Reply #6: Gates regains top spot in Forbes rich list

[Demeter]

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7117e278-0ee2-11de-ba10-0000779fd2ac.html


NEW YORK, March 11 - Microsoft founder Bill Gates is the richest man again, overtaking investor Warren Buffett, as the global financial meltdown wiped out $2,000bn from the net worth of the world’s billionaires, Forbes Magazine said.

The number of billionaires in the world fell by nearly a third to 793 in the past year, with large numbers dropping off the list in Russia, India and Turkey. Mr Gates regained his title as the richest man in the world, with $40bn after slipping to third last year when he was worth $58bn.

Mr Buffett, last year’s richest man, fell to second place with $37bn, down from $62bn. Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim took third place with $35bn, down from $60bn.

Collectively, the top three billionaires lost $68bn in the year to February 13, when Forbes took a snapshot of wealth around the world to compile its annual list of billionaires.

Steve Forbes, chief executive of Forbes Magazines, said that while few would shed a tear for the plight of a billionaire, it was bad for the economy when entrepreneurs were in trouble.

”Billionaires don’t have to worry about their next meal, but if their wealth is declining and you’re not creating numerous new billionaires, it means the rest of the world is not doing very well,” he told reporters. ”The typical billionaire is down at least one third on their net worth.”

The net worth of the world’s billionaires fell from $4,400bn to $2,400bn, while the number of billionaires was down to 793 from 1,125. ”It’s the first time since 2003 that we have lost billionaires, but we’ve never before lost anywhere near this number,” said Luisa Kroll, senior editor of Forbes.

”It’s really hard to find something to cheer about unless you get some perverse pleasure in realising that some of the most successful... people in the world... can’t figure out this global economic turmoil better than the rest of us.”

New York City replaced Moscow as home to the most billionaires, with 55. Russia, which saw the number of super- rich soar in recent years, suffered among the biggest shocks, with the number of billionaires down to 32 from 87.

Other developing countries that saw fast growth in previous years were hit hard as well, including Turkey, where the number of billionaires fell to 13 from 35, partly due to the collapse in the value of the lira currency, and India. Indian businessman Anil Ambani, the biggest gainer on last year’s list, was the biggest loser this time, with $32bn wiped out over the last 12 months...


The only person in the top 20 who did not lose money was New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose net worth was revised up to $16bn from $11.5bn because of a revaluation of his media company, Bloomberg LP, Forbes said. He is now the richest man in New York, jumping from 65 in the world to 17.

........
Among those conspicuous by their absence from the list was Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, one of last year’s stars when he became the youngest self-made billionaire to make the list. Also dropping out were big name casualties of the financial crisis on Wall Street – former American International Group chief executive Maurice ”Hank” Greenberg and former Citigroup chief executive Sanford Weill.

Allen Stanford, the Texan accused of an $8bn fraud by US regulators, was also booted off the list. Crime, however, did not disqualify one notable new entry to the list – Mexican drug lord Joaquin ”Shorty” Guzman, who is among the world’s most wanted men and now worth $1bn. ”He is not available for interviews,” Ms Kroll said. ”But his financial situation is doing quite well.”