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Thursday, March 10th, 2011

World’s Billionaires 2011: A Record Year In Numbers, Money And Impact

Author:     LUISA KROLL and KERRY A. DOLAN
Source:     Forbes
Publication Date:     03.09.11, 03:30 PM EST
 Link: World’s Billionaires 2011: A Record Year In Numbers, Money And Impact
Stephan:   Think about what this is saying. The 1,210 richest people in the world constitute greater wealth than the GNP of Germany. Or, put another way, the richest 400 Americans have wealth equal to 155 million of their fellow citizens. This is a greater disparity than Louis XVIth of France and the average French merchant of his day. The world has never seen an uber-rich class as rich as this one, or one as international.

This 25th year of tracking global wealth was one to remember. The 2011 Billionaires List breaks two records: total number of listees (1,210) and combined wealth ($4.5 trillion). This hoard surpasses the gross domestic product of Germany, one of only six nations to have fewer billionaires this year. BRICs led the way: Brazil, Russia, India and China produced 108 of the 214 new names. These four nations are home to one in four members, up from one in ten five years ago. Before this year only the U.S. had ever produced more than 100 billionaires. China now has 115 and Russia 101.

Atop the heap is Mexico’s Carlos Slim Helu, who added $20.5 billion to his fortune, more than any other billionaire. The telecom mogul, who gets 62% of his fortune from America Movil ( AMX – news – people ), is now worth $74 billion and has pulled far ahead of his two closest rivals. Bill Gates, No. 2, and Warren Buffett, No. 3, both added a more modest $3 billion to their piles and are now worth $56 billion and $50 billion, respectively. Gates, who now gets 70% of his fortune from investments outside of Microsoft ( MSFT – […]

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