Bill Gates reclaims top spot of being the world's richest man
Flickr CC By: Steve Jurvetson
If you had Bill Gates in your office pool as being the world's richest person, well congratulations! The Microsoft co-founder placed first in Forbes' annual list of billionaires after a four-year hiatus, grabbing the spot back from Mexican business mogul Carlos Slim Helu. A mere $4 billion separated the duo, with Gates' net worth estimated at $76 billion to Helu's $72 billion.
The list is full of interesting nuggets of data. For example, the average net worth of the 1,645 people on this year's list is $4.7 billion. That's up from an average of $4.2 billion the 1,426 billionaires made last year. More than 65 percent of those on the list are self-made billionaires, while the rest inherited at least a portion of their fortune.
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg saw his fortune double to $28.5 billion, notching him 21st place on the list. Sheryl Sandberg, the social network's chief operating officer, also made the list for the first time. Forbes released a full breakdown here. --Jordan Valinsky
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - priority delivery, USPS on fire, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How (and why) to have the inheritance talk with family sooner than later
The Explainer The hard conversations aren't going to get any easier if you wait
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published