Bill Gates has been named the world’s richest person
for 16 of the last 20 years.
Bill Gates has been declared the richest man in the world for the 16th time by Forbes magazine’s annual ranking of global billionaires. The Microsoft founder once again beat Mexican businessman Carlos Slim to the top spot.
Mr Gates’ net worth rose by just over $3bn (£1.94bn) in the year to 13 February, to $79bn. There are a record 1,826 billionaires in the world, Forbes said, an increase of 181 in the past 12 months.
Forbes 2015 ranking of richest people:
- Bill Gates $79.2bn (Microsoft)
- Carlos Slim Helu $77.1bn (Phones and construction in Mexico)
- Warren Buffett $72.7bn (Global investor)
- Amancio Ortega $64.5bn (Zara and other fashion chains)
- Larry Ellison $54.3bn (Oracle data storage technology)
- Charles Koch $42.9bn (Industrialist)
- David Koch $42.9bn (Industrialist)
- Christy Walton $41.7bn (Walmart retail giant)
- Jim Walton $40.6bn (Walmart retail giant)
- Liliane Bettencourt $40.1bn (L’Oreal cosmetics firm)
Will the wealth of the 1% overtake the rest of the world?
An Oxfam report has predicted that the wealthiest 1% of the world’s population will have more wealth than the other 99% at some point next year.
To get to this figure, Oxfam has taken figures from a Credit Suisse report, which looked at wealth distribution since 2000.
There are two clear trends over that period. From 2000 until 2009, the proportion of wealth held by the wealthiest 1% fell. From 2010 until 2014 it rose. Oxfam has taken the figures since 2010 and used them to extrapolate what will happen in the coming years.
