Gerling, an economist by training, sold a 30% stake to DeutscheBank. He chaired the supervisory board but showed little interestin managing the business. Eventually, mismanagement coupled withlosses from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and costlyasbestos claims plunged his legacy into turmoil.

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Forced to sell assets to raise capital, Gerling Konzern became ashadow of its former self. Deutsche Bank, after having raised itsstake to 34.5% through capital injections, bailed out in 2003,basically receiving in exchange for its interest a share of thecredit insurer Gerling NCM, which had been broken apart in a dealinvolving another Gerling Konzern shareholder, Swiss Re. Finally,in 2005, Gerling sold his 94% stake in Gerling Konzern to TalanxGroup, Germany's third-largest insurance company, for an estimated$1 billion.

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A passionate environmentalist who lives in Switzerland, Gerling,while overseeing Gerling Konzern, raised awareness ofenvironmental-related risk factors within the insurance industry.In the 1990s, he was instrumental in getting 50 insurance companiesto sign a United Nations pledge to consider the issues of climatechange and other environmental problems in their businesspractices. Today, he sits on the foundation board of the ResearchInstitute of Organic Agriculture and supports ecology-mindedprojects through the Gerling Foundation.

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(Photo: YouTube)

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No. 959 (tie): Othman Benjelloun, 83
Casablanca, Morocco

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Net worth: $1.9 billion.

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Source of wealth: banking, insurance.

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Othman Benjelloun sits at the helm of BMCE Bank, one ofMorocco's largest banks. Through his holding company FinanceCom, heis also the majority shareholder of insurance company RMA Watanya,and has a minority stake in Meditelecom, Morocco's second largestmobile phone operator.

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To house BMCE's new headquarters, Benjelloun is building a30-story rocket-shaped tower that will loom over Casablanca.

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The Kyobo Life Insurance Building in downtown Seoul, SouthKorea. (Photo: Ian Mutto/Wikimedia)

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No. 959 (tie): Shin Chang-Jae, 62
Seoul, South Korea

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Net worth: $1.9 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance.

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Shin Chang-Jae was a practicing obstetrician and a professor atSeoul National University when he joined Kyobo Life Insurance in1996, as his father, Shin Yong-Ho, was undergoing cancer treatment.The elder Shin had founded the company (formerly known as DaehanKyoyuk Insurance Co.) in 1958.

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When Shin Chang-Jae became chairman and CEO in 2000, it wasreeling from investment portfolio losses in the aftermath of theAsian Financial Crisis. He turned the company around by focusing oncustomer satisfaction, risk control and strengthening what hasbecome one of the most admired corporate cultures in Korea. Throughan extensive distribution network of agents and financial planners,the company offers insurance and asset-management products to morethan five million customers.

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Shin, who maintains a busy schedule of public speeches andlectures, is known for his management acumen and commitment tohelping others. In 2010, he received the 19th Montblanc de laCulture Arts Patronage Award for his support of Korean literaturethrough the Daesan Foundation, established under the auspices ofKyobo Life Insurance by his father.

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To encourage young readers, Shin Yong-Ho also established, in1980, what has become perhaps the most famous bookstore in Korea —the Kyobo Book Center at the insurer's headquarters building inGwanghwamun, in downtown Seoul.

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(Photo: www.ryansg.com)

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No. 771: Patrick Ryan, 78
Winnetka, Ill.

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Net worth: $2.3 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance, self-made.

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Two years after stepping down from reinsurance giant Aon,Patrick Ryan came out of retirement in 2010 to create insurancecompany Ryan SpecialtyGroup. His new business keeps its financials close to the vest,but by all accounts it has been a wild success. Ryan Specialty nowoperates three subsidiaries out of its Chicago headquarters.

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Ryan founded his first business, Pat Ryan & Associates, in1964, five years after graduating from Northwestern's businessschool. He merged his first company with Combined International in1982, renamed it Aon, and grew the business into the world'slargest reinsurance broker.

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A minority owner of the Chicago Bears, Ryan led the Windy City'sfailed bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. He is also a Northwesterntrustee, and has paid for renovations to its athletic facilitiesand scholarships for low-income students.

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(Photo: YouTube)

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No. 421: Vanich Chaiyawan, 84
Bangkok

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Net worth: $3.7 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance, beverages,self-made.

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Thai insurance tycoon Vanich Chaiyawan's son Chai, who runs ThaiLife, the family's biggest asset, is aiming to improve thecompany's ranking as Thailand's third-largest life insurer.Forecasting a 10% growth in Thailand's insurance market in 2016,he's focused on the country's aging population with new productsand speedy settlements. After selling a 15% stake to Japan's MeijiYasuda 3 years ago, he acquired the 50% stake in Thai Cardif thathe didn't own from BNP Paribas.

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Vanich also has a small stake in fellow billionaire CharoenSirivadhanabhakdi's Thai Beverage.

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(Photo: PPF GroupN.V.)

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No. 96: Petr Kellner, 51

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Vrane nad Vitavou, Czech Republic

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Net worth: $10.6 billion.

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Source of wealth: insurance, banking,self-made.

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The Czech Republic’s richest man, Petr Kellner got his start inthe early 90's selling office supplies, then borrowed $1 millionagainst that business and started an investment fund which he usedit to buy a controlling stake in the biggest Czech insurer duringits privatization. He received the final payment from Italianinsurer Generali, closing the $3.6 billion repurchase of his formerjoint venture Generali PPF Holding. Kellner is investing his cashhordes in biotech.

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Kellner, with his wife, endows scholarships at his Open GateSchool and became the leading sponsor of a library-think-tank forCzech ex-president Vaclav Klaus. Kellner is also famous for havingthe biggest collection of Czech modern photography. His firm is thenew general partner of the Prague Spring international musicfestival to be held in May.

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Billionaire investor Warren Buffett speaks at an eventOmaha, Neb., Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015. (AP Photo/NatiHarnik)

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No. 3: Warren Buffett, 85
Omaha, Neb.

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Net worth: $60.8 billion.

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Source of wealth: Berkshire Hathaway,self-made.

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In his 2016 letter to shareholders, Warren Buffett, CEO ofBerkshireHathaway, displayed cheery optimism for America's future. Thefifth-most valuable corporation in the United States, Berkshireowns companies such as Geico, Dairy Queen and Fruit of the Loom,and has significant investments in Wells Fargo, IBM andCoca-Cola.

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Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary insurance companies include:

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AppliedUnderwriters.

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Berkshire HathawaySpecialty Insurance.

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Berkshire HathawayHomestate Cos.

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BoatU.S.

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Central States Indemnity.

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Gateway UnderwritersAgency.

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Geico Auto Insurance.

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General Re.

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Guard Insurance Group.

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NationalIndemnity Company.

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United State LiabilityInsurance Group.

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Known for his relative frugality, Buffett still lives in theOmaha home he purchased for $31,500 in 1958. He says his bestinvestment was buying Benjamin Graham's legendary book, "TheIntelligent Investor," in 1949.

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In the 30 years Forbes has tracked global wealth, only fivepeople have held the title of richest person on planet — three ofthose five still rank among the four richest in the world,including Warren Buffett.

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Related: 20 of the wealthiest places inAmerica

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