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.
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. Amancio Ortega moved up a spot to number five, despite stepping down from Zara's top post during the year. 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. Making her debut on the list at age 41, Spanx founder Sara Blakely became the youngest self-made female billionaire ever. 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.
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. 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. Harry Potter author JK Rowling and former Research In Motion CEO Jim Balsillie were among whose who fell off the list.
A record 1,226 people made the 2012 list, representing 58 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. Georgia and Peru also were newly represented. Moscow was the home to the most billionaire with 78, followed by New York City with 58, and London with 39. Falling stock prices in Asia contributed to 117 former billionaires falling from the list worldwide. Twelve others listed in 2011 died.
The 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.
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.
Top 10 + Legend Icon DescriptionHas not changed from the previous year's listHas increased from the previous year's listHas decreased from the previous year's list
No. Name Net worth (USD) Age Citizenship Source(s) Of Wealth & family$69.0 billion 72MexicoTelmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso $61.0 billion 56United StatesMicrosoft $44.0 billion 81United StatesBerkshire Hathaway $41.0 billion 63FranceLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton $37.5 billion 75SpainInditex Group $36.0 billion 67United StatesOracle Corporation $30.0 billion 55BrazilEBX Group Stefan Persson$26.0 billion 64SwedenH&M $25.5 billion 83Hong Kong/CanadaCheung Kong Holdings $25.4 billion 92GermanyAldi Süd
Top 100 No.Forbes Magazine, March 7, 2012NameNet Worth USD billionAgeNationalitySource(s) of wealth1Carlos Slim Helu & family69,072Mexicotelecom2Bill Gates61,056United StatesMicrosoft3Warren Buffett44,081United StatesBerkshire Hathaway4Bernard Arnault41,063FranceLVMH5Amancio Ortega37.575SpainZara6Larry Ellison36,067United StatesOracle7Eike Batista30,055Brazilmining, oil8Stefan Persson26,064SwedenH&M9Li Ka-shing25.583Hong Kongdiversified10Karl Albrecht25.492GermanyAldi Süd11Christy Walton & family25.363United StatesWal-Mart12Charles Koch25,076United Statesdiversified12David Koch25,071United Statesdiversified14Sheldon Adelson24.978United Statescasinos15Liliane Bettencourt24,089FranceL'Oreal16Jim Walton23.764United StatesWal-Mart17Alice Walton23.362United StatesWal-Mart18S. Robson Walton23.168United StatesWal-Mart19Mukesh Ambani22.354Indiapetrochemicals, oil & gas20Michael Bloomberg22,070United StatesBloomberg LP21Lakshmi Mittal20.761Indiasteel22George Soros20,081United Stateshedge funds23Michele Ferrero & family19,085Italychocolates24Sergey Brin18.738United StatesGoogle24Larry Page18.739United StatesGoogle26Jeff Bezos18.448United StatesAmazon.com27Thomas & Raymond Kwok & family18.3N/AHong Kongreal estate28Alisher Usmanov18.158Russiasteel, telecom, investments29Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud18,057Saudi Arabiainvestments29Lee Shau Kee18,084Hong Kongdiversified29Georgina Rinehart18,058AustraliaMining32Berthold & Theo Jr. Albrecht17.8N/AGermanyAldi Nord, Trader Joe's32Iris Fontbona & family17.869Chilemining34Michael Otto & family17.668Germanyretail, real estate35David Thomson & family17.554Canadamedia35Mark Zuckerberg17.527United StatesFacebook37Ricardo Salinas Pliego & family17.456Mexicoretail, media38Alberto Bailleres Gonzalez & family16.580Mexicomining39Rinat Akhmetov16,045Ukrainesteel, coal39Cheng Yu-tung16,086Hong Kongdiversified41Michael Dell15.947United StatesDell41Vladimir Lisin15.955Russiasteel, transport41Azim Premji15.966Indiasoftware44Steve Ballmer15.756United StatesMicrosoft45Alexei Mordashov15.346Russiasteel, investments46Vladimir Potanin14.551Russiametals47Phil Knight14.474United StatesNike48Paul Allen14.259United StatesMicrosoft, investments48German Larrea Mota Velasco & family14.258Mexicomining50Carl Icahn14,076United Statesleveraged buyouts50Birgit Rausing & family14,088Swedenpackaging52Forrest Mars Jr13.880United Statescandy52Jacqueline Mars13.872United Statescandy52John Mars13.875United Statescandy52Joseph Safra13.873Brazilbanking56Vagit Alekperov13.561RussiaLukoil57Mikhail Fridman13.447Russiaoil, banking, telecom58Mikhail Prokhorov13.246Russiainvestments59Susanne Klatten13,049GermanyBMW, pharmaceuticals59Francois Pinault & family13,075Franceretail61Mohammed Al Amoudi12.567Saudi Arabiaoil, diversified61Anne Cox Chambers12.592United Statesmedia61John Paulson12.556United Stateshedge funds64Robert Kuok12.488Malaysiadiversified64Luis Carlos Sarmiento12.479Colombiabanking64Viktor Vekselberg12.454Russiaoil, metals67Antonio Ermirio de Moraes & family12.283Brazildiversified68Roman Abramovich12.145Russiasteel, investments69Donald Bren12,079United Statesreal estate69Jorge Paulo Lemann12,072Brazilbeer69Ronald Perelman12,069United Statesleveraged buyouts72Len Blavatnik11.954United Statesdiversified72Leonid Mikhelson11.956Russiagas, chemicals74Leonardo Del Vecchio11.576Italyeyewear75John Fredriksen11.367Cyprusshipping76Aliko Dangote11.254Nigeriasugar, flour, cement76Stefan Quandt11.245GermanyBMW78Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor & family11,060United Kingdomreal estate78Harold Hamm11,066United Statesoil & gas80Savitri Jindal & family10.962Indiasteel81Andrey Melnichenko10.840Russiacoal, fertilizers82James Simons10.773United Stateshedge funds83Ernesto Bertarelli & family10.646Switzerlandbiotech, investments84Jack Taylor & family10.489United StatesEnterprise Rent-A-Car85Abigail Johnson10.350United StatesFidelity86Robin Li10.243ChinaTechnology86Eliodoro, Bernardo & Patricia Matte10.2N/AChilepaper88Ray Dalio10,062United Stateshedge funds88George Kaiser10,069United Statesoil & gas, banking88Johanna Quandt10,085GermanyBMW88Hans Rausing10,086Swedenpackaging88Tadashi Yanai & family10,063Japanretail93Serge Dassault & family9.986Franceaviation93Ananda Krishnan9.973Malaysiatelecoms95Klaus-Michael Kuhne9.874Germanyshipping96Pallonji Mistry9.782Irelandconstruction97Alejandro Santo Domingo Davila9.535Colombiabeer98Horst Paulmann & family9.377Chileretail99Gennady Timchenko9.159Russiaoil & gas100Laurene Powell Jobs & family9,048United StatesApple, Disney100David & Simon Reuben9,069United Kingdominvestments, real estate100Dmitry Rybolovlev9,045Russiafertilizer100Harold Simmons9,080United Statesinvestments
See also List of wealthiest families
References
External links Forbes World's Billionaires 2012