If it seems like the rest of the world is getting richer, it's true, it is.
The world's wealthiest people had a record-breaking good year in 2011, says Forbes magazine, which released its list of the globe's billionaires. During the year, 214 people became billionaires, bringing the world's total to 1,210 people holding $4.5 trillion. These billionaires' wealth is larger than the Gross Domestic Product of Germany.
These wealthy individuals saw their average net worth jump 5.7% to $3.7 billion, powered in large part by soaring stock and commodity prices.
The U.S., with 413, is still home to more billionaires than any other country. But the rising influence of wealth outside the U.S. is becoming more clear in that:
•The world's richest person, again, isn't American. Carlos Slim of Mexico was again the wealthiest with a net worth of $74 billion, adding $20.5 billion. Slim widened his lead over Microsoft's Bill Gates by $18 billion, largely due to Gates' massive philanthropic efforts valued so far at roughly $30 billion, says Steven Bertoni of Forbes. "Bill Gates is only losing because he's helping the rest of the world," he says.
•Most new billionaires aren't being created in the U.S. During the year, 23 new billionaires were minted in the U.S., in large part resulting from the swelling paper value of social media site Facebook. Meanwhile, China added 54 new billionaires and Russia added 31. More than 108 new billionaires came from Brazil, Russian, India and China, the so-called BRIC nations.
Due to the rise of emerging nations, today just one in every three billionaires is American, down from one in every two ten years ago.
•A city outside the U.S. home is home to the most billionaires. Moscow is the home of the most billionaires, 79, topping New York's 58. Last year, New York was home to more billionaires than any other city in the world. Russia has more than 115 billionaires. Soaring commodity prices has been a big win for resource-rich Russia, says Timothy Smeeding, professor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
•Asia's dominance continues to swell. For the first time in a decade, there are more billionaires in Asia, 332, than in Europe, 300. China has 101 billionaires.
While Russia's rise is closely tied to rising prices of natural resources, China's is much more about aggressive expansion in manufacturing, Smeeding says. "With a culture of savings and workers who want to get ahead, even more so than in America, more are getting ahead," he says.
It's premature, though to count out America, Bertoni says. Of the top 20 richest people, 8 are still Americans. And of the $4.5 trillion held by billionaires, $1.5 trillion is held by Americans. "While the (U.S.) is not adding as many new names, there is still substantial wealth here," he says.
The world's wealthiest people had a record-breaking good year in 2011, says Forbes magazine, which released its list of the globe's billionaires. During the year, 214 people became billionaires, bringing the world's total to 1,210 people holding $4.5 trillion. These billionaires' wealth is larger than the Gross Domestic Product of Germany.
These wealthy individuals saw their average net worth jump 5.7% to $3.7 billion, powered in large part by soaring stock and commodity prices.
The U.S., with 413, is still home to more billionaires than any other country. But the rising influence of wealth outside the U.S. is becoming more clear in that:
•The world's richest person, again, isn't American. Carlos Slim of Mexico was again the wealthiest with a net worth of $74 billion, adding $20.5 billion. Slim widened his lead over Microsoft's Bill Gates by $18 billion, largely due to Gates' massive philanthropic efforts valued so far at roughly $30 billion, says Steven Bertoni of Forbes. "Bill Gates is only losing because he's helping the rest of the world," he says.
•Most new billionaires aren't being created in the U.S. During the year, 23 new billionaires were minted in the U.S., in large part resulting from the swelling paper value of social media site Facebook. Meanwhile, China added 54 new billionaires and Russia added 31. More than 108 new billionaires came from Brazil, Russian, India and China, the so-called BRIC nations.
Due to the rise of emerging nations, today just one in every three billionaires is American, down from one in every two ten years ago.
•A city outside the U.S. home is home to the most billionaires. Moscow is the home of the most billionaires, 79, topping New York's 58. Last year, New York was home to more billionaires than any other city in the world. Russia has more than 115 billionaires. Soaring commodity prices has been a big win for resource-rich Russia, says Timothy Smeeding, professor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
•Asia's dominance continues to swell. For the first time in a decade, there are more billionaires in Asia, 332, than in Europe, 300. China has 101 billionaires.
While Russia's rise is closely tied to rising prices of natural resources, China's is much more about aggressive expansion in manufacturing, Smeeding says. "With a culture of savings and workers who want to get ahead, even more so than in America, more are getting ahead," he says.
It's premature, though to count out America, Bertoni says. Of the top 20 richest people, 8 are still Americans. And of the $4.5 trillion held by billionaires, $1.5 trillion is held by Americans. "While the (U.S.) is not adding as many new names, there is still substantial wealth here," he says.
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