Microsoft’s Gates again tops list of world’s richest people
NEW YORK — The tally of billionaires around the globe reached a record 946 last year, with their combined wealth growing 35 percent, to $3.5 trillion, according to Forbes magazine’s 2007 rankings of the world’s richest people.
The rich cashed in on strong equity markets, real estate and commodity prices worldwide, according to Luisa Kroll, co-editor of the Forbes project.
Leading the list are Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, who ranked No. 1 for the 13th straight year, beating out friend and fellow philanthropist Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Gates’ fortune rose $6 billion, to $56 billion, while Buffett added $10 billion, to boost his net worth to $52 billion.
Only five Americans ranked in the top 20, though they account for 44 percent of the overall list. The others are Sheldon Adelson, who made his money in casinos and hotels and ranked sixth, with $26.5 billion; Lawrence Ellison, $21.5 billion, who runs Oracle Corp.; and Paul Allen, $18 billion, Microsoft’s other co-founder.
Breathing down Buffett’s neck was Mexican telecom giant Carlos Slim Helu, who added $19 billion to his existing fortune, the largest one-year gain over the past decade. He’s now worth $49 billion.
Starbucks Corp. Chairman Howard Schultz and former Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Michael Eisner joined the ranks of the world’s richest for the first time, behind new faces Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, co-CEOs of BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion Ltd.
Bumped from the top 20 were the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. heirs, who saw their company’s stock languish, and Michael Dell, founder of computer-maker Dell Inc.
Japan surrendered its title as Asia’s leading billionaire locale to India, which boasts 36 on the list. Japan has 24. The richest person in India is Lakshmi Mittal, who ranked fifth, with $32 billion. The U.S. operations of Mittal’s steel company, the world’s biggest, are run out of Chicago.
Russia contributed 53 billionaires and now challenges Germany, which has 55, as home to the most billionaires outside the U.S.
The methodology of the rankings remains similar to previous years, Kroll said. The magazine confirmed the worth of an individual’s holdings in public companies by using the Feb. 9 closing stock price, and estimated the value of private companies by evaluating comparable public firms in the industry and by consulting with experts in the field.
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Illinois home to 18 billionaires
Illinoisans grabbed 18 of the spots among the world’s billionaires, as estimated by Forbes magazine. The magazine said the research that went into compiling the rankings began in early 2006 and ended Feb. 9.
Rank Name Worth* Industry 158 Samuel Zell $5 Real estate, private equity 177 Lester Crown and family $4.5 Investments 177 Ty Warner $4.5 Beanie Babies 210 Matthew Bucksbaum and family $4.1 Real estate 407 Thomas Pritzker $2.3 Hotels, investments 458 John Calamos and family $2.1 Mutual funds 458 Penny Pritzker $2.1 Hotels, investments 488 James Pritzker $2 Hotels, investments 488 Jay Robert Pritzker $2 Hotels, investments 488 Jean Pritzker $2 Hotels, investments 557 William Wrigley Jr. $1.8 Chewing gum 583 Kenneth Griffin $1.7 Hedge funds 583 Michael Krasny $1.7 CDW Corp. 618 Neil Bluhm $1.6 Real estate 618 Nicholas Pritzker II $1.6 Hotels, investments 664 Oprah Winfrey $1.5 Television 717 Joseph Mansueto $1.4 Morningstar 840 Marvin Herb $1.1 Soft-drink bottling, realestate *In billions
Well I say Good Luck to Mr. Bill Gates Again 