Dutch billionaire Ralph Sonnenberg has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion as of March 2013 according to Forbes. He is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hunter Douglas N.V. It was founded in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1919 by his father, Henry Sonnenberg, as a machine-tool manufacturer which eventually developed new technology for the production of lightweight aluminium slats for venetian blinds.

In 1946, Henry established a joint venture with Joe Hunter. In 1947, the Hunter Douglas Corporation was established. In 1969, the company went public and its shares were listed on the Montreal and Amsterdam Stock Exchanges. Today, it is a public corporation and major worldwide manufacturer of window coverings and architectural products. It supplied blinds and ceiling systems to the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai.

With his estimated net worth of $1.6 billion. Mr. Sonnenberg is the sixth richest person in Netherlands and is ranked the 965th richest person in the World Billionaires List. As the CEO, he owns more than 80% of the company’s stock. His two sons, Marko and David, also work in the firm.