The world now has fewer bilionaires than before
PetiteCapri
druglord...
Anyway, less than 800 people out of a world population of how many?
Its really something.
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http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/106712/World's-Billionaires-2009
It's been a tough year for the richest people in the world. Last year
there were 1,125 billionaires. This year there are just 793 people
rich enough to make our list.
The world has become a wealth wasteland.
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Click here for the full list of the World's Billionaires
http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/10/50-richest-people-billionaires-2009-billionaires-wealth_slide_2.html?partner=yahoo
Like the rest of us, the richest people in the world have endured a
financial disaster over the past year. Today there are 793 people on
our list of the World's Billionaires, a 30% decline from a year ago.
Of the 1,125 billionaires who made last year's ranking, 373 fell off
the list--355 from declining fortunes and 18 who died. There are 38
newcomers, plus three moguls who returned to the list after regaining
their 10-figure fortunes. It is the first time since 2003 that the
world has had a net loss in the number of billionaires.
The world's richest are also a lot poorer. Their collective net worth
is $2.4 trillion, down $2 trillion from a year ago. Their average net
worth fell 23% to $3 billion. The last time the average was that low
was in 2003.
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 (BRK) fell nearly
50% in 12 months, but he still managed to slip just one spot to No. 2.
Mexican telecom titan Carlos Slim Helú also lost $25 billion and
dropped one spot to No. 3.
It was hard to avoid the carnage, whether you were in stocks,
commodities, real estate or technology. Even people running profitable
businesses were hammered by frozen credit markets, weak consumer
spending or declining currencies.
The biggest loser in the world this year, by dollars, was last year's
biggest gainer. India's Anil Ambani lost $32 billion--76% of his
fortune--as shares of his Reliance Communications, Reliance Power and
Reliance Capital all collapsed.
Ambani is one of 24 Indian billionaires, all but one of whom are
poorer than a year ago. Another 29 Indians lost their billionaire
status entirely as India's stock market tumbled 44% in the past year
and the Indian rupee depreciated 18% against the dollar. It is no
longer the top spot in Asia for billionaires, ceding that title to
China, which has 28.
Russia became the epicenter of the world's commodities bust, dropping
55 billionaires--two-thirds of its 2008 crop. Among them: Dmitry
Pumpyansky, an industrialist from the resource-rich Ural mountain
region, who lost $5 billion as shares of his pipe producer, TMK, sank
84%. Also gone is Vasily Anisimov, father of Moscow's Paris Hilton,
Anna Anisimova, who lost $3.2 billion as the value of his
Metalloinvest Holding, one of Russia's largest ore mining and
processing firms, fell along with his real estate holdings.
Twelve months ago Moscow overtook New York as the billionaire capital
of the world, with 74 tycoons to New York's 71. Today there are 27 in
Moscow and 55 in New York.
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. Still, it has 110 fewer billionaires than a year
ago.
Those with ties to Wall Street were particularly hard hit. Former head
of AIG (AIG) Maurice (Hank) Greenberg saw his $1.9 billion fortune
nearly wiped out after the insurance behemoth had to be bailed out by
the U.S. government. Today Greenberg is worth less than $100 million.
Former Citigroup (C) Chairman Sandy Weill also falls from the ranks.
Last year there were 39 American billionaire hedge fund managers; this
year there are 28. Twelve American private equity tycoons dropped out
of the billionaire ranks.
Blackstone Group's (BX) Stephen Schwarzman, who lost $4 billion, and
Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts' Henry Kravis, who lost $2.5 billion, retain
their billionaire status despite their weaker fortunes.
Worldwide, 80 of the 355 drop-offs from last year's list had fortunes
derived from finance or investments.
While 656 billionaires lost money in the past year, 44 added to their
fortunes. Those who made money did so by catering to budget-conscious
consumers (discount retailer Uniqlo's Tadashi Yanai), predicting the
crash (investor John Paulson) or cashing out in the nick of time
(Cirque du Soleil's Guy Laliberte).
So is there anywhere one can still make a fortune these days? The 38
newcomers offer a few clues. Among the more notable new billionaires
are Mexican Joaquín Guzmán Loera, one of the biggest suppliers of
cocaine to the U.S.; Wang Chuanfu of China, whose BYD Co. began
selling electric cars in December, and American John Paul Dejoria, who
got the world clean with his Paul Mitchell shampoos and sloppy with
his Patrón Tequila.
The Top 20 Richest People in the World
© AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey
1. William Gates III
Net Worth: $40 billion
Source: Microsoft/U.S.
Age: 53
Marital Status: Married, three children
Software visionary regains title as the world's richest man despite
losing $18 billion in the past 12 months.
Stepped down from day-to-day duties at Microsoft last summer to devote
his talents and riches to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Organization's assets were $30 billion in January; annual letter lauds
endowment manager Michael Larson for limiting last year's losses to
20%.
Gates decided to increase donations in 2009 to $3.8 billion, up 15%
from 2008.
Dedicated to fighting hunger in developing countries, improving
education in America's high schools and developing vaccines against
malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS.
Appointed Microsoft Office veteran Jeffrey Raikes chief executive of
Gates Foundation in September. Gates remains Microsoft chairman.
Sells shares each quarter, redeploys proceeds via investment vehicle
Cascade; more than half of fortune invested outside Microsoft.
Stock down 45% in past 12 months.
"Creative capitalist" wants companies to match profit making with
doing good.
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