A cryptocurrency billionaire described as mysterious has been ranked as the wealthiest person in the Netherlands on the new Quote 500, the annual Dutch rich list. De Telegraaf reported the ranking on Tuesday.
According to the newspaper, Jean-Louis van der Velde takes the top spot on the list of the country's largest fortunes. De Gelderlander reports that he was born in Arnhem.
His rise ends a fourteen-year run at number one for the Heineken heiress, AD.nl reported, describing the new leader as "unknown." The Telegraaf likewise characterised him as mysterious.
NOS reported that the Quote 500 has been shaken up by AI entrepreneurs as well as by the arrival of a new richest Dutchman. NU also covered the crypto billionaire's move to the top of the list of major wealth holders.
The reports give no further detail on the size of Van der Velde's fortune or the source of his crypto wealth. The available coverage does not say how the list's editors arrived at their valuation.
The new edition of the Quote 500 is the occasion for the ranking. The list is a long-running annual survey of Dutch wealth.
What to watch next: whether Van der Velde or the list's publishers comment publicly, and whether fuller details of his holdings emerge.