946 Billionares Worth $3.5 Trillion

[Radio Frequency X]

Bill Gates (US, Microsoft) - $56bn
Warren Buffett (US, investor) - $52bn
Carlos Slim (Mexico, industrialist) - $49bn
Ingvar Kamprad (Sweden, Ikea) - $33bn
Lakshmi Mittal (India, steel) - $32bn

Those five guys possess, collectively, $222,000,000,000. That's pretty darn good if you ask me. Now, look at all the jobs these people create (minus Buffett). 946 Billionaires. That's 946 people that are more successful than many small countries.

Membership of the world's billionaire club has swelled to almost 1,000, while members' net worth has risen by 35% on last year, according to Forbes.

A record 946 billionaires - worth a total of $3.5 trillion (£1.82 trillion) - now exist, up from 793 last year.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates held the top spot for the 13th year in a row with a net worth of $56bn.

Forbes put the increase in wealth down to surging commodity prices, real estate and strong equity markets.

"In the last five years... despite all the turmoil in the world, all the conflict in the world, the global economy in real terms expanded over 25%," said Steve Forbes, the magazine's editor-in-chief.

The world is certainly getting richer. Go world.

 

[darcyr]

The rich are getting richer that is for sure, as for the world, well...

 

[FatMan]

Fortunately, most of those guys are hugely into charitable contributions.

It won't stop a lot of people about jealously sniping about their wealth, but those that do so will simply show their foolishness.

 

[Radio Frequency X]

Fortunately, most of those guys are hugely into charitable contributions.

It won't stop a lot of people about jealously sniping about their wealth, but those that do so will simply show their foolishness.

I agree. Besides, statistically speaking, nearly everyone in the world is better off now than they ever were. The general public is simply bereft of historical knowledge and perspective. They think things are terrible because the media tells them it is. And they keep tuning in to find out how horrible the world is, all the while missing that they are doing exactly what the media wants... tuning in. Which is why everything is painted so negatively. If you tell people that life is going great, they won't tune into the news, they'll go outside and enjoy themselves.

It's great to see the charitable work that's being done by guys like Bono, Gates, and Buffett though. It's really quite something.

 

[SoyLeche]

Now, look at all the jobs these people create (minus Buffett).

Buffett may not create jobs directly, but I'm sure he has helped many, many others create jobs.

 

[Radio Frequency X]

Buffett may not create jobs directly, but I'm sure he has helped many, many others create jobs.

True. Very true.

 

[Fluffy]

Hopefully they all have lots of children.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Hopefully they all have lots of children.

Hopefully some of us can help.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Here's a good companion article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17534426/

 

[SoyLeche]

Here's a good companion article:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17534426/

That story reminds me of my accounting teacher at BYU. He was independantly wealthy (he donated the salary he was paid back to the university). He drove a used car that was about 10 years old or so.

Having lived both ways, he told us that the secret to being happy was to live modestly.

He talked about driving to Southern California (which he did at least once a year), and how when you are descending into the valley it is like entering a sea of materialism. The first thing he would start to notice was that every car on the road was nicer than his. He said he sometimes wanted to roll his window down and yell at the teenager in the expensive SUV that his daddy bought for him sitting next to him at the stop light "Yeah, maybe I am driving a clunker, but I just want you to know that I could buy 10 of those, right now, cash!"

He was one of the best teachers I ever had

 

[SunMessenger]

Those five guys possess, collectively, $222,000,000,000. That's pretty darn good if you ask me. Now, look at all the jobs these people create (minus Buffett). 946 Billionaires. That's 946 people that are more successful than many small countries.



The world is certainly getting richer. Go world.

Do You have any phone numbers ? LOL Just kidding...

Good For Them !
Be Well and God Bless !

 

[monetmelly]

The gap is widening

 

[Zephyr]

Wow, that's pretty rich. I mean, hell, my family lived pretty damn comfortable at 25k/year for a while. I wouldn't even know what to do with that much money.