Chung Mong-Koo, the chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, this year failed to make a list of the world’s 200 richest people after spending heavily on a 80,000-square-meter site in Gangnam, Seoul, where he plans to build a global business control tower.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the head of South Korea’s largest automaker, who has in the past ranked between 150th and 200th place, had dropped out of the list altogether. The index does not provide details of those who have not made it to the top 200. 
Following the lot purchase in the Gangnam area in September, Hyundai Motor Group shares have been plunging as well, as foreign investors rushed to sell off their shares. The automaker is struggling against a weak yen that has been working against in the export markets. Together, these factors appeared to have undermined the chairman’s wealth.

The bedridden Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee, whose total assets were at an estimated 13.2 trillion won ($12.2 billion), was the only South Korean to make the top 200, ranking 95th.

Aside from Chung’s delisting, another notable change on the list involved Suh Kyung-bae, the chairman of Amore Pacific Group, Korea’s leading cosmetics and beauty product maker.

Suh joined the list for the first time as of Thursday. However, he was once more off the list Friday.

Seo’s fortunes have recently soared ― by as much as an aggregate $6.6 billion ― thanks to a surge in AmorePacific stock prices that skyrocketed to 2.27 million won per share this month, up from 1 million won end of last year.

The rise comes as the cosmetic company has been posting larger sales in its duty-free stores. AmorePacific is also fast-expanding its profile among Chinese tourists visiting Korea, whose number is steadily rising.

Outside of Korea, veteran IT icon Bill Gates led the pack, with his personal wealth estimated at $86 billion, followed by Mexican Tycoon Carlos Slim with $78.9 billion and Warren Buffett with about $70 billion.

By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)