Special Report
The World's Billionaires
Edited by Luisa Kroll, Matthew Miller and Tatiana Serafin, 03.11.09, 06:00 PM EDT
The richest people in the world have gotten poorer, just like the rest of us. This year the world's billionaires have an average net worth of $3 billion, down 23% in 12 months. The world now has 793 billionaires, down from 1,125 a year ago.
After slipping in recent years, the U.S. is regaining its dominance as a repository of wealth. Americans account for 44% of the money and 45% of the list's slots, up seven and three percentage points from last year, respectively. Bill Gates lost $18 billion but regained his title as the world's richest man. Warren Buffett, last year's No. 1, saw his fortune decline $25 billion as shares of Berkshire Hathaway fell nearly 50% in 12 months. Mexican telecom titan Carlos Slim Helú maintains his spot in the top three but lost $25 billion.
More ...
Billionaire Bust
Last year the world had 1,125 billionaires. Today there are 793. How $1.4 trillion vanished.
In Pictures: The World's Billionaires
Last Man Standing
Une Affaire de Famille
Billionaire Acrobatics
Cocaine King
Where The (Still) Rich And Single Mingle
The Gulf's Newest Billionaire
Battle Of The Billionaires
Campus Politics
After slipping in recent years, the U.S. is regaining its dominance as a repository of wealth. Americans account for 44% of the money and 45% of the list's slots, up seven and three percentage points from last year, respectively. Bill Gates lost $18 billion but regained his title as the world's richest man. Warren Buffett, last year's No. 1, saw his fortune decline $25 billion as shares of Berkshire Hathaway fell nearly 50% in 12 months. Mexican telecom titan Carlos Slim Helú maintains his spot in the top three but lost $25 billion.
More ...
Billionaire Bust
Last year the world had 1,125 billionaires. Today there are 793. How $1.4 trillion vanished.
In Pictures: The World's Billionaires
IN PICTURES
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Rank | Name | Citizenship |
Age | Net Worth | Residence |
FEATURED
I Just Can't Wait to Be King
Kerry A. Dolan
Royal obsession: Alwaleed minds his portfolio, even at his desert retreat. Last Man Standing
Anita Raghavan
Two years after being all but written off, metals mogul Mikhail D. Prokhorov is back--as the richest man in Russia. Une Affaire de Famille
Joshua Levine
The unhappy fallout between Europe's richest woman and her daughter--and the man in the middle. Billionaire Acrobatics
Matthew Miller
How Cirque du Soleil's fire-breathing billionaire Guy Laliberte actually got richer in 2008. Cocaine King
Jesse Bogan
Mexico's most wanted man, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, is one of 38 new billionaires. Where The (Still) Rich And Single Mingle
Maureen Farrell
From Monaco in May to Dubai in December, this is where the party keeps rocking. The Gulf's Newest Billionaire
Devon Pendleton
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahayan of Abu Dhabi is spreading his wealth in the U.K., gaining fans--and a few foes. Battle Of The Billionaires
Daniel Fisher
The next race for the America's Cup could be decided a long way from the water. Campus Politics
Megha Bahree
If the protests die down and the bureaucracy speeds up, India might just get a giant new university. Mining magnate Anil Agarwal is putting $1 billion into this dream. THE BILLIONAIRES
- William Gates III
- Warren Buffett
- Carlos Slim Helú
- Lawrence Ellison
- Ingvar Kamprad
- Karl Albrecht
- Mukesh Ambani
- Lakshmi Mittal
- Theo Albrecht
- Amancio Ortega
- Jim Walton
- Alice Walton
- Christy Walton
- S Robson Walton
- Bernard Arnault
- Li Ka-shing
- Michael Bloomberg
- Stefan Persson
- Charles Koch
- David Koch
- View The Complete List
VIDEO
Top Billionaire: Bill Gates
The financial crisis wiped out much wealth, but Gates, Buffett and Slim are still on top.
Celebrity Billionaires
Oprah, Donald Trump and Richard Branson's billion-dollar star power.
Times Square Billionaire
Leon Charney on real estate fortune and where to invest now.
Prince Alwaleed's Royal Future
Saudi billionaire opens up about his investments and the possibility of becoming king.
Cirque du Soleil's Guy Laliberte
Edited by Luisa Kroll, Matthew Miller and Tatiana Serafin.
Reported by: Steven Bertoni, Andrew Farrell, Erin Gell, Duncan Greenberg, Claire Obusan, Devon Pendleton, Keren Blankfeld Schultz, Cristina von Zeppelin, Russell Flannery, Naazneen Karmali, Nilgün Balci Cavdar, Kerry A.Dolan, Maha Atal, Jesse Bogan, Forbes Turkey, Forbes Russia, Asher Hawkins, Nikolai Mazurin, Maxim Kashulinsky, Ozer Turan.
Photos and graphics: Michele Hadlow, Gail Toivanen, Stephen Aviano and David Lada
Additional Reporting by: Susan Adams, Monte Burke, Laurie Burkitt, Heidi Brown, Danni Cao, Maggie Chen, Bernard Condon, Helen Coster, Stephane Fitch, Forbes Poland, Zack O'Malley Greenburg, Christopher Helman, Evan Hessel, Soyoung Ho, Clarita Jones, C.N. Krishnakumar, Emily Lambert, Suzanne Nam, Lan Anh Nguyen, Jacek Pochlopien, Susan Radlauer, Lucinda Schmidt, Tim Treadgold, Chaniga Vorasarun, Rodman Williams, Jiang Yan.
Database Management: Mitchel Rand.
Online: Michael Noer (Editor); Jane Colihan, David M. Ewalt, Kai Hecker, Merrilee Santoro
Reported by: Steven Bertoni, Andrew Farrell, Erin Gell, Duncan Greenberg, Claire Obusan, Devon Pendleton, Keren Blankfeld Schultz, Cristina von Zeppelin, Russell Flannery, Naazneen Karmali, Nilgün Balci Cavdar, Kerry A.Dolan, Maha Atal, Jesse Bogan, Forbes Turkey, Forbes Russia, Asher Hawkins, Nikolai Mazurin, Maxim Kashulinsky, Ozer Turan.
Photos and graphics: Michele Hadlow, Gail Toivanen, Stephen Aviano and David Lada
Additional Reporting by: Susan Adams, Monte Burke, Laurie Burkitt, Heidi Brown, Danni Cao, Maggie Chen, Bernard Condon, Helen Coster, Stephane Fitch, Forbes Poland, Zack O'Malley Greenburg, Christopher Helman, Evan Hessel, Soyoung Ho, Clarita Jones, C.N. Krishnakumar, Emily Lambert, Suzanne Nam, Lan Anh Nguyen, Jacek Pochlopien, Susan Radlauer, Lucinda Schmidt, Tim Treadgold, Chaniga Vorasarun, Rodman Williams, Jiang Yan.
Database Management: Mitchel Rand.
Online: Michael Noer (Editor); Jane Colihan, David M. Ewalt, Kai Hecker, Merrilee Santoro
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