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3/03/2014 @ 6:48AM |863,241 views
Inside The 2014 Forbes Billionaires List: Facts And Figures
By Kerry A. Dolan and Luisa Kroll
The ranks of the world’s billionaires continue to scale new heights–and stretch to new corners of the world. Our global wealth team found a record 1,645 billionaires with an aggregate net worth of $6.4 trillion, also a record, up from $5.4 trillion a year ago. We unearthed 268 new ten-figure fortunes, including 42 new women billionaires, both also records. In total, there are 172 women on the list, more than ever before and up from 138 last year.
Bill Gates is back on top after a four-year hiatus, reclaiming the title of world’s richest person from telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, who ranked No. 1 for the past four years. Gates, whose fortune rose by $9 billion in the past year, has held the top spot for 15 of the past 20 years. Spanish clothing retailer Amancio Ortega (best known for the Zara Zara fashion chain) retains the No. 3 spot for the second year in a row, extending his lead over Warren Buffett, who is again No. 4. American gambling tycoon Sheldon Adelson, who added $11.5 billion to his pile, makes it back into the top ten for the first time since 2007. Another first: A record net worth of $31 billion was needed to make the top 20, up from $23 billion last year.
The Richest People On The Planet: Click to see full list
The year’s biggest dollar gainer was Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, whose fortune jumped $15.2 billion, to $28.5 billion, as shares of his social network soared. Tech, and more specifically Facebook, helped propel numerous fortunes lately. The company’s COO, Sheryl Sandberg, joins the ranks for the first time, as does Facebook’s longtime vice president Jeff Rothschild. Also, thanks to a $19 billion deal (including restricted stock) with Facebook, WhatsApp founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton join the ranks of Silicon Valley’s wealthiest for the first time. They are 4 of 26 newcomers whose fortunes come from technology, 10 of whom are American, including Dropbox CEO Drew Houston and Workday cofounder Aneel Bhusri.
Thanks to the tech boom, and strong stock market, the U.S. once again leads the world with 492 billionaires, followed by China with 152 and Russia with 111. But wealth is spreading to new places. We found billionaires for the first time in Algeria, Lithuania, Tanzania and Uganda. Also for the first time, an African, Aliko Dangote of Nigeria, breaks into the top 25. Worth $25 billion, he moves up 20 spots.
FULL LIST: The Richest People On The Planet
Roughly two-thirds of the billionaires built their own fortunes, 13% inherited them and 21% have been adding on to fortunes they received. Other notable newcomers include World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Vince McMahon, fashion king Michael Kors and Denise Coates of UK online betting firm Bet365.
Still not all countries–or tycoons–had good years. Turkey lost 19 billionaires due to soaring inflation, a sagging stock market and a declining value in its currency. Indonesia, whose currency tumbled 20% against the dollar, now has 8 fewer ten-figure fortunes. Altogether 100 people dropped out of the ranks, while another 16 passed away.
Methodology
This is our 28th year publishing the Forbes Billionaires list. Though we’ve been at it a long time, it is never an easy task. Our reporters dig deep and travel far. To compile net worths, we value individuals’ assets–including stakes in public and private companies, real estate, yachts, art and cash–and take into account estimates of debt. We attempt to vet these numbers with all billionaires. Some cooperate; others don’t. We also consult an array of outside experts in various fields.
The Forbes Billionaires ranks individuals rather than large, multi-generational families who share large fortunes. So Maja Oeri, who has a disclosed stake in pharmaceutical firm Roche, makes the list, but her eight relatives who, with a nonprofit foundation, share a multi-billion fortune do not. In some cases we list siblings together if the ownership breakdown among them isn’t clear, but here, too, they must be worth a minimum of $2 billion together, or equivalent to $1 billion apiece, to make the cut. We split up these fortunes when we get better information, as we did with the Canada’s Irving brothers this year. Children are listed with their parents when one person is the founder and in control. Those fortunes are identified as “& family.”
We do not include royal family members or dictators who derive their fortunes entirely as a result of their position of power, nor do we include royalty who, often with large families, control the riches in trust for their nation. Over the years Forbes has valued the fortunes of these wealthy despots, dictators and royals but have listed them separately as they do not truly reflect individual, entrepreneurial wealth that could be passed down to a younger generation or truly given away.
Our estimates are a snapshot of wealth on Feb. 12, when we locked in stock prices and exchange rates from around the world. If a stock market wasn’t open on that day, the stock price is from the previous trading day.
The ranks of the world’s billionaires have swelled to a record 1,645. While wealth spreads to new corners of the world, including for the first time places like Tanzania and Lithuania, the U.S. still dominates
Welcome To The Club: 2014’s Newest Billionaires
This year Forbes welcomes a record 268 first-time faces to our annual listing of the World’s Billionaires, including 42 women, the most ever. In aggregate they are worth some $510 billion – roughly the GDP of Norway – another record.
WEALTH EDITORS: Luisa Kroll and Kerry A. Dolan
COUNTRY EDITORS: Graham Button, Russell Flannery, Naazneen Karmali, John Koppisch,Tatiana Serafin, Nathan Vardi
WEALTH TEAM: Dan Alexander, Elena Berezanskaya, Abram Brown, Scott DeCarlo, Kathryn Dill, Agustino Fontevecchia, Ryan Mac, Alex Morrell, Andrea Navarro, Andrea Murphy, Caleb Melby, Natalie Robehmed, Tom Van Riper
REPORTERS: Forbes Czech Republic, Forbes Indonesia, Forbes Korea, Forbes Mexico, Forbes Poland, Forbes Russia, Forbes Ukraine, Zainab Amin, Anderson Antunes, Emily Canal, Erin Carlyle, Christopher Helman, Andrea Hlinka, Susanne Leiter, Zina Moukheiber, Ozer Turan
ADDITIONAL EDITING: Susan Adams, Dan Bigman, Tom Post
PHOTO RESEARCH: Merrilee Barton, Gail Toivanen
DATABASE: Dmitri Slavinsky, Louie Torres
DESIGNERS: Nina Gould
PRODUCT: Andrea Spiegel, Audrea Soong, Christian Wolan
PRODUCER: Kate Pierce
ADDITIONAL REPORTING: Forbes Africa, Yuri Aksyonov, Steven Bertoni, Jon Beveridge, Monte Burke, J.J. Colao, Dolia Estevez, Daniel Fisher, Hilary Flannery, Ricardo Geromel, Lisa H. Hata, Valery Igumenov, Neerja Pawha Jetley, Ashika Kalra, Sean Kilachand, Ernesto Linares Mascaro, Elaine Mao, Nikolai Mazurin, Brian Mertens, Joann Muller, Suzanne Nam, Lan Anh Nguyen, Mfonobong Nsehe, Clare O’Connor, Robert Olsen, Parmy Olson, Dorothy Pomerantz, Susan Radlauer, Anuradha Raghunathan, Saritha Rai, Ken Rapoza, Phyllis Fang Savage, Lucinda Schmidt, Samantha Sharf, Brian Solomon, Jessica Tan, Emily Tian, Igor Terentev, Tim Treadgold, Halah Touryalai, Bruce Upbin, Cherish Xiong, Yu Lu, Natalia Zaderey
Special thanks to Orbis by Bureau van Dijk, Privco, Real Capital Analytics, Vessels Value, Interactive Data and LionShares via FactSet Research Systems and dozens of other sources who helped us with our reporting and valuation
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HBR study supports that what makes a great leader is social awareness, and that women are more socially aware than men. Being blinded by billions isn’t the answer look at true leadership http://www.killingmycareer.com/the-sociopathic-business-model/only-18-of-fortune-100-senior-executives-are-women/
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Would any of you have some spare money to help me buy a car ? (please)
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Hi Luisa Kroll:
Nice to see the 2014 list and also look forward to the full list (infographics :) ) with the number of billionaires in each other and their average net worth (by country), as published last year. Following up my analysis of the 2013 Forbes Billionaires list, I have just uploaded a brief analysis of the net worth-rank relationship for the 2014 Forbes billionaires. Here I have studied the data for the US, China, Russia and india billionaires. As in earlier years, although Indian billionaires are fewer in number, they are ranked higher and are richer than the Chinese billionaires. A simple mathematical law relating rank x and net worth y is also deduced here and its implications discussed. For example, Mr. Buffett and Mr. Jim Walton, should be able to find a few billions to add to their net wort, to be consistent with the trendline revealed here for the top 10 US billionaires.
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Here’s the link to my article http://www.scribd.com/doc/210549337/THE-2014-FORBES-BILLIONAIRES-UNIVERSAL-LAW-RELATING-NET-WORTH-AND-RANK-OF-THE-BILLIONAIRES
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My name is Taylor Chadwick, I’m a second year Nursing student studying at ECU in Joondalup.
I’ve always had a passion for helping others, especially the less fortunate and predominately communities within third world countries.
I’m planning on visiting Africa beginning of 2015 to provide education for orphans and provide a better standard of living where possible.
It has been my dream to make this world a better place, honestly, I do believe it is possible.
I feel that awareness can be raised within the more fortunate parts of the world and it is up to all of us to make small differences where possible because really we all deserve a chance and at the end of the day, what are we without each other?
Many of us are born into fortunate lives where food and sanitation are taken for granted.
Do you ever stop and appreciate the food you are eating or do you think of how luxurious it would be showering and being able to drink clean water if you’ve never experienced it before?I’m trying to raise awareness and do something for the children in third world countries who no longer have their parents around due the HIV disease :(
If you are able to, please follow this link http://www.gofundme.com/7c2wsc
Lets all make a difference together.
Thank you so so much for your time.
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To Whom it may concern,
I hope you are well.
My name is Taylor Chadwick, I’m a second year Nursing student studying at ECU in Joondalup.
I’ve always had a passion for helping others, especially the less fortunate and predominately communities within third world countries.
I’m planning on visiting Africa beginning of 2015 to provide education for orphans and provide a better standard of living where possible.
It has been my dream to make this world a better place, honestly, I do believe it is possible.
I feel that awareness can be raised within the more fortunate parts of the world and it is up to all of us to make small differences where possible because really we all deserve a chance and at the end of the day, what are we without each other?
Many of us are born into fortunate lives where food and sanitation are taken for granted.
Do you ever stop and appreciate the food you are eating or do you think of how luxurious it would be showering and being able to drink clean water if you’ve never experienced it before?I’m trying to raise awareness and do something for the children in third world countries who no longer have their parents around due the HIV disease :(
If you are able to, please follow this link http://www.gofundme.com/7c2wsc
Lets all make a difference together.
Thank you so so much for your time.
Kind Regards.
Tay :) -
PLEASE VISIT http://donationmoneyfreetocharity.weebly.com
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how are you. we thank all might to bless you to be richest people in world, i wish to contact, please if you have chance contact me please. madam
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The aggregate net worth of the world’s billionaires has been increasing year after year in the 21st century. However, there is a limit to the growth of the average net worth of the billionaires, as shown here, using the idea of a work function. The analysis here confirms the year ago predictions based on the 2013 Forbes Billionaires data.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/211905138/LIMITS-TO-THE-GROWTH-OF-THE-AVERAGE-NET-WORTH-OF-BILLIONAIRES-SIGNIFICANCE-OF-THE-GENERALIZED-PHOTOELECTRIC-WORK-FUNCTION-BILLIONAIRESNETWORTHOVERTIM
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Jan Koum next goal will to be in “Forbes World’s Most Powerful People” rank,
because he made fear 24th ranked Mark Zuckerberg. -
Alot is excepted from you guys and we are waiting and hoping for the best
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Its really cool and nice seeing these great people and names most especially my country man enlisted in person of dangote am happy. I know by God’s grace in a year or two years to come my name will be there. Legit and clean money like all these listed names amen. With this foundation of my business, I can really see the beginning of greatness ain’t easy. kudos to all these great billionaires, watch it am right behind you guys coming from zero to be a hero like you guys. I love that great man bill gate cus am an IT undergraduate who also is into a business which I just started. Please call me to inspire me with business advice or financial support. God bless these great men. Joey +2347061273914
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VISIT http://donationmoneyfreetocharity.weebly.com
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Competing to gain the world’s biggest collection of money is like spending your life getting the world’s biggest collection of coins or postage stamps; anal retentive and boring.
A much more interesting list would be of those who have given away the most money in the past year. Has anyone (Gates, Buffet perhaps?) given away a billion dollars or more in one year yet?
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HI PLEASE PLEASE VISIT http://donationmoneyfreetocharity.weebly.com
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it’s really interesting to see how the richest people in the world move. We’ll see if Gates maintains the leadership in 2015.
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my name is jilson c johnson . I am a
student of vidya vikas college. now I
complete my diploma in mechanical
engineering . so I am planning to study B-
tech mechanical engineering but I didn’t
have enough money to study b-tech . if
anyone can help me . please…….jesus help
you.
my account number :
1042101023198(canera bank) name:
Johnson. bank branch: Thondernadu
my email address : jilsoncjohnson@
gmail.com -
can you help me….?
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Luisa Kroll writen great article about the 2014 forbes billionaires List with facts and images. That is really nice information.
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Wow, what a great article. It is really useful content with good meaning. Thank you so much to the article writer and forbes staff of Luisa Kroll.
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Dear richest
I am middle class family.aged 62 years .please help me some funds.
tsravichandran
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DEAR SIR/MADAM,
I AM FROM INDIA AND MY NAME IS MARCUS DSOUZA I AM 42 YEARS OLD.I AM VERY POOR.AND I HAVE TO LOOK AFTER MY FAMILY AND WE ARE ALL IN SIX MEMBERS AND I AM THE ONLY EARNER IN THE FAMILY AND I EARN HARDLY US $ 100 PER MONTH AND WITH THAT I AM UNABLE TO TAKE PROPER CARE OF MY FAMILY, SINCE 2009.I HAVE ALSO BORROWED LOAN FROM THE MARKET WHICH IS APPROX ABOUT US $ 15000 FROM THE MARKET, WHICH I AM UNABLE TO PAY TO THEM, SO PLEASE PLEASE SOMEONE GOD FEARING PERSON HELP ME TO CLEAR ALL MY OUTSTANDING LOAN AMOUNT WHICH I HAVE BORROWED FROM THE MARKET, I AM LOOKING FOR FINANCIAL HELP OF US $ 20,000 OR 25,000 SO THAT I CAN TAKE GOOD AND UTMOST CARE OF MY FAMILY, IF ANYONE WILLING TO HELP ME AND SAVE MY FAMILY FROM POORITY AND NEEDY DO WRITE TO ME ON EMAIL ADDRESS marcus9303@yahoo.com
LOOKING FORWARD FOR SOME GOD FEARING PERSON WHO CAN HELP ME IN CLEARING ALL MY OUTSTANDING LOAN, AND MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS YOU’LL AND FULFILL ALL YOUR DREAMS.
REGARDS & LOTS OF LOVE
MARCUS -
So where is inherited/self made categories. This infographic is not complete. Wonder why forbes didn’t add those two categories to the list? LOL would be easy to find out how many self made female billionaires out there in the world.
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DEAR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
Only for serius investors.
We are looking for buyer of famous Italian football Club .The owner of this club is looking for investor /buyer for club because he is busy with other business which he running ….
The Club have long term history and it is very importune in Italian football scene ,now they are playing in Serie A league , and the club is from north of Italy. This day is popular that oil tycoons Russian and Arab invest in FC
clubs in EU(Chelsi ,Machester city) ,etc.On this link you can find more about this trend:
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26365955these days are very popular in oil tycoons to invest in FC in EU , Arab and Russian tycoons …..
The club need “face lift ” with some new players,maybe new coach and success is guaranteed but for this club need new owner who can invest in club…….
Asking price for total package of of the club is 290 million euros ,commission fee for all middleman’s ,brokers ,etc is 5 % from selling price paid from owner of club.
If you are an interested investor or buyer, please send us NCDA/ IMPFA , and also send us the covering letter motivating why you want to buy the club, whether you have sufficient resources to purchase this club.
For more information, please contact me. All enquiries in writing please.
Regards
Mandla Shongwe
3 KOTZE STREET
BRAAMFONTEIN
JOHANNESBURG,2001
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
E-MAIL:mandlashongwe22000@yahoo.com -
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