Billionaires! They're just like us! Well, they still have better Summer homes, private planes and much bigger blocks of gold, but Forbes reports the richest people in the world have gotten poorer along with the rest of us over the last year. Bill Gates lost $18 billion this year, but won back his title as the world's richest man and is estimated to be worth $40 billion. Last year's champ Warren Buffet and Mexican telecom giant Carlos Slim Helú came in second and third place. How bad are the numbers for the rest? This year the billionaires have an average net worth of $3 billion, down 23 percent in 12 months.
- The world now has 793 billionaires, down from 1,125 a year ago.
- After slipping in recent years, the US is gaining dominance on the list. Americans account for 44 percent of the money and 45 percent of the list's slots, up seven and three percentage points from last year.
- Warren Buffett was last year's No. 1, but saw his fortune decline $25 billion as shares of Berkshire Hathaway fell nearly 50 percent in 12 months.
- Mexican telecom giant Carlos Slim Helú maintains his spot in the top three, but lost $25 billion.
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Aw, poor things.
1I always wonder if Buffett and Gates write taunting e-mails back and forth. "Ha ha. I'm back to number one."
2Oh lord...give me a break.
3Seriously, people are struggling to make ends meet and these guys are sad because they're only BARELY billionaires? Puh-lease.
4Even though these men are hardly hurting and I have no pity for their loss. The fact is if their businesses are losing money that means lay offs and more additions to the unemployment lines and mortgages unpaid and entire families in homeless shelters. It's all cyclical, so unfortunately their loss effect us all.
5Boo hoo.
6Boohoo, they aren't feeling anything.
7It boggles the mind that someone can lose $18 billion dollars and still be the richest man in the world. Also, I don't think this article is saying they're sad over their losses, just pointing out that everyone is losing money in some way. Besides, as ylovely pointed out, it does affect us in the long run.
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