Israel second in list of billionaire entrepreneurs

Israel produces 1.7 billionaire entrepreneurs per million citizens – more than Britain or the United States – according to a new think-tank report.

Analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies put the Jewish state behind only Hong Kong, which creates three per million citizens, in a new worldwide league table of top self-starters.

The US creates 1.3 per million while UK, meanwhile, with one entrepreneur for every two million people, does not  rank among the top 10 countries.

However, the study suggested Britain was still better than most eurozone countries when it came to producing successful entrepreneurs – beating Germany, Spain, France and Italy.

The report’s author Dr Nima Sanandaji analysed nearly 1,000 self-made men and women who, according to business magazine Forbes, have earned at least one billion dollars.

There were a total of 22 British billionaire entrepreneurs between 1996 and 2010, including retail tycoon Sir Philip Green and Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson.