Kim Jong Un Net Worth: How Is North Korea’s Leader Spending His Billions?

North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un’s net worth has been estimated at more than $5 billion since 2013. Interestingly, Forbes doesn’t include Kim in its annual list of the world’s wealthiest and thus gives no estimate for his wealth. It does, however, rank Kim as the world’s 36th most powerful person. Forbes previously listed Kim’s late father, Kim Jong-il, as the world’s 37th most powerful person.

Six years ago, a joint investigation by South Korean and American officials discovered $5 billion worth of assets and bank accounts controlled by Kim Jong-un and his family. Kim became supreme leader of North Korea in 2011, succeeding his father.

Investigators said the massive wealth is stashed away in more than 200 foreign bank accounts located in Austria, Lichtenstein, Russia, Singapore, China, Switzerland and Luxembourg, among many others. Most of these accounts, which include hundreds of millions of dollars in cash, are located in China, Kim’s closest ally.

Investigators suspect some of this wealth also comes from manufacturing illicit drugs, counterfeiting the U.S. dollar and making bogus cigarettes.

Kim’s $5 billion in wealth has certainly increased since 2013 but a lack of data precludes any accurate estimate of his wealth today. That’s why Kim’s wealth is still widely quoted at $5 billion.

While we don’t know the exact extent of Kim’s wealth today, we do know where he spends much of it on. Kim spends lavishly and he spends a lot of his wealth abroad. Kim likes:

* Black caviar from Iran. He indulges his yen for pork by importing pigs directly from Denmark.

* Cognac and whiskey. An inveterate lover of spirits, Kim imports thousands of bottles of cognac and whiskey (especially U.S. whiskey) every year from all over the world.

* Magnificent palaces. Kim owns 17 fabulous palaces scattered around North Korea. He also has his own private island.

* Luxury sedans. Kim owns a fleet of more than 100 luxury cars (mostly European). His favorite marque is Mercedes-Benz, and his personal favorite is a $2 million armored Mercedes Benz S600 with its own portable toilet.

* A private jet named “Air Force Un.” That’s not a joke. It’s his $1.5 million private jet’s name.

* Thoroughbred horses. Kim owns an unknown number of these expensive beats. What’s astounding are unconfirmed reports North Korea spends 20 percent of its budget on the care of these horses.

* Wristwatches. Kim’s wristwatch collection is expected to be worth over $8 million.

* Luxury super yacht. Much of what the outside world knows about Kim’s super yacht comes from his buddy, former NBA star Dennis Rodman. The Worm described Kim’s yacht a "cross between a ferry and a Disney boat." The yacht is 100 feet long and costs $7 million.