The World's Billionaires 2012

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The World's Billionaires 2012 edition was 26th annual ranking of The World's Billionaires by Forbes magazine. The list estimated the net worth of the world's richest people, excluding royalty and dictators, as of February 14, 2012. It was released online on March 7, 2012.

Contents

Annual list

Telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim topped the 2012 list, marking this third consecutive year at the top. Microsoft founder Bill Gates placed second, but narrowed the gap from 2011 as Slim's fortune fell $5 billion while Gates' rose $5 billion. Investor Warren Buffett remained in third place. Bernard Arnault of France was the top-ranking European on the list, placing fourth. [1] Amancio Ortega moved up a spot to number five, despite stepping down from Zara's top post during the year. [2] Ricardo Salinas Pliego was the greatest gainer in terms of dollars, adding $9.2 billion to his fortune and moving up to number 37 overall. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg was also among the top gainers, adding $4 billion to his fortune. Dustin Moskovitz, also of Facebook, was the youngest self-made billionaire on the list at age 27. [1] Making her debut on the list at age 41, Spanx founder Sara Blakely became the youngest self-made female billionaire ever. [3] Colombia's Alejandro Santo Domingo was the highest ranked newcomer, inheriting a $9.5 billion stake in Santo Domingo Group from his father. Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Steve Jobs, was just behind Domingo, inheriting a fortune of $9 billion. [1]

India's Lakshmi Mittal was the largest loser as his fortune dropped from $31.1 billion to $20.7 billion as the price of steel maker ArcelorMittal fell sharply. [1] As a result, he failed to make the top 10 for the first time since 2004 and lost his title of richest Asian. Hong Kong's Li Ka-shing reclaimed that title, despite a slight drop in his own wealth. [2] Harry Potter author JK Rowling and former Research In Motion CEO Jim Balsillie were among whose who fell off the list. [1]

A record total of 1,226 people made the 2012 list, representing 58 different countries. Of those, 126 were newcomers to the list and 104 were women. The United States had the greatest number of billionaires with 425. Russia had 96 people on the list, while China had 95. Three new billionaires from Morocco represented their nation, which did not have any billionaire in 2011. [1] Georgia and Peru also were newly represented. [2] Moscow was the home to the most billionaire with 78, followed by New York City with 58, and London with 39. [1] Falling stock prices in Asia contributed to 117 former billionaires falling from the list worldwide. Twelve others listed in 2011 died. [2]

Combined net worth of the billionaire list rose to a record $4.6 trillion. However, net gainers (460) barely outnumbered net losers (441, including 7 of the top 20). The list average was a net worth of $3.7 billion. [2]

To coincide with the release of the 2012 list, Forbes announced a new "Billionaire Real-Time Ticker" updating the wealth of the world's top fifty billionaires in real time. [1]

Top 10

No.Name Net worth (USD)Age Citizenship Source(s) Of Wealth
1Steady2.svg Carlos Slim & family$69.0 billion Decrease2.svg72Mexico Telmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso
2Steady2.svg Bill Gates $61.0 billion Increase2.svg56United States Microsoft
3Steady2.svg Warren Buffett $44.0 billion Decrease2.svg81United States Berkshire Hathaway
4Steady2.svg Bernard Arnault $41.0 billion Increase2.svg63France LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton
5Increase2.svg Amancio Ortega $37.5 billion Increase2.svg75Spain Inditex Group
6Decrease2.svg Larry Ellison $36.0 billion Increase2.svg67United States Oracle Corporation
7Increase2.svg Eike Batista $30.0 billion Increase2.svg55Brazil EBX Group
8Increase2.svg Stefan Persson $26.0 billion Increase2.svg64Sweden H&M
9Increase2.svg Li Ka-shing $25.5 billion Increase2.svg83Hong Kong/Canada Cheung Kong Holdings
10Increase2.svg Karl Albrecht $25.4 billion Increase2.svg92Germany Aldi
Legend
Icon Description
Steady2.svgHas not changed from the previous year's list
Increase2.svgHas increased from the previous year's list
Decrease2.svgHas decreased from the previous year's list

Top 100 [4]

No.NameNet Worth USD billionAgeNationalitySource(s) of wealth
1Carlos Slim Helu & family69,072Mexicotelecom
2Bill Gates61,056United StatesMicrosoft
3Warren Buffett44,081United StatesBerkshire Hathaway
4Bernard Arnault41,063FranceLVMH
5Amancio Ortega37.575SpainZara
6Larry Ellison36,067United StatesOracle
7Eike Batista30,055Brazilmining, oil
8Stefan Persson26,064SwedenH&M
9Li Ka-shing25.583Hong Kongdiversified
10Karl Albrecht25.492GermanyAldi
11Christy Walton & family25.357United StatesWal-Mart
12Charles Koch25,076United Statesdiversified
12David Koch25,071United Statesdiversified
14Sheldon Adelson24.978United Statescasinos
15Liliane Bettencourt24,089FranceL'Oreal
16Jim Walton23.764United StatesWal-Mart
17Alice Walton23.362United StatesWal-Mart
18S. Robson Walton23.168United StatesWal-Mart
19Mukesh Ambani22.354Indiapetrochemicals, oil & gas
20Michael Bloomberg22,070United StatesBloomberg LP
21Lakshmi Mittal20.761Indiasteel
22George Soros20,081United Stateshedge funds
23Michele Ferrero & family19,085Italychocolates
24Sergey Brin18.738United StatesGoogle
24Larry Page18.739United StatesGoogle
26Jeff Bezos18.448United StatesAmazon.com
27Thomas & Raymond Kwok & family18.3N/AHong Kongreal estate
28 Alisher Usmanov 18.158Russiasteel, telecom, investments
29Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud18,057Saudi Arabiainvestments
29Lee Shau Kee18,084Hong Kongdiversified
29Georgina Rinehart18,058AustraliaMining
32Berthold & Theo Jr. Albrecht17.8N/AGermanyAldi, Trader Joe's
32Iris Fontbona & family17.869Chilemining
34Michael Otto & family17.668Germanyretail, real estate
35David Thomson & family17.554Canadamedia
35Mark Zuckerberg17.527United StatesFacebook
37Ricardo Salinas Pliego & family17.456Mexicoretail, media
38Alberto Bailleres Gonzalez & family16.580Mexicomining
39Rinat Akhmetov16,045Ukrainesteel, coal
39Cheng Yu-tung16,086Hong Kongdiversified
41Michael Dell15.947United StatesDell
41 Vladimir Lisin 15.955Russiasteel, transport
41Azim Premji15.966Indiasoftware
44Steve Ballmer15.756United StatesMicrosoft
45Alexei Mordashov15.346Russiasteel, investments
46 Vladimir Potanin 14.551Russiametals
47Phil Knight14.474United StatesNike
48Paul Allen14.259United StatesMicrosoft, investments
48German Larrea Mota Velasco & family14.258Mexicomining
50Carl Icahn14,076United Statesleveraged buyouts
50Birgit Rausing & family14,088Swedenpackaging
52Forrest Mars Jr13.880United Statescandy
52Jacqueline Mars13.872United Statescandy
52John Mars13.875United Statescandy
52Joseph Safra13.873Brazilbanking
56 Vagit Alekperov 13.561RussiaLukoil
57 Mikhail Fridman 13.447Russiaoil, banking, telecom
58 Mikhail Prokhorov 13.246Russiainvestments
59Susanne Klatten13,049GermanyBMW, pharmaceuticals
59Francois Pinault & family13,075Franceretail
61Mohammed Al Amoudi12.567Saudi Arabiaoil, diversified
61 Anne Cox Chambers 12.592United Statesmedia
61John Paulson12.556United Stateshedge funds
64Robert Kuok12.488Malaysiadiversified
64Luis Carlos Sarmiento12.479Colombiabanking
64 Viktor Vekselberg 12.454Russiaoil, metals
67Antonio Ermirio de Moraes & family12.283Brazildiversified
68Roman Abramovich12.145Russiasteel, investments
69Donald Bren12,079United Statesreal estate
69Jorge Paulo Lemann12,072Brazilbeer
69Ronald Perelman12,069United Statesleveraged buyouts
72Len Blavatnik11.954United Statesdiversified
72 Leonid Mikhelson 11.956Russiagas, chemicals
74Leonardo Del Vecchio11.576Italyeyewear
75John Fredriksen11.367Cyprusshipping
76Aliko Dangote11.254Nigeriasugar, flour, cement
76Stefan Quandt11.245GermanyBMW
78Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor & family11,060United Kingdomreal estate
78Harold Hamm11,066United Statesoil & gas
80Savitri Jindal & family10.962Indiasteel
81Andrey Melnichenko10.840Russiacoal, fertilizers
82James Simons10.773United Stateshedge funds
83Ernesto Bertarelli & family10.646Switzerlandbiotech, investments
84Jack Taylor & family10.489United StatesEnterprise Rent-A-Car
85Abigail Johnson10.350United StatesFidelity
86Robin Li10.243ChinaTechnology
86Eliodoro, Bernardo & Patricia Matte10.2N/AChilepaper
88Ray Dalio10,062United Stateshedge funds
88George Kaiser10,069United Statesoil & gas, banking
88Johanna Quandt10,085GermanyBMW
88Hans Rausing10,086Swedenpackaging
88Tadashi Yanai & family10,063Japanretail
93Serge Dassault & family9.986Franceaviation
93Ananda Krishnan9.973Malaysiatelecoms
95Klaus-Michael Kuhne9.874Germanyshipping
96Pallonji Mistry9.782Irelandconstruction
97Alejandro Santo Domingo Davila9.535Colombiabeer
98Horst Paulmann & family9.377Chileretail
99 Gennady Timchenko 9.159Russiaoil & gas
100Laurene Powell Jobs & family9,048United StatesApple, Disney
100David & Simon Reuben9,069United Kingdominvestments, real estate
100 Dmitry Rybolovlev 9,045Russiafertilizer
100Harold Simmons9,080United Statesinvestments

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Forbes rich list 2012: Carlos Slim tops rich list for third year". The Telegraph. March 8, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Luisa Kroll (March 7, 2012). "Forbes World's Billionaires 2012". Forbes. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  3. "Spanx creator Sara Blakely becomes youngest woman on Forbes Billionaires List". Fox News. March 8, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  4. Forbes Magazine, March 7, 2012