Ranks of global billionaires increasing at faster rate [ 2006-03-21 09:25 ]
Forbes magazine began its annual survey of the world's richest people
20 years ago. Last week, at a news conference in New York, the magazine's
publisher, Steve Forbes, announced its latest results. "2005 was an
extraordinary year. There are 793 global billionaires, up from a total of
691 in 2004. There are 114 new individuals. Of those 793 billionaires, 452
are what we call self-made, they did it on their own."
Among them, Bill Gates, who again sits at the top of the list with $50
billion U.S., and U.S. investor Warren Buffet at number two. He is worth
$42 billion U.S.
U.S. media queen Oprah Winfrey is number 562 on the list with $1.4
billion U.S. But while the U.S. added the most new faces, it was far from
alone.
Mr. Forbes says the increase was not just from the U.S. "Going around
the world, the United States added a net of 30 new billionaires to 371.
India, no surprise, has ten new billionaires. China has gone from two
billionaires to eight billionaires, and Russia, 27 billionaires in 2004 to
33 billionaires in 2005."
The magazine's first survey found only 140 billionaires. By 2003 that
number had climbed to 476. Now it is approaching 800. The combined wealth
of those listed in 2005 is $2.6 trillion U.S.
"Why is the list growing? The answer is an obvious
one, the global economy is growing. In the last two years, the global
economy has grown at growth rates not seen since the end of the Second
World War."
Still, 2005 was not good news for every billionaire. The magazine
reports 28 former members of the club fell from the list, including U.S.
businesswoman Martha Stewart, who spent five months behind bars for
obstructing justice, and saw her net worth dip to $500 million U.S. And
Russian petrol magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who spent his third year in
prison for fraud and theft. His net worth once thought to be $15 billion,
is now estimated to be less than $500 million U.S.. |
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