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 1,645 billionaires with an aggregate net worth of $6.4 trillion, up from $5.4 trillion a year ago. We unearthed a record 268 new ten-figure fortunes, including 42 new women billionaires, another record. 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 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 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.
1. Bill Gates
Net Worth: $76 B
Source of wealth: Microsoft
2. Carlos Slim Helu
Net Worth: $72 billion
Source of wealth: telecom
3. Amancio Ortega
Net Worth: $64 billion
Source of wealth: retail
4. Warren Buffet
Net Worth: $58.2 billion
Source of wealth: Berkshire Hathaway
5. Larry Ellison
Net Worth: $48 billion
Source of wealth: Oracle
6. Charles Koch
Net Worth: $40 billion
Source of wealth: diversified
6. David Koch
Net Worth: $40 billion
Source of wealth: diversified
8. Sheldon Adelson
Net Worth: $38 billion
Source of wealth: casinos
9. Christy Walton
Net Worth: $36.7 billion
Source of wealth: Wal-Mart
10. Jim Walton
Net Worth: $34.7 billion
Source of wealth: Wal-Mart;
11. Liliane Bettencourt
Net Worth: $34.5 billion
Source of wealth: L’Oreal
12. Stefan Persson
Net Worth: $34.4 billion
Source of wealth: H&M
13. Alice Walton
Net Worth: $34.3 billion
Source of wealth: Wal-Mart
14. S. Robson Walton
Net Worth: $34.2 billion
Source of wealth: Wal-Mart
14. S. Robson Walton
Net Worth: $34.2 billion
Source of wealth: Wal-Mart
15. Bernard Arnault
Net Worth: $33.5 billion
Source of wealth: LVMH
16. Michael Bloomberg
Net Worth: $33 billion
Source of wealth: Bloomberg LP
17. Larry Page
Net Worth: $32.3 billion
Source of wealth: Google
18. Jeff Bezos
Net Worth: $32 billion
Source of wealth: Amazon.com
19. Sergey Brin
Net Worth: $31.8 billion
Source of wealth: Google
20. Li Ka-shing
Net Worth: $31 billion
Source of wealth: diversified
22. Michele Ferrero
Net Worth: $26.5 billion
Source of wealth: chocolates
23. Aliko Dangote
Net Worth: $25 billion
Source of wealth: cement, sugar, flour
23. Karl Albrecht
Net Worth: $25 billion
Source of wealth: retail
25. Carl Icahn
Net Worth: $24.5 billion
Source of wealth: investments
26. George Soros
Net Worth: $23 B
Source of wealth: hedge funds
27. David Thomson
Net Worth: $22.6 B
Source of wealth: media
28. Lui Che Woo
Net Worth: $22 B
Source of wealth: casinos
29. Dieter Schwarz
Net Worth: $21.1 B
Source of wealth: retail
30. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud
Net Worth: $20.4 B
Source of wealth: investments
31. Forrest Mars
Net Worth: $20 B
Source of wealth: candy
31. Jacqueline Mars
Net Worth: $20 B
Source of wealth: candy
34. Jorge Paulo Lemann
Net Worth: $19.7 B
Source of wealth: beer
35. Lee Shau Kee
Net Worth: $19.6 B
Source of wealth: diversified
36. Steve Ballmer
Net Worth: $19.3 B
Source of wealth: Microsoft
36. Theo Albrecht, Jr.
Net Worth: $19.3 B
Source of wealth: Aldi, Trader Joe’s
38. Leonardo Del Vecchio
Net Worth: $19.2 B
Source of wealth: eyeglasses
39. Len Blavatnik
Net Worth: $18.7 B
Source of wealth: diversified
40. Mukesh Ambani
Net Worth: $18.6 B
Source of wealth: petrochemicals, oil & gas
40. Alisher Usmanov
Net Worth: $18.6 B
Source of wealth: steel, telecom, investments
42. Michael Otto
Net Worth: $18.4 B
Source of wealth: retail, real estate
42. Masayoshi Son
Net Worth: $18.4 B
Source of wealth: internet, telecom
42. Phil Knight
Net Worth: $18.4 B
Source of wealth: Nike
45. Tadashi Yanai
Net Worth: $17.9 B
Source of wealth: retail
46. Gina Rinehart
Net Worth: $17.7 B
Source of wealth: mining
47. Mikhail Fridman
Net Worth: $17.6 B
Source of wealth: oil, banking, telecom
48. Michael Dell
Net Worth: $17.5 B
Source of wealth: Dell
49. Susanne Klatten
Net Worth: $17.4 B
Source of wealth: BMW, pharmaceuticals
50. Abigail Johnson
Net Worth: $17.3 B
Source of wealth: money management
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