The chairman of Institut Merieux, Alain Merieux, has a net worth of $3.9 billion.
Marcel Merieux, Alain’s grandfather, founded the conglomerate of medicine and public health in 1897.
Presently, the company has a plethora of public health and biotechnology divisions that specialize in various fields such as diagnostics, immunotherapy, and nutrition.
Alain founded a subsidiary called BioMerieux that specializes in vitro diagnostics for medical and industrial purposes. Their products are used to diagnose infectious diseases like HIV and tuberculosis, as well as provide medical test results for cardiovascular emergencies.
With a workforce of 6,000 individuals, the company has a presence in more than 150 countries worldwide.
In addition to being the founder of BioMerieux, he also serves as the president seat of Merieux Alliance and is the chair of Foundation Mérieux, a non-profit organization that concentrates on charitable causes.
Forbes ranked Alain as the 437th richest man in the world and the 11th richest man in France as of March 2013.