Rich lists do not matter to me: Mittal

Numerous rankings of the rich frequently brought out by publications such as Forbes and TheSunday Times do not matter to steel magnate Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, a permanent fixture on such charts.

“For me, this is not the news I focus on. These are all the valuations...It's good that people see me in a positive light...But these things do not really matter in your [my] life,” Mr. Mittal, 59, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the world's largest steel maker ArcelorMittal, told PTI.

Mr. Mittal said he would rather prefer his company to be in the news for its growth programmes and creation of value for shareholders.

“Selectively, we are focussing on how do we continue to grow and create value for our shareholders,” said Mr. Mittal, who topped

The Sunday Times Rich List for the sixth consecutive year in 2010.

According to the weekly, Mr. Mittal's fortunes stand at £22.45 billion, more than double its last assessment at £10.8 billion.

PepsiCo's India-born chief Indra Nooyi had recently said the listings among the rich and influential persons of the world did not matter much to her.