Bill Gates Comes in at No. 2 on Forbes Rich List
Carlos Slim has further widened the gap between himself and the man who occupies second place on Forbes' rich list.
He was robbed of his ‘World’s Richest Man’ title in 2010 by Carlos Slim, a 70-year-old Mexican telecoms mogul who placed third on 2009’s list of the world’s billionaires. However, it seems 2011 was not the year of the comeback for Bill Gates. Forbes just released its annual billionaires list and Bill, with his $56 billion fortune, it still at number two while Slim and his net worth of $74 billion are sitting comfortably at number one.
According to Forbes, 2011 saw two records broken, with the total number of listees hitting 1,210 and the combined wealth of the group hitting $4.5 trillion. While Slim and Gates occupied first and second place, third, fourth and fifth places were taken by Warren Buffet ($50b), Bernard Arnault ($41b), and Larry Ellison ($39.5b) respectively.
Forbes reports that, while American billionaires still dominate the global ranks, we’re fast losing ground. Nearly all emerging markets have showed solid gains in the last year, but Asia-Pacific is moving particularly fast; the region now has 332 billionaires, up from 234 a year ago and 130 in 2009.
Read more about this year’s billionaires on Forbes.
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I have a very hard time imagining what it must be like to have that much money. I can't even relate to it.
i don't understand why anyone would need a billion dollars. to live super comfortably with all you'll ever need shouldn't be more than a few hundred million, and that;s considering if you were super greedy and superficial...what do they do besides sit on the money? bill gates could probably fix all the MTA problems himself... GIVE NYC YOUR DAMN MONEY!!!
He donates billions to charity....
He donates billions to charity....
Exactly. What is not mentioned in this article is the fact Gates has donated over 1/3 of his money to charity and that is what brought him down to 2nd place.
actually, according to Forbes, Bill Gates already donated around 30 billion dollars and this caused him to drop to second place.
Gates and Buffet donated their way into the 2nd and 3rd spots. Carlos Slim donations? notsomuch.
http://www.fortunewatch.com/will-c [...] -a-chance/
i don't understand why anyone would need a billion dollars. to live super comfortably with all you'll ever need shouldn't be more than a few hundred million, and that;s considering if you were super greedy and superficial...what do they do besides sit on the money? bill gates could probably fix all the MTA problems himself... GIVE NYC YOUR DAMN MONEY!!!
You could live comfortable just off of a couple million if you were smart with your money and invested that money into something that will almost always gurantee never to lose value like gold for example. You could live comfortable just living on the interest each month for from that investment for the rest of your life.
You could live comfortable just off of a couple million if you were smart with your money and invested that money into something that will almost always gurantee never to lose value like gold for example. You could live comfortable just living on the interest each month for from that investment for the rest of your life.
Gold doesn't pay interest
My guess is that unless u want to party with 100 girls every single day for the rest of your life, 50-100million is the most you could ever spend.
why are we discussing this? If I had several millions,( below the 10 mill marker), I don't know what I would do with myself.
But how much is in his personal offshore accounts? Our company used the same accounting firm that Microsoft used. They move money between countries and offshore corporations to both keep it off the US books and transfer it to wealthy investors -- who were also the executives. Those accountants even said that Microsoft was using the same techniques. We chose the amount of profit to show for each year.
So I'm glad to see Bill Gates giving some away. But that doesn't mean that he isn't a robber baron, with his own self-interest guiding even his charitable donations.
Come on people... really? I can spend all of these money in a DAY. I would not want to do it, but sure can do. Just buy half of China or something... It is possible to do, yet stupid and silly.
Anyways, just gimme one million $, I'll be fine - spending it wisely X)
I do hope Gates donates some of his money. However, I still speculate on that one...
Oh oh wait I know something...... money is irrelevant... they probably own some other bull-poop you can actually touch and value. Cause you know, our money is like gold in WoW.
Yeah, I am so pessimistic.
It is not really of great relevance weather Bill is more of a millionaire than Slim, or how much has he donated already (Gates) but what really REALLY is important about this is the way Carlos Slim makes money, and not only the way but his surroundings too. In a country that is by far the mos violent, justice hungry, corrupt, wrongly administered, and overall a 3rd world country, Mr Slim is the lord of the communications in this, my yet decadent country, and if there is a reason why he holds the greatest amount of money in the world only makes evident the kind of crap all of us mexicans are living in and around, and the fact that almost the totality of us HAVE to give money to his well established, deep rooted (in the government) monopoly. He is slowly moving in the shadows (and through a lot of his straw men, even though he is believed to be one himself) to sink even deeper this country, in spite of our well being... of course aided by his politician friends, and money, can buy a LOT of friends. So that's it gentlemen... we are REALLY FU%#ED UP!
Bill Gates has donated Billions of dollars to charities around the world. I have personally met Mr. Gates and he was one of the most down to earth people I have ever met. If you walked up on him on the streets you would not believe that he is the 2nd richest man in the world. On top of what he has already donated, both Bill and Melinda Gates have promised to donate 1/3 of their fortune to charitable organizations. He really is just a rich geek.
Even if 4.5 trillion is divided equally to all of the people on Earth, it would be only $1000 for each person. Considering there is 6 bill peeps on this planet. So yeah, no reason to cry about their sleepless nights. Plus they have most of it invested into other companies that work and help shape our society. Now anyone to help me make some more fantasy FPS maps... or am I alone on this one 2? lol
... I have personally met Mr. Gates and he was one of the most down to earth people I have ever met.
I've met lots of executives. And I've worked with several direct reports to Bill.
Let me put it this way: He hides the bulk of his wealth. He threatened companies to stop competition. He bought silence when he could. He sliced up markets with his "competitors" in order to insure massive profit and avoid any real competition -- at great cost to the public.
So a "down to earth" guy who knows how to generate good PR by giving away billions while keeping the bulk for himself -- he gets small praise from me.
It's news that Bill Gates didn't make an extra huge assload of money this year?
I say who gives a fat rats clacker.
They are rich, we are poor. End of story.
Make good with what you have!
I've met lots of executives. And I've worked with several direct reports to Bill.Let me put it this way: He hides the bulk of his wealth. He threatened companies to stop competition. He bought silence when he could. He sliced up markets with his "competitors" in order to insure massive profit and avoid any real competition -- at great cost to the public.So a "down to earth" guy who knows how to generate good PR by giving away billions while keeping the bulk for himself -- he gets small praise from me.
You do not get that rich with out being a little ruthless. How many rich "nice people" do you know? Not a lot because they get walked all over by people like Gates. You do not have to like him but it is respectable having amassed that much wealth.
...You do not have to like him but it is respectable having amassed that much wealth.
It is not respectable amassing that much wealth. The techniques he used did not conform to the values of our society. Monopoly. Secret collusion with competitors. Threats. Offshore corporations. Off the books profit. These are not respectable. Even when he operated within the law, those laws were passed by the influence of the wealthy and don't conform to the values of our society for fair play and fair profit.
Bill Gates left microsoft, He doesn't work anymore, he devotes his time to the foundation
Why do people care what he does?
actually, according to Forbes, Bill Gates already donated around 30 billion dollars and this caused him to drop to second place.
And his charity is worth nearly $30 Billion and he continues to try and get more rich people to donate as well.
Aslo upon his death, he leaves $100 million to each kid with the rest of his net worth going to charities around the world.
makes me sick to see other righ people who complain they don't have enough money.
All the money he have and he still wear Clothes like us,
Wow , i feel GOOD
All the money? and you wear this ? He should be wearing MTS
Microsoft Toxic Shirt
There are some things money can't buy...but with $74billion do you really care about the things you can't buy? Unless they can extend your lifespan...
Why is Larry Ellison worth that much? Who uses Oracle?
But since most of the money is tied to stocks, it's basically worthless.
Bill gates should send some of his charity my way, $10k would build me a BEAST of a machine.
Then I'd be happy for the rest of my year
I'm more interested which "charity fund" has received this insane amount of money.
What are they doing with it?
With that amount of money he could have pushed technology, built hydrogen highways and what not. What will "charity funds" do with it?
i could live quite comfortably off just 1 million dollars.
That's a joke. Nobody is richer than the owners of the Federal Reserve. That do not belongs to the government. It's private, and their owners are far, far, far richer than Gates, Slim and all of the top 100 joined.
Watch this, and open your eyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXt1cayx0hs
For each dollar printed, the private bank "Federal reserve" gains the dollar, interests, and the remaining banks, which belong to the same corporation, gain 10X more money more interest by issuing credit without really investing any money. They get a free lunch, at no risk, and you pay it.
arent the swedish Ikea owner depending on how swedish krona/dollar stands richer at points ?