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The World's Billionaires

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The World's Billionaires is an annual ranking of the world's wealthiest people, compiled and published by the American business magazine Forbes in March. The total net worth of each individual on the list is estimated, in United States dollars, based on their assets and accounting for debt. Royalty and dictators whose wealth comes from their positions are excluded from these lists.[1]

The list has been published each year in March since 1987.[2] Microsoft founder Bill Gates has topped the list 16 of the past 21 years, including the 2015 list. In 2015, there was a record of 1,826 people on the list that included a record 290 newcomers with 71 from China, 57 from the US, 28 from India and Germany with 23. People under 40 had 46 join the list. A record of 197 women were on the list.[3] The average net worth of list came in at $3.86 billion, down $60 million from 2014. Added together, the total net worth for 2015's billionaires was $7.05 trillion, up from $6.4 trillion in 2014.[4]

Methodology

Each year, Forbes employs a team of more than fifty reporters from a variety of countries to track the activity of the world's wealthiest individuals.[5] Preliminary surveys are sent to those who may qualify for make the list. According to Forbes, they received three types of responses – some people try to inflate their wealth, others cooperate but leave out details, and some refuse to answer any questions.[6] Business deals are then scrutinized and estimates of valuable assets – land, homes, vehicles, artwork, etc. – are made. Interviews are conducted to vet the figures and get a better idea of an individual's holdings. Finally, positions in publicly traded stock are priced to market on a date roughly a month before publication. Privately held companies are priced by the prevailing price-to-revenues or price-to-earnings ratios. Known debt is subtracted from assets to get a final estimate of an individual's estimated worth in United States dollars. Since stock prices fluctuate rapidly, an individual's true wealth and ranking at the time of publication may vary from their situation when the list was compiled.[5]

Family fortunes dispersed over a large number of individuals are included only if those individuals' holdings are worth more than a billion dollars. However, when a living individual has dispersed his or her wealth to immediate family members, it is included under a single listing provided that individual is still living.[5] Royalty and dictators are always excluded from the lists.

Current rankings

In addition to their yearly list, Forbes maintains a top 10 list that is updated daily based on market fluctuations. As of March 12, 2015, the world's 10 wealthiest individuals were as follows:[7]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Bill Gates $79.2 billion 59 United States Microsoft
2 Carlos Slim $77.1 billion 74 Mexico Telmex, Grupo Carso
3 Warren Buffett $72.7 billion 84 United States Berkshire Hathaway
4 Amancio Ortega $64.5 billion 78 Spain Inditex Group
5 Larry Ellison $54.3 billion 70 United States Oracle Corporation
6 Charles Koch $42.9 billion 79 United States Koch Industries
6 David Koch $42.9 billion 74 United States Koch Industries
8 Christy Walton $41.7 billion 60 United States Wal-Mart
9 Jim Walton $40.6 billion 66 United States Wal-Mart
10 Liliane Bettencourt $40.1 billion 92 France L'Oreal

Annual top 10 listings

2015

Main article: The World's Billionaires 2015

Bill Gates has, once again, been named the richest man in the world by Forbes Magazine's Annual list of the world's Billionaires. This is the 16th time that the founder of Microsoft has claimed the top spot. Carlos Slim, a Mexican Businessman, came in second for the second consecutive time. Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway was placed third while the founder of Zara, Amancio Ortega of Spain, slipped down a position from last year to number four. Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle rounded off the top five. Christy Walton was the highest ranking female at number eight. America's Evan Spiegel, co-founder of photo messaging app Snapchat became the youngest billionaire this year at the age of 24. At age 99, David Rockefeller maintained his position as the oldest billionaire to make the list.[8]

In the 29th annual List of global billionaires, a record 1,826 billionaires were named with an aggregated net worth of $7.05 trillion compared to $6.4 trillion last year. Forty-six of the billionaires on the list are under the age of 40 and 71 of them are from China. Mark Zuckerburg, the social media magnate and founder of Facebook, was placed at number 16 with $33.4 billion. Self-made billionaires made up the largest number of people on the list with 1,191 positions (over 65%) while just 230 (under 13%) have wealth through inheritance. The number of billionaires who inherited a portion but are still working to increase their fortunes is 405.[9]

The United States has the largest number of billionaires with 526. Russia was the biggest loser in this year's list being down to 88 from 111 in 2014. Russia is now placed behind China, Germany and India by the number dollar billionaires. Iceland has a billionaire Thor Bjorgolfsson in the list after a gap of five years. Guatemala has a billionaire, Mario Lopez Estrada, for the first time in its history.

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Bill Gates $79.2 billion Increase 59 United States Microsoft
2 Steady Carlos Slim $77.1 billion Increase 74 Mexico Telmex, Grupo Carso
3 Increase Warren Buffett $72.7 billion Increase 84 United States Berkshire Hathaway
4 Decrease Amancio Ortega $64.5 billion Increase 78 Spain Inditex Group
5 Steady Larry Ellison $54.3 billion Increase 70 United States Oracle Corporation
6 Steady Charles Koch $42.9 billion Increase 79 United States Koch Industries
6 Steady David Koch $42.9 billion Increase 74 United States Koch Industries
8 Increase Christy Walton $41.7 billion Increase 60 United States Wal-Mart
9 Increase Jim Walton $40.6 billion Increase 66 United States Wal-Mart
10 Increase Liliane Bettencourt $40.1 billion Increase 92 France L'Oreal

2014

Main article: The World's Billionaires 2014

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, added $9 billion to his fortune since 2013 and topped the 2014 billionaire list. He has topped the list 15 of the previous 20 years, but was last number one in 2009.[10] Mexican telecommunication mogul Carlos Slim came in second place after being number one the previous four years. Zara founder Amancio Ortega placed third for the second consecutive year. American investor Warren Buffett was in the top five for the 20th consecutive year, placing fourth.[11] America's Christy Walton was the highest ranking female, placing ninth overall.[2] Aliko Dangote of Nigeria became the first African ever to enter the top 25, with an estimated net worth of $25 billion.[1]

A total of 1,645 people made the 2014 billionaire list, representing combined wealth of $6.4 trillion.[11] Of those, a record 268 were newcomers, surpassing 2008's 226 newcomers.[2] One hundred people listed in 2013 failed to make the list.[11] The number of women on the list rose to a record 172 in 2014.[2] Approximately 66% of the list was self-made, 13% achieved their wealth through inheritance alone, and 21% through a mixture of the two.[1]

The United States had 492 billionaires on the list, the most of any country.[11] The country also had the most newcomers with 50, and women with 54.[2] China had the second most billionaires with 152, while Russia was third with 111.[11] Algeria, Lithuania, Tanzania, and Uganda were all represented on the list for the first time. Turkey saw the most people drop off the list, 19, due to high inflation in the country.[1]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Increase Bill Gates $76.0 billion Increase 58 United States Microsoft
2 Decrease Carlos Slim & family $72.0 billion Decrease 74 Mexico Telmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
3 Steady Amancio Ortega $64.0 billion Increase 77 Spain Inditex Group
4 Steady Warren Buffett $58.2 billion Increase 83 United States Berkshire Hathaway
5 Steady Larry Ellison $48.0 billion Increase 70 United States Oracle Corporation
6 Steady Charles Koch $40.0 billion Increase 78 United States Koch Industries
6 Steady David Koch $40.0 billion Increase 73 United States Koch Industries
8 Increase Sheldon Adelson $38.0 billion Increase 80 United States Las Vegas Sands
9 Increase Christy Walton & family $36.7 billion Increase 58-59 United States Wal-Mart
10 Increase Jim Walton $34.7 billion Increase 65 United States Wal-Mart

2013

Main article: The World's Billionaires 2013

Carlos Slim topped the 2013 billionaire list, marking his fourth consecutive year at the top. Bill Gates remained in second, while Amancio Ortega moved up to third. Oretega's gain of $19.5 billion was the largest of anyone on the list.[12] Warren Buffett failed to make the top three for the first time since 2000, placing fourth. Diesel founder Renzo Rosso was among the top newcomers, debuting with an estimate net worth of $3 billion.[13]

A global rise in asset prices, led Forbes editor Randall Lane to declare "It [was] a very good year to be a billionaire". However, it was not a good year to be Eike Batista who fell from seventh to 100th, suffering the largest net loss of anyone on the list.[12] Overall, net gainers outnumbered net losers by 4:1.[13]

A record total of 1,426 people made the 2013 list, representing $5.4 trillion of assets.[14] Of those, 442 billionaires hailed from the United States.[12] The Asian-Pacific region had 386 billionaires and Europe 366. The list also featured a record number of newcomers, 210, representing 42 different countries. Sixty people from the 2012 list fell below a billion dollar of assets in 2013 and eight others from the 2012 list died. The Asia-Pacific region had the most drop offs, with 29, followed by the United States with 16. The 2013 list featured 138 women, of which 50 came from the United States. A majority of the list (961 individuals, 67%) was entirely self-made; 184 (13%) inherited their wealth, and 281 (20%) achieved their fortune through a combination of inheritance and business acumen.[14]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Carlos Slim & family $73.0 billion Increase 73 Mexico Telmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 Steady Bill Gates $67.0 billion Increase 57 United States Microsoft
3 Increase Amancio Ortega $57.0 billion Increase 76 Spain Inditex Group
4 Decrease Warren Buffett $53.5 billion Increase 82 United States Berkshire Hathaway
5 Increase Larry Ellison $43.0 billion Increase 68 United States Oracle Corporation
6 Increase Charles Koch $34.0 billion Increase 77 United States Koch Industries
6 Increase David Koch $34.0 billion Increase 72 United States Koch Industries
8 Increase Li Ka-shing $31.0 billion Increase 84 Hong Kong/Canada Cheung Kong Holdings
9 Increase Liliane Bettencourt & family $30.0 billion Increase 90 France L'Oréal
10 Decrease Bernard Arnault $29.0 billion Decrease 63 France LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton

2012

Main article: The World's Billionaires 2012

Carlos Slim topped the 2012 list, marking this third consecutive year at the top. Bill Gates placed second, but narrowed the gap from 2011 as Slim's fortune fell $5 billion while Gates' rose $5 billion. Warren Buffett remained in third place. Bernard Arnault of France was the top-ranking European on the list, placing fourth.[15] Ricardo Salinas Pliego was the greatest gainer in terms of dollars, adding $9.2 billion to his fortune and moving up to number 37 overall.[15] Making her debut on the list at age 27, Spanx founder Sara Blakely became the youngest self-made female billionaire ever.[16] Colombia's Alejandro Santo Domingo was the highest ranked newcomer, inheriting a $9.5 billion stake in Santo Domingo Group from his father.[15] India's Lakshmi Mittal was the largest loser as his fortune dropped from $31.1 billion to $20.7 billion as the price of steel maker ArcelorMittal fell sharply.[15] As a result, he failed to make the top 10 for the first time since 2004 and lost his title of richest Asian to Hong Kong’s Li Ka-shing.[17]

A record total of 1,226 people made the 2012 list, representing 58 different countries. Of those, 126 were newcomers to the list and 104 were women. The United States had the greatest number of billionaires with 425. Russia had 96 people on the list, while China had 95.[15] Georgia, Morocco, and Peru were newly represented on the list. Falling stock prices in Asia contributed to 117 former billionaires falling from the list world-wide. Twelve others listed in 2011 died. Overall, net gainers (460) barely outnumbered net losers (441).[17]

To coincide with the release of the 2012 list, Forbes announced a new "Billionaire Real-Time Ticker" updating the wealth of the world's top fifty billionaires in real time.[15]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Carlos Slim & family $69.0 billion Decrease 72 Mexico Telmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 Steady Bill Gates $61.0 billion Increase 56 United States Microsoft
3 Steady Warren Buffett $44.0 billion Decrease 81 United States Berkshire Hathaway
4 Steady Bernard Arnault $41.0 billion Increase 63 France LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
5 Increase Amancio Ortega $37.5 billion Increase 75 Spain Inditex Group
6 Decrease Larry Ellison $36.0 billion Increase 67 United States Oracle Corporation
7 Increase Eike Batista $30.0 billion Increase 55 Brazil EBX Group
8 Increase Stefan Persson $26.0 billion Increase 64 Sweden H&M
9 Increase Li Ka-shing $25.5 billion Increase 83 Hong Kong/Canada Cheung Kong Holdings
10 Increase Karl Albrecht $25.4 billion Increase 92 Germany Aldi

2011

Main article: The World's Billionaires 2011

Carlos Slim added $20.5 billion to his fortune, the most of anyone, and retained his number one ranking with a total fortune of $74 billion. Bill Gates remained in second place with $56 billion, while Warren Buffett was third with $50 billion. The top 10 had a combined wealth of $406 billion, up from $342 billion in 2010.[18] According to Forbes editor Kerry Dolan, "media and technology billionaires definitely benefited from a stronger stock market and a growing enthusiasm for all things social" since the 2010 list.[19] However, Nigerian commodity mogul Aliko Dangote was the greatest gainer on a percentage basis as his fortune increased 557% to $13.5 billion. Mark Zuckerberg was one of seven Facebook-related billionaires on the list, as he $9.5 billion to his fortune to move up to 52nd. Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz was the youngest person on the list. Aged 26, eight days younger than Zuckerburg, he debuted at number 420 with an estimated fortune of $2.7 billion. Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad was the largest loser as he saw his fortune plummet from $23 billion to $6 billion, dropping him from 11th to 162nd overall.[18]

A record 1,210 billionaires made the 2011 list, representing a combined wealth of $4.5 trillion, up from $3.6 trillion the previous year.[20] One third of the world's billionaires, 413, came from the United States. China had the second most billionaires with 115, while Russia was third with 101. Asia moved up to 332 billionaires, passing Europe as a region for the first time since the 1990s.[18] The 2011 list included 214 newcomers and the average net worth of those on it increased to $3.7 billion.[19]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Carlos Slim & family $74.0 billion Increase 71 Mexico Telmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 Steady Bill Gates $56.0 billion Increase 55 United States Microsoft
3 Steady Warren Buffett $50.0 billion Increase 80 United States Berkshire Hathaway
4 Increase Bernard Arnault $41.0 billion Increase 62 France LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
5 Increase Larry Ellison $39.5 billion Increase 66 United States Oracle Corporation
6 Decrease Lakshmi Mittal $31.1 billion Increase 60 India Arcelor Mittal
7 Increase Amancio Ortega $31.0 billion Increase 74 Spain Inditex Group
8 Steady Eike Batista $30.0 billion Increase 53 Brazil EBX Group
9 Decrease Mukesh Ambani $27.0 billion Decrease 57 India Reliance Industries
10 Increase Christy Walton & family $26.5 billion Increase 55 United States Walmart

2010

Main article: The World's Billionaires 2010

Carlos Slim narrowly eclipsed Bill Gates to top the billionaire list for the first time. Slim saw his estimated worth surge $18.5 billion to $53.5 billion as shares of America Movil rose 35%. Gates' estimated wealth rose $13 billion to $53 billion, placing him second. Warren Buffett was third with $47 billion.[21] Christy Walton was the highest ranking women, placing 12th overall, with an inherited fortune of $22.5 billion.[22] At age 25, Mark Zuckerberg was the world's youngest billionaire.[6] American Isaac Perlmutter was among the top newcomers with an estimated fortunate $4 billion acquired in his sale of Marvel Entertainment to Disney.[21]

A total of 1,011 people made the 2010. The United States accounted for 403 billionaires, followed by China with 89 and Russia with 62.[22] It was the first time China, which includes Hong Kong, placed second.[21] A total of 55 countries were represented on the 2010 list, including Finland and Pakistan which claimed their first billionaires.[22] Eighty-nine women made the list, but only 14 of them were self-made.[22] The combined net worth of the list was $3.6 trillion, up 50% from 2009's $2.4 trillion, while the average net worth was $3.5 billion.[6]

The 2010 list featured 164 re-entries and 97 true newcomers.[6] Asia accounted for more than 100 of the new entrants. Overall, just 12% of the list lost wealth since 2009, and 30 people fell off the list. Thirteen others died.[21] Of the 89 women, 12 were newcomers in 2010. Steve Forbes said the growing number of billionaires was clear sign that the world's economy was recovering from 2009's global financial crisis.[6]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Increase Carlos Slim & family $53.5 billion Increase 70 Mexico Telmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 Decrease Bill Gates $53.0 billion Increase 54 United States Microsoft
3 Decrease Warren Buffett $47.0 billion Increase 79 United States Berkshire Hathaway
4 Increase Mukesh Ambani $29.0 billion Increase 53 India Reliance Industries
5 Increase Lakshmi Mittal $28.7 billion Increase 60 India Arcelor Mittal
6 Decrease Larry Ellison $28.0 billion Increase 66 United States Oracle Corporation
7 Increase Bernard Arnault $27.5 billion Increase 61 France LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
8 Increase Eike Batista $27.0 billion Increase 53 Brazil EBX Group
9 Increase Amancio Ortega $25.0 billion Increase 74 Spain Inditex Group
10 Decrease Karl Albrecht $23.5 billion Increase 90 Germany Aldi Süd

2009

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Increase Bill Gates $40.0 billion Decrease 53 United States Microsoft
2 Decrease Warren Buffett $37.0 billion Decrease 78 United States Berkshire Hathaway
3 Decrease Carlos Slim $35.0 billion Decrease 69 Mexico Telmex, América Móvil
4 Increase Larry Ellison $22.5 billion Decrease 64 United States Oracle Corporation
5 Increase Ingvar Kamprad $22.0 billion Decrease 83 Sweden IKEA
6 Increase Karl Albrecht $21.5 billion Decrease 89 Germany Aldi Süd
7 Decrease Mukesh Ambani $19.5 billion Decrease 57 India Reliance Industries
8 Decrease Lakshmi Mittal $19.3 billion Decrease 58 India Arcelor Mittal
9 Increase Theo Albrecht $18.8 billion Decrease 87 Germany Aldi Nord, Trader Joe's
10 Increase Amancio Ortega $18.3 billion Decrease 73 Spain Inditex Group

2008

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Increase Warren Buffett $62.0 billion Increase 77 United States Berkshire Hathaway
2 Increase Carlos Slim $60.0 billion Increase 68 Mexico Telmex, América Móvil
3 Decrease Bill Gates $58.0 billion Increase 52 United States Microsoft
4 Increase Lakshmi Mittal $45.0 billion Increase 57 India Arcelor Mittal
5 Increase Mukesh Ambani $43.0 billion Increase 50 India Reliance Industries
6 Increase Anil Ambani $42.0 billion Increase 48 India Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group
7 Decrease Ingvar Kamprad $31.0 billion Decrease 81 Sweden IKEA
8 Increase Kushal Pal Singh $30.0 billion Increase 76 India DLF Group
9 Increase Oleg Deripaska $28.0 billion Increase 40 Russia Rusal
10 Increase Karl Albrecht $18.3 billion Increase 88 Germany Aldi Süd

2007

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Bill Gates $56.0 billion Increase 51 United States Microsoft
2 Steady Warren Buffett $52.0 billion Increase 76 United States Berkshire Hathaway
3 Steady Carlos Slim $49.0 billion Increase 67 Mexico Telmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
4 Increase Ingvar Kamprad $33.0 billion Increase 80 Sweden IKEA
5 Steady Lakshmi Mittal $32.0 billion Increase 56 India Arcelor Mittal
6 Increase Sheldon Adelson $26.5 billion Increase 73 United States Las Vegas Sands
7 Steady Bernard Arnault $26.0 billion Increase 58 France LVMH
8 Increase Amancio Ortega $24.0 billion Increase 71 Spain Inditex Group
9 Increase Li Ka-shing $23.0 billion Increase 78 Hong Kong/Canada Cheung Kong Holdings, Hutchison Whampoa
10 Decrease David Thomson $22.0 billion Increase 49 Canada Thomson Corporation

2006

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Bill Gates $52.0 billion Increase 50 United States Microsoft
2 Steady Warren Buffett $42.0 billion Decrease 75 United States Berkshire Hathaway
3 Increase Carlos Slim $30.0 billion Increase 66 Mexico Telmex
4 Increase Ingvar Kamprad $28.0 billion Increase 79 Sweden IKEA
5 Decrease Lakshmi Mittal $23.5 billion Decrease 55 India Mittal Steel Company
6 Increase Paul Allen $22.0 billion Increase 53 United States Microsoft
7 Increase Bernard Arnault $21.5 billion Increase 57 France LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
8 Decrease Prince Al-Waleed $20.0 billion Decrease 49 Saudi Arabia Kingdom Holding Company
9 Increase Kenneth Thomson $19.6 billion Increase 82 Canada The Thomson Corporation
10 Increase Li Ka Shing $18.8 billion Increase 77 Hong Kong/Canada Cheung Kong Group, Hutchison Whampoa

2005

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Bill Gates $46.5 billion Decrease 49 United States Microsoft
2 Steady Warren Buffett $44.0 billion Increase 74 United States Berkshire Hathaway
3 Increase Lakshmi Mittal $25.0 billion Increase 54 India Mittal Steel Company
4 Increase Carlos Slim $23.8 billion Increase 65 Mexico Telmex
5 Decrease Prince Al-Waleed $23.7 billion Increase 49 Saudi Arabia Kingdom Holding Company
6 Increase Ingvar Kamprad $23.0 billion Increase 79 Sweden IKEA
7 Decrease Paul Allen $21.0 billion Steady 52 United States Microsoft
8 Decrease Karl Albrecht $18.5 billion Decrease 85 Germany Aldi Süd
9 Increase Larry Ellison $18.4 billion Decrease 60 United States Oracle Corporation
10 Steady S. Robson Walton $18.3 billion Decrease 61 United States Walmart

2004

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Bill Gates $46.6 billion Increase 48 United States Microsoft
2 Steady Warren Buffett $42.9 billion Increase 73 United States Berkshire Hathaway
3 Steady Karl Albrecht $23.0 billion Increase 84 Germany Aldi Süd
4 Increase Prince Al-Waleed $21.5 billion Increase 47 Saudi Arabia Kingdom Holding Company
5 Decrease Paul Allen $21.0 billion Increase 51 United States Microsoft
6 Increase Alice Walton* $20.0 billion Increase 55 United States Wal-Mart
7 Increase Helen Walton* $20.0 billion Increase 84 United States Wal-Mart
8 Increase Jim Walton* $20.0 billion Increase 56 United States Wal-Mart
9 Increase John Walton* $20.0 billion Increase 58 United States Wal-Mart
10 Increase S. Robson Walton* $20.0 billion Increase 60 United States Wal-Mart
  • Each hold an essentially equal share in Wal-Mart. Had he been alive in 2004, Sam Walton would have been the world's wealthiest person.

2003

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Bill Gates $40.7 billion Decrease 47 United States Microsoft
2 Steady Warren Buffett $30.5 billion Decrease 72 United States Berkshire Hathaway
3 Steady Karl and Theo Albrecht $25.6 billion Decrease 83 Germany Aldi Süd
4 Steady Paul Allen $20.1 billion Decrease 50 United States Microsoft
5 Increase Prince Al-Waleed $17.7 billion Decrease 46 Saudi Arabia Kingdom Holding Company
6 Decrease Larry Ellison $16.6 billion Decrease 58 United States Oracle Corporation
7 Decrease Alice Walton* $16.5 billion Decrease 54 United States Wal-Mart
8 Decrease Helen Walton* $16.5 billion Decrease 83 United States Wal-Mart
9 Decrease Jim Walton* $16.5 billion Decrease 55 United States Wal-Mart
10 Decrease John Walton* $16.5 billion Decrease 57 United States Wal-Mart
10 Decrease S. Robson Walton* $16.5 billion Decrease 59 United States Wal-Mart
  • Each hold an essentially equal share in Wal-Mart. Had he been alive in 2004, Sam Walton would have been the world's wealthiest person.

2002

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Bill Gates $52.8 billion Decrease 46 United States Microsoft
2 Steady Warren Buffett $35.0 billion Increase 71 United States Berkshire Hathaway
3 Increase Karl and Theo Albrecht $26.8 billion Increase 82 Germany Aldi Süd
4 Decrease Paul Allen $25.2 billion Decrease 49 United States Microsoft
5 Decrease Larry Ellison $23.5 billion Decrease 57 United States Oracle Corporation
6 Increase Jim Walton* $20.8 billion Increase 54 United States Wal-Mart
7 Increase John Walton* $20.7 billion Increase 56 United States Wal-Mart
8 Increase Alice Walton* $20.5 billion Increase 53 United States Wal-Mart
9 Increase S. Robson Walton* $20.5 billion Increase 58 United States Wal-Mart
10 Increase Helen Walton* $20.4 billion Increase 82 United States Wal-Mart
  • Each hold an essentially equal share in Wal-Mart. Had he been alive in 2004, Sam Walton would have been the world's wealthiest person.

2001

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Steady Bill Gates $58.7 billion Decrease 45 United States Microsoft
2 Increase Warren Buffett $32.3 billion Increase 70 United States Berkshire Hathaway
3 Steady Paul Allen $30.4 billion Increase 48 United States Microsoft
4 Decrease Larry Ellison $26.0 billion Decrease 56 United States Oracle Corporation
5 Steady Karl and Theo Albrecht $25.0 billion Increase 81 Germany Aldi
6 Steady Prince Al-Waleed $20.0 billion Steady 44 Saudi Arabia Kingdom Holding Company
7 Increase Jim Walton* $18.8 billion Increase 53 United States Wal-Mart
8 Increase John Walton* $18.7 billion Increase 55 United States Wal-Mart
9 Increase S. Robson Walton* $18.6 billion Increase 57 United States Wal-Mart
10 Increase Alice Walton* $18.5 billion Increase 52 United States Wal-Mart
10 Increase Helen Walton* $18.5 billion Increase 81 United States Wal-Mart
  • Each hold an essentially equal share in Wal-Mart. Had he been alive in 2004, Sam Walton would have been the world's wealthiest person.

2000

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) of wealth
1 Bill Gates $60.0 billion 44 United States Microsoft
2 Larry Ellison $47.0 billion  55 United States Oracle Corporation
3 Paul Allen $28.0 billion 47 United States Microsoft
4 Warren Buffett $25.6 billion 69 United States Berkshire Hathaway
5 Karl and Theo Albrecht $20.0 billion  80 Germany Aldi Süd
6 Prince Al-Waleed $20.0 billion 43 Saudi Arabia Kingdom Holding Company
7 S. Robson Walton $20.0 billion 57 United States Wal-Mart
8 Masayoshi Son $19.4 billion 43 Japan Softbank Capital, SoftBank Mobile
9 Michael Dell $19.1 billion 46 United States Dell
10 Kenneth Thomson $16.1 billion 77 Canada The Thomson Corporation

Legend

Icon Description
Steady Has not changed from the previous ranking.
Increase Has increased from the previous ranking.
Decrease Has decreased from the previous ranking.

Statistics

The Internet bubble created the most paper wealth for some billionaires. However, once the dotcom bubble burst the new rich saw their fortunes disappear.[23] Billionaires' fortunes have been hit even harder by the global financial crisis. 2009 was the first time in five years that the world had a net loss in the number of billionaires.[24] The strong performance of the financial markets and global economic recovery have erased financial assets losses. Most of the richest people on the planet have seen their fortunes soar in the past few years.[25][26]

Year Number of billionaires Group's combined net worth
2014 1,645 $6.4 trillion
2013 1,426 $5.4 trillion
2012 1,226 $4.6 trillion
2011 1,210 $4.5 trillion
2010 1,011 $3.6 trillion
2009 793 $2.4 trillion
2008 1,125 $4.4 trillion
2007 946 $3.5 trillion
2006 793 $2.6 trillion
2005 691 $2.2 trillion
2004 587 $1.9 trillion
2003 476 $1.4 trillion
2002 497 $1.5 trillion
2001 538 $1.8 trillion
2000 470 $898 billion

Source: Forbes.[27][28]

See also

References

General
  • 2000-2010 top 10s: Rogers, Simon (March 11, 2010). "Forbes rich list: ten years of top tens". The Guardian.
  • 2011 top 10: "The World's Billionaires 2011". Forbes.
  • 2012 top 10:"Forbes rich list 2012: top 50". The Telegraph. March 8, 2012.
  • 2013 top 10: Durgy, Edwin (March 4, 2013). "The World's Richest Billionaires: Full List Of The Top 500". Forbes.
  • 2014 top 10: "Forbes Releases 28th Annual World's Billionaires Issue". Forbes. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  • 2015 top 10: "Forbes' 29th Annual World's Billionaires Issue". Forbes. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
Specific
  1. ^ a b c d Leada Gore (March 4, 2014). "Youngest, oldest and one who can body slam you: More on Forbes list of the ultra-rich". AL.com. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e Barbara Kollmeyer (March 4, 2014). "Bill Gates back on top, WhatsApp founders and more women in Forbes' billionaire rankings". Market Watch. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2014. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ The World's Billionaires List - Forbes. Forbes. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  4. ^ Inside The 2015 Forbes Billionaires List: Facts And Figures. March 2, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Dolan, Kerry A. (March 7, 2012). "Methodology: How We Crunch The Numbers". Forbes. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e Nikola Krastev (March 11, 2010). "Forbes' Rich List: Number Of New Billionaires Reflects Global Recovery". Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
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  8. ^ "The World's Billionaires". Forbes.com. March 3, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  9. ^ Kerry A. Dolan (March 2, 2015). "The World's Billionaires". Forbes.com. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  10. ^ Kerry A. Dolan; Luisa Kroll (March 3, 2014). "Inside The 2014 Forbes Billionaires List: Facts And Figures". Forbes. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  11. ^ a b c d e Elizabeth Barber (March 4, 2014). "Forbes' richest people: number of billionaires up significantly". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  12. ^ a b c Martin Hickman (March 4, 2013). "2013 Forbes Billionaires list: Record number of new entries appear on rich list, but Carlos Slim and Bill Gates still top the charts". The Independent. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  13. ^ a b Barbara Kollmeyer (March 4, 2013). "Forbes billionaire list 2013: Mr. Slim wins it again". Market Watch. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  14. ^ a b Patricia Reaney (March 4, 2013). "Factbox: Record number of billionaires make Forbes 2013 list". Reuters. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Forbes rich list 2012: Carlos Slim tops rich list for third year". The Telegraph. March 8, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  16. ^ "Spanx creator Sara Blakely becomes youngest woman on Forbes Billionaires List". Fox News. March 8, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  17. ^ a b Luisa Kroll (March 7, 2014). "Forbes World's Billionaires 2012". Forbes. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  18. ^ a b c Daniel Bates (March 11, 2011). "Facebook's fortunes skyrocket on Forbes billionaires list... but no one can beat Carlos Slim". Daily Mail. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  19. ^ a b Georg Szalai (March 9, 2011). "Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey Drop in Forbes Billionaire Ranking". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
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  21. ^ a b c d Matthew Miller; Luisa Kroll (March 10, 2010). "Bill Gates No Longer World's Richest Man". Forbes. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
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  23. ^ Special Report on The New Rich, The Economist, 14 June 2001.
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  26. ^ World Wealth Report 2011, Capgemini and Merrill Lynch, 22 June 2011.
  27. ^ "Billionaires 25th Anniversary Timeline - Forbes". Forbes.
  28. ^ Kroll, Luisa (March 4, 2013). "Inside The 2013 Billionaires List: Facts and Figures". Forbes.
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