The World’s Top Richest People

World’s Top Ten Billionaires 2014

First Published: March 2014 ADawnJournal.com

Forbes magazine recently published its annual ranking of global billionaires. Microsoft’s founder Bill Gates is on the top spot, pushing down Carlos Slim, who was on the top last year. Here are the top ten global billionaires for 2014:

The Top 10 billionaires

Bill Gates ($76B)

Carlos Slim Helú ($72B)

Amancio Ortega ($64)

Warren Buffett ($58.2B)

Larry Ellison ($48B)

Charles/David Koch ($40B each)

Sheldon Adelson ($38B)

Christy Walton ($36.7B)

Jim Walton ($34.7B)

Liliane Bettencourt ($34.5)

Source: Forbes.com

Here are some highlights from the ranking:

– There were a record number of 1,645 total billionaires.

– Bill Gates ranked #1 in 15 of the last 20 years.

– Due to Facebook’s recent $19B accension of WhatsApp, its founders Brian Acton and Jan Koum became 551th and 202th on the list.

– The US continues to dominate the list (492 billionaires), then Europe (468) and Asia (444). Country-wise, China (152) and Russia (111) have the most billionaires after USA.

– Some new countries were added for the first time: Algeria, Lithuania, Tanzania, and Uganda.

– More than 30 Canadians made it to the list.

– About 1000 people dropped off the list and 16 passed away.

– 1080 billionaires were self-made, 207 were inherited, and 352 were partly inherited.

– A record number of 172 women billionaires (up 25 percent from last year) made it to the list. Total new 268 billionaires were added to the list.