The World's Billionaires

The net worth of the world's billionaires increased from less than $1 trillion in 2000 to over $7 trillion in 2015

The World's Billionaires is an annual ranking of the world's wealthiest people, compiled and published by the American business magazine Forbes every 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 annually in March since 1987.[2] Microsoft founder Bill Gates has topped the list 17 of the past 22 years, including the 2016 list.[3] 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.[4] The average net worth of the listed came in at US$3.86 billion, down US$60 million from 2014. Added together, the total net worth for 2015's billionaires was US$7.1 trillion, up from US$6.4 trillion in 2014.[5][6]

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.[7] Preliminary surveys are sent to those who may qualify for 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.[8] 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.[7]

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.[7] Royalty and dictators are always excluded from the lists.

Annual rankings

2016

For the third year in a row, Bill Gates was named the richest man in the world by Forbes Magazine's Annual list of the world's billionaires.[9] This is the 17th time that the founder of Microsoft has claimed the top spot. Amancio Ortega rose from last year's position of number four to second.[10] Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway came in third for the second consecutive time,[11] while Mexican telecommunication mogul Carlos Slim slipped down from last year's second position to fourth. Jeff Bezos of Amazon,[12] Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook[13] and Michael Bloomberg of Bloomberg L.P.,[14] appear for the first time on the Forbes top 10 billionaires list, coming at fifth, sixth and eighth position, respectively. Zuckerberg became the youngest top-ten billionaire this year at the age of 31. Larry Ellison, Charles Koch and David Koch also slipped down from their last year's positions, with Larry dropping to seventh from fifth and the Kochs falling to ninth position from sixth, respectively.

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$75.0 billion Decrease60 United StatesMicrosoft
2 IncreaseOrtega, AmancioAmancio Ortega$67.0 billion Increase79 SpainInditex
3 SteadyBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$60.8 billion Decrease85 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 DecreaseSlim, CarlosCarlos Slim$50.0 billion Decrease76 MexicoTelmex, Grupo Carso
5 IncreaseBezos, JeffJeff Bezos$45.2 billion Increase52 United StatesAmazon.com
6 IncreaseZuckerberg, MarkMark Zuckerberg$44.6 billion Increase32 United StatesFacebook
7 DecreaseEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$43.6 billion Decrease71 United StatesOracle Corporation
8 IncreaseBloomberg, MichaelMichael Bloomberg$40.0 billion Increase74 United StatesBloomberg L.P.
9 DecreaseKoch, CharlesCharles Koch$39.6 billion Decrease80 United StatesKoch Industries
9 DecreaseKoch, DavidDavid Koch$39.6 billion Decrease75 United StatesKoch Industries

2015

Bill Gates was named the richest man in the world by Forbes Magazine's annual list of the world's billionaires. This was the 16th time that the founder of Microsoft claimed the top spot. Carlos Slim came in second for the second consecutive time. Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway was placed third, while 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 100, David Rockefeller maintained his position as the oldest billionaire to make the list.[15]

In the 29th annual List of global billionaires, a record 1,826 billionaires were named with an aggregated net worth of $7.1 trillion compared to $6.4 trillion last year. 46 of the billionaires on the list are under the age of 40. A record number of 290 people joined the list for the first time, of whom 25 percent hail from China, which produced a world-leading 71 newcomers. The United States came in second, with 57, followed by India, with 28, and Germany, with 23.[16] Mark Zuckerberg, 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 percent) while just 230 (under 13 percent) have wealth through inheritance. The number of billionaires who inherited a portion but are still working to increase their fortunes is 405.[17]

The United States has the largest number of billionaires with 526. Russia went 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 Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$79.2 billion Increase59 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadySlim, CarlosCarlos Slim$77.1 billion Increase75 MexicoTelmex, Grupo Carso
3 IncreaseBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$72.7 billion Increase84 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 DecreaseOrtega, AmancioAmancio Ortega$64.5 billion Increase78 SpainInditex
5 SteadyEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$54.3 billion Increase70 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 SteadyKoch, CharlesCharles Koch$42.9 billion Increase79 United StatesKoch Industries
6 SteadyKoch, DavidDavid Koch$42.9 billion Increase74 United StatesKoch Industries
8 IncreaseWalton, ChristyChristy Walton$41.7 billion Increase60 United StatesWalmart
9 IncreaseWalton, JimJim Walton$40.6 billion Increase66 United StatesWalmart
10 IncreaseBettencourt, LilianeLiliane Bettencourt$40.1 billion Increase92 FranceL'Oreal

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.[18] 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.[19] 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.[19] Of those, a record 268 were newcomers, surpassing 2008's 226 newcomers.[2] One hundred people listed in 2013 failed to make the list.[19] The number of women on the list rose to a record 172 in 2014.[2] Approximately 66 percent of the list was self-made, 13 percent achieved their wealth through inheritance alone, and 21 percent through a mixture of the two.[1]

The United States had 492 billionaires on the list, the most of any country.[19] 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.[19] 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 Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseGates, BillBill Gates$76.0 billion Increase58 United StatesMicrosoft
2 DecreaseSlim, CarlosCarlos Slim & family$72.0 billion Decrease74 MexicoTelmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
3 SteadyOrtega, AmancioAmancio Ortega$64.0 billion Increase77 SpainInditex
4 SteadyBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$58.2 billion Increase83 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
5 SteadyEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$48.0 billion Increase70 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 SteadyKoch, CharlesCharles Koch$40.0 billion Increase78 United StatesKoch Industries
6 SteadyKoch, DavidDavid Koch$40.0 billion Increase73 United StatesKoch Industries
8 IncreaseAdelson, SheldonSheldon Adelson$38.0 billion Increase80 United StatesLas Vegas Sands
9 IncreaseWalton, ChristyChristy Walton & family$36.7 billion Increase58–59 United StatesWalmart
10 IncreaseWalton, JimJim Walton$34.7 billion Increase65 United StatesWalmart

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.[20] 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.[21]

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.[20] Overall, net gainers outnumbered net losers by 4:1.[21]

A record total of 1,426 people made the 2013 list, representing $5.4 trillion of assets.[22] Of those, 442 billionaires hailed from the United States.[20] 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 percent) was entirely self-made; 184 (13 percent) inherited their wealth, and 281 (20 percent) achieved their fortune through a combination of inheritance and business acumen.[22]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadySlim, CarlosCarlos Slim & family$73.0 billion Increase73 MexicoTelmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$67.0 billion Increase57 United StatesMicrosoft
3 IncreaseOrtega, AmancioAmancio Ortega$57.0 billion Increase76 SpainInditex Group
4 DecreaseBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$53.5 billion Increase82 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
5 IncreaseEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$43.0 billion Increase68 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 IncreaseKoch, CharlesCharles Koch$34.0 billion Increase77 United StatesKoch Industries
6 IncreaseKoch, DavidDavid Koch$34.0 billion Increase72 United StatesKoch Industries
8 IncreaseKa-shing, LiLi Ka-shing$31.0 billion Increase84 Hong Kong
 Canada		Cheung Kong Holdings
9 IncreaseBettencourt, LilianeLiliane Bettencourt & family$30.0 billion Increase90 FranceL'Oréal
10 DecreaseArnault, BernardBernard Arnault$29.0 billion Decrease63 FranceLVMH

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.[23] 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.[23] Making her debut on the list at age 27, Spanx founder Sara Blakely became the youngest self-made female billionaire ever.[24] Colombia's Alejandro Santo Domingo was the highest ranked newcomer, inheriting a $9.5 billion stake in Santo Domingo Group from his father.[23] 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.[23] 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.[25]

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.[23] Georgia, Morocco, and Peru were newly represented on the list. Falling stock prices in Asia contributed to 117 former billionaires falling from the list worldwide. Twelve others listed in 2011 died. Overall, net gainers (460) barely outnumbered net losers (441).[25]

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.[23]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadySlim, CarlosCarlos Slim & family$69.0 billion Decrease72 MexicoTelmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$61.0 billion Increase56 United StatesMicrosoft
3 SteadyBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$44.0 billion Decrease81 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 SteadyArnault, BernardBernard Arnault$41.0 billion Increase63 FranceLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
5 IncreaseOrtega, AmancioAmancio Ortega$37.5 billion Increase75 SpainInditex Group
6 DecreaseEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$36.0 billion Increase67 United StatesOracle Corporation
7 IncreaseBatista, EikeEike Batista$30.0 billion Increase55 BrazilEBX Group
8 IncreaseStefan Persson$26.0 billion Increase64 SwedenH&M
9 IncreaseKa-shing, LiLi Ka-shing$25.5 billion Increase83 Hong Kong
 Canada		Cheung Kong Holdings
10 IncreaseAlbrecht, KarlKarl Albrecht$25.4 billion Increase92 GermanyAldi

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.[26] 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.[27] However, Nigerian commodity mogul Aliko Dangote was the greatest gainer on a percentage basis as his fortune increased 557 percent 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 Zuckerberg, 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.[26]

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.[28] 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.[26] The 2011 list included 214 newcomers and the average net worth of those on it increased to $3.7 billion.[27]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadySlim, CarlosCarlos Slim & family$74.0 billion Increase71 MexicoTelmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$56.0 billion Increase55 United StatesMicrosoft
3 SteadyBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$50.0 billion Increase80 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 IncreaseArnault, BernardBernard Arnault$41.0 billion Increase62 FranceLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
5 IncreaseEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$39.5 billion Increase66 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 DecreaseMittal, LakshmiLakshmi Mittal$31.1 billion Increase60 IndiaArcelor Mittal
7 IncreaseOrtega, AmancioAmancio Ortega$31.0 billion Increase74 SpainInditex Group
8 SteadyBatista, EikeEike Batista$30.0 billion Increase53 BrazilEBX Group
9 DecreaseAmbani, MukeshMukesh Ambani$27.0 billion Decrease57 IndiaReliance Industries
10 IncreaseWalton, ChristyChristy Walton & family$26.5 billion Increase55 United StatesWalmart

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 percent. Gates' estimated wealth rose $13 billion to $53 billion, placing him second. Warren Buffett was third with $47 billion.[29] Christy Walton was the highest ranking woman, placing 12th overall, with an inherited fortune of $22.5 billion.[30] At age 25, Mark Zuckerberg was the world's youngest billionaire.[8] American Isaac Perlmutter was among the top newcomers with an estimated fortunate $4 billion acquired in his sale of Marvel Entertainment to Disney.[29]

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.[30] It was the first time China, which includes Hong Kong, placed second.[29] A total of 55 countries were represented on the 2010 list, including Finland and Pakistan which claimed their first billionaires.[30] Eighty-nine women made the list, but only 14 of them were self-made.[30] The combined net worth of the list was $3.6 trillion, up 50 percent from 2009's $2.4 trillion, while the average net worth was $3.5 billion.[8]

The 2010 list featured 164 re-entries and 97 true newcomers.[8] Asia accounted for more than 100 of the new entrants. Overall, just 12 percent of the list lost wealth since 2009, and 30 people fell off the list. Thirteen others died.[29] 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.[8]

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseSlim, CarlosCarlos Slim & family$53.5 billion Increase70 MexicoTelmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
2 DecreaseGates, BillBill Gates$53.0 billion Increase54 United StatesMicrosoft
3 DecreaseBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$47.0 billion Increase79 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4 IncreaseAmbani, MukeshMukesh Ambani$29.0 billion Increase53 IndiaReliance Industries
5 IncreaseMittal, LakshmiLakshmi Mittal$28.7 billion Increase60 IndiaArcelor Mittal
6 DecreaseEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$28.0 billion Increase66 United StatesOracle Corporation
7 IncreaseArnault, BernardBernard Arnault$27.5 billion Increase61 FranceLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
8 IncreaseBatista, EikeEike Batista$27.0 billion Increase53 BrazilEBX Group
9 IncreaseOrtega, AmancioAmancio Ortega$25.0 billion Increase74 SpainInditex Group
10 DecreaseAlbrecht, KarlKarl Albrecht$23.5 billion Increase90 GermanyAldi Süd

2009

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseGates, BillBill Gates$40.0 billion Decrease53 United StatesMicrosoft
2 DecreaseBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$37.0 billion Decrease78 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 DecreaseSlim, CarlosCarlos Slim$35.0 billion Decrease69 MexicoTelmex, América Móvil
4 IncreaseEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$22.5 billion Decrease64 United StatesOracle Corporation
5 IncreaseKamprad, IngvarIngvar Kamprad$22.0 billion Decrease83 SwedenIKEA
6 IncreaseAlbrecht, KarlKarl Albrecht$21.5 billion Decrease89 GermanyAldi Süd
7 DecreaseAmbani, MukeshMukesh Ambani$19.5 billion Decrease57 IndiaReliance Industries
8 DecreaseMittal, LakshmiLakshmi Mittal$19.3 billion Decrease58 IndiaArcelor Mittal
9 IncreaseAlbrecht, TheoTheo Albrecht$18.8 billion Decrease87 GermanyAldi Nord, Trader Joe's
10 IncreaseOrtega, AmancioAmancio Ortega$18.3 billion Decrease73 SpainInditex Group

2008

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 IncreaseBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$62.0 billion Increase77 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
2 IncreaseSlim, CarlosCarlos Slim$60.0 billion Increase68 MexicoTelmex, América Móvil
3 DecreaseGates, BillBill Gates$58.0 billion Increase52 United StatesMicrosoft
4 IncreaseMittal, LakshmiLakshmi Mittal$45.0 billion Increase57 IndiaArcelor Mittal
5 IncreaseAmbani, MukeshMukesh Ambani$43.0 billion Increase50 IndiaReliance Industries
6 IncreaseAmbani, AnilAnil Ambani$42.0 billion Increase48 IndiaAnil Dhirubhai Ambani Group
7 DecreaseKamprad, IngvarIngvar Kamprad$31.0 billion Decrease81 SwedenIKEA
8 IncreasePal Singh, KushalKushal Pal Singh$30.0 billion Increase76 IndiaDLF Group
9 IncreaseDeripaska, OlegOleg Deripaska$28.0 billion Increase40 RussiaRusal
10 IncreaseAlbrecht, Karl Karl Albrecht$27.0 billion Increase88 GermanyAldi Süd

2007

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$56.0 billion Increase51 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$52.0 billion Increase76  United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 SteadySlim, CarlosCarlos Slim$49.0 billion Increase67 MexicoTelmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
4 IncreaseIngvar Kamprad$33.0 billion Increase80 SwedenIKEA
5 SteadyMittal, LakshmiLakshmi Mittal$32.0 billion Increase56 IndiaArcelor Mittal
6 IncreaseAdelson, SheldonSheldon Adelson$26.5 billion Increase73  United StatesLas Vegas Sands
7 SteadyArnault, BernardBernard Arnault$26.0 billion Increase58 FranceLVMH
8 IncreaseOrtega, AmancioAmancio Ortega$24.0 billion Increase71 SpainInditex Group
9 IncreaseKa-shing, LiLi Ka-shing$23.0 billion Increase78 Hong Kong
 Canada		Cheung Kong Holdings, Hutchison Whampoa
10 DecreaseDavid Thomson$22.0 billion Increase49 CanadaThomson Corporation

2006

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$52.0 billion Increase50 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$42.0 billion Decrease75 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 IncreaseSlim, CarlosCarlos Slim$30.0 billion Increase66 MexicoTelmex
4 IncreaseKamprad, IngvarIngvar Kamprad$28.0 billion Increase79 SwedenIKEA
5 DecreaseMittal, LakshmiLakshmi Mittal$23.5 billion Decrease55 IndiaMittal Steel Company
6 IncreaseAllen, PaulPaul Allen$22.0 billion Increase53 United StatesMicrosoft
7 IncreaseArnault, BernardBernard Arnault$21.5 billion Increase57 FranceLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
8 DecreaseAl-Waleed, PrincePrince Al-Waleed$20.0 billion Decrease49 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
9 IncreaseThomson, KennethKenneth Thomson$19.6 billion Increase82 CanadaThe Thomson Corporation
10 IncreaseShing, Li KaLi Ka Shing$18.8 billion Increase77 Hong Kong
 Canada		Cheung Kong Group, Hutchison Whampoa

2005

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$46.5 billion Decrease49 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$44.0 billion Increase74 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 IncreaseMittal, LakshmiLakshmi Mittal$25.0 billion Increase54 IndiaMittal Steel Company
4 IncreaseSlim, CarlosCarlos Slim$23.8 billion Increase65 MexicoTelmex
5 DecreaseAl-Waleed, PrincePrince Al-Waleed$23.7 billion Increase49 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
6 IncreaseKamprad, IngvarIngvar Kamprad$23.0 billion Increase79 SwedenIKEA
7 DecreaseAllen, PaulPaul Allen$21.0 billion Steady52 United StatesMicrosoft
8 DecreaseAlbrecht, KarlKarl Albrecht$18.5 billion Decrease85 GermanyAldi Süd
9 IncreaseEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$18.4 billion Decrease60 United StatesOracle Corporation
10 SteadyWalton, S. RobsonS. Robson Walton$18.3 billion Decrease61 United StatesWalmart

2004

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$46.6 billion Increase48 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$42.9 billion Increase73 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 SteadyAlbrecht, KarlKarl Albrecht$23.0 billion Increase84 GermanyAldi Süd
4 IncreaseAl-Waleed, PrincePrince Al-Waleed$21.5 billion Increase47 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
5 DecreaseAllen, PaulPaul Allen$21.0 billion Increase51 United StatesMicrosoft
6 IncreaseWalton, AliceAlice Walton*$20.0 billion Increase55 United StatesWal-Mart
7 IncreaseWalton, HelenHelen Walton*$20.0 billion Increase84 United StatesWal-Mart
8 IncreaseWalton, JimJim Walton*$20.0 billion Increase56 United StatesWal-Mart
9 IncreaseWalton, JohnJohn Walton*$20.0 billion Increase58 United StatesWal-Mart
10 IncreaseWalton, S. RobsonS. Robson Walton*$20.0 billion Increase60 United StatesWal-Mart

2003

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$40.7 billion Decrease47 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$30.5 billion Decrease72 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 SteadyKarl and Theo Albrecht $25.6 billion Decrease83 GermanyAldi Süd
4 SteadyAllen, PaulPaul Allen$20.1 billion Decrease50 United StatesMicrosoft
5 IncreaseAl-Waleed, PrincePrince Al-Waleed$17.7 billion Decrease46 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
6 DecreaseEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$16.6 billion Decrease58 United StatesOracle Corporation
7 DecreaseWalton, AliceAlice Walton*$16.5 billion Decrease54 United StatesWal-Mart
8 DecreaseWalton, HelenHelen Walton*$16.5 billion Decrease83 United StatesWal-Mart
9 DecreaseWalton, JimJim Walton*$16.5 billion Decrease55 United StatesWal-Mart
10 DecreaseWalton, JohnJohn Walton*$16.5 billion Decrease57 United StatesWal-Mart
10 DecreaseWalton, S. RobsonS. Robson Walton*$16.5 billion Decrease59 United StatesWal-Mart

2002

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$52.8 billion Decrease46 United StatesMicrosoft
2 SteadyBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$35.0 billion Increase71 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 IncreaseKarl and Theo Albrecht $26.8 billion Increase82 GermanyAldi Süd
4 DecreaseAllen, PaulPaul Allen$25.2 billion Decrease49 United StatesMicrosoft
5 DecreaseEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$23.5 billion Decrease57 United StatesOracle Corporation
6 IncreaseWalton, JimJim Walton*$20.8 billion Increase54 United StatesWal-Mart
7 IncreaseWalton, JohnJohn Walton*$20.7 billion Increase56 United StatesWal-Mart
8 IncreaseWalton, AliceAlice Walton*$20.5 billion Increase53 United StatesWal-Mart
9 IncreaseWalton, S. RobsonS. Robson Walton*$20.5 billion Increase58 United StatesWal-Mart
10 IncreaseWalton, HelenHelen Walton*$20.4 billion Increase82 United StatesWal-Mart

2001

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1 SteadyGates, BillBill Gates$58.7 billion Decrease45 United StatesMicrosoft
2 IncreaseBuffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$32.3 billion Increase70 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
3 SteadyAllen, PaulPaul Allen$30.4 billion Increase 48 United StatesMicrosoft
4 DecreaseEllison, LarryLarry Ellison$26.0 billion Decrease56 United StatesOracle Corporation
5 SteadyKarl and Theo Albrecht$25.0 billion Increase81 GermanyAldi
6 SteadyAl-Waleed, PrincePrince Al-Waleed$20.0 billion Steady44 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
7 IncreaseWalton, JimJim Walton*$18.8 billion Increase53 United StatesWal-Mart
8 IncreaseWalton, JohnJohn Walton*$18.7 billion Increase55 United StatesWal-Mart
9 IncreaseWalton, S. RobsonS. Robson Walton*$18.6 billion Increase57 United StatesWal-Mart
10 IncreaseWalton, AliceAlice Walton*$18.5 billion Increase52 United StatesWal-Mart
10 IncreaseWalton, HelenHelen Walton*$18.5 billion Increase81 United StatesWal-Mart

2000

No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Nationality Source(s) of wealth
1Gates, BillBill Gates$60.0 billion 44 United StatesMicrosoft
2Ellison, LarryLarry Ellison$47.0 billion 55 United StatesOracle Corporation
3Allen, PaulPaul Allen$28.0 billion47 United StatesMicrosoft
4Buffett, WarrenWarren Buffett$25.6 billion 69 United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
5Karl and Theo Albrecht $20.0 billion 80 GermanyAldi Süd
6Al-Waleed, PrincePrince Al-Waleed$20.0 billion 43 Saudi ArabiaKingdom Holding Company
7Walton, S. RobsonS. Robson Walton$20.0 billion 57 United StatesWal-Mart
8Son, MasayoshiMasayoshi Son$19.4 billion 43 JapanSoftbank Capital, SoftBank Mobile
9Dell, MichaelMichael Dell$19.1 billion 46 United StatesDell
10Thomson, KennethKenneth Thomson$16.1 billion 77 CanadaThe 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.[31] Billionaires' fortunes were 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.[32] 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.[33][34]

Number and combined net worth of billionaires by year[35]
Year Number of billionaires Group's combined net worth
2016 1,810 $6.5 trillion
2015[5] 1,826 $7.1 trillion
2014[6] 1,645 $6.4 trillion
2013[36] 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 $0.9 trillion$898 billion

Source: Forbes.[5][6][35][36]

See also

References

Specific
  1. 1 2 3 4 Gore, Leada (4 March 2014). "Youngest, oldest and one who can body slam you: More on Forbes list of the ultra-rich". AL.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Kollmeyer, Barbara (4 March 2014). "Bill Gates back on top, WhatsApp founders and more women in Forbes' billionaire rankings". Market Watch, The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  3. ↑ Kroll, Luisa. "Forbes 2016 World's Billionaires: Meet The Richest People On The Planet". Forbes. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  4. ↑ "The World's Billionaires List – Women". Forbes. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Dolan, Kerry A.; Kroll, Luisa (2 March 2015). "Inside The 2015 Forbes Billionaires List: Facts And Figures". Forbes. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Dolan, Kerry A.; Kroll, Luisa (3 March 2014). "Inside The 2014 Forbes Billionaires List: Facts And Figures". Forbes. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Dolan, Kerry A. (7 March 2012). "Methodology: How We Crunch The Numbers". Forbes. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Krastev, Nikola (11 March 2010). "Forbes' Rich List: Number Of New Billionaires Reflects Global Recovery". Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "#1 Bill Gates". Forbes. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Amancio Ortega". Forbes. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  11. ↑ "The World's Billionaires : Warren Buffett". Forbes. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Jeff Bezos". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
  13. ↑ ""The World's Billionaires - Mark Zuckerburg"". Forbes. March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  14. ↑ ""The World's Billionaires - Michael Bloomber"". Forbes. March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  15. ↑ "The World's Billionaires". Forbes. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  16. ↑ Alexander, Dan (2 March 2015). "Record 290 Newcomers Join Forbes Billionaires List, Including Michael Jordan". Forbes.
  17. ↑ Dolan, Kerry A. "The World's Billionaires". Forbes. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  18. ↑ Dolan, Kerry A.; Kroll, Luisa (3 March 2014). "Inside The 2014 Forbes Billionaires List: Facts And Figures". Forbes. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Barber, Elizabeth (4 March 2014). "Forbes' richest people: number of billionaires up significantly". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  20. 1 2 3 Hickman, Martin (4 March 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 5 March 2014.
  21. 1 2 Kollmeyer, Barbara (4 March 2013). "Forbes billionaire list 2013: Mr. Slim wins it again". Market Watch, Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  22. 1 2 Reaney, Patricia (4 March 2013). "Factbox: Record number of billionaires make Forbes 2013 list". Reuters. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Forbes rich list 2012: Carlos Slim tops rich list for third year". The Telegraph. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  24. ↑ "Spanx creator Sara Blakely becomes youngest woman on Forbes Billionaires List". Fox News Channel. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  25. 1 2 Kroll, Luisa (7 March 2014). "Forbes World's Billionaires 2012". Forbes. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  26. 1 2 3 Bates, Daniel (11 March 2011). "Facebook's fortunes skyrocket on Forbes billionaires list... but no one can beat Carlos Slim". Daily Mail. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  27. 1 2 Georg Szalai (9 March 2011). "Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey Drop in Forbes Billionaire Ranking". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  28. ↑ Herbert, Geoff (10 March 2011). "Forbes' 2011 list of 'World's Billionaires' is biggest ever". Syracuse Post-Standard. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  29. 1 2 3 4 Miller, Matthew; Kroll, Luisa (10 March 2010). "Bill Gates No Longer World's Richest Man". Forbes. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  30. 1 2 3 4 "China ranks No 2 on Forbes billionaires list". China Daily. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  31. ↑ "Special Report on The New Rich". The Economist. 14 June 2001.
  32. ↑ "Special Report on The Rich". The Economist. 4 April 2009.
  33. ↑ "Global Wealth Report 2011" (PDF). The Boston Consulting Group. 31 May 2011.
  34. ↑ "World Wealth Report 2011" (PDF). Capgemini and Merrill Lynch. 22 June 2011.
  35. 1 2 "Billionaires 25th Anniversary Timeline – Forbes". Forbes. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  36. 1 2 Kroll, Luisa (4 March 2013). "Inside The 2013 Billionaires List: Facts and Figures". Forbes. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
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