The ranks of the world\u2019s billionaires, as monitored and tallied by our global wealth team, have yet again reached all-time highs. The 2013 Forbes Billionaires list now boasts 1,426 names, with an aggregate net worth of $5.4 trillion, up from $4.6 trillion. We found 210 new ten-figure fortunes. Once again the U.S. leads the list with 442 billionaires, followed by Asia-Pacific (386), Europe (366), the Americas (129) and the Middle East & Africa (103).<\/p>\n
Resurgent asset prices are the driving force behind the rising wealth of the super-rich around the globe. While last year almost as many fortunes fell as rose, this year gainers outnumbered losers by 4-to-1. Many new names made the list thanks to free-spending consumers. To name a few: Diesel jeans mogul Renzo Rosso at $3 billion, retailer Bruce Nordstrom at $1.2 billion and designer Tory Burch at $1 billion.<\/p>\n
Carlos Slim is once again the world\u2019s richest person, followed by Bill Gates. Amancio Ortega of Spanish retailer Zara moves up to No. 3 for the first time. He is the year\u2019s biggest gainer, adding $19.5 billion to his fortune in one year. He moves ahead of Warren Buffett, despite the fact that the U.S. investing legend added $9.5 billion to his fortune. This is the first year since 2000 that Buffett has not been among the top 3. The year\u2019s biggest loser is Brazilian Eike Batista, whose fortune dropped by $19.4 billion, or equivalent to about $50 million a day. His rank falls from no. 7 to no. 100 in the world.<\/p>\n
A total 138 women made the list this year, an increase of 34. With a net worth of $30 billion, Liliane Bettencourt (# 9) is now the richest woman in the world. Other women on the list include Miuccia Prada (# 78) of Italy, Anne Cox Chambers (#80) of the U.S., and new to the list, Margarita Louis-Dreyfus (#198) of Switzerland, with net worths of $12.4 billion, $12 billion and $6 billion, respectively.<\/p>\n
Notable newcomers include: Singapore real estate magnates Robert & Philip Ng (#108), worth $10.1 billion; Diesel jeans mogul Renzo Rosso (#458), worth $3 billion; Hermes’ Nicolas Puech (#704) worth $2.1 billion; GoPro’s Nicholas Woodman (#1107), with a net worth of $1.3 billion, retailer Bruce Nordstrom (#1175), worth $1.2 billion, fashion designer Tory Burch (#1342) and former business partner and ex-husband Christopher Burch (#1342), each with a net worth of $1 billion, and American filmmaker Ryan Kavanaugh (#1342) also with a net worth of $1 billion.<\/p>\n
Amancio Ortega is the world’s biggest gainer in dollar terms, adding $19.5 billion to his net worth. Another gainer: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (#13), who moves up from the No. 20 spot last year with a net worth of $27 billion (an increase of $5 billion from 2012). The year’s biggest loser, with a $19.4 billion drop in his fortune, is Brazilian Eike Batista (#100). Mark Zuckerberg (#66) has a net worth of $13.3 billion, compared to $17.5 billion in 2012, when he ranked #35.
\nNotable drop-offs include Zynga’s Mark Pincus, former Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon, Alex Lebedev. The Top 10 have a combined net worth of $451.5 billion, up from $395.4 billion in 2012:<\/p>\n
RANK NAME NET WORTH UP\/DOWN FROM 2012 ORIGIN OF WEALTH COUNTRY (By Citizenship)
\n 1 Carlos Slim Hel\u00fa $73 billion Up Telecom Mexico
\n 2 Bill Gates $67 billion Up Microsoft United States
\n 3 Amancio Ortega $57 billion Up Zara Spain
\n 4 Warren Buffett $53.5 billion Up Berkshire Hathaway United States
\n 5 Larry Ellison $43 billion Up Oracle United States
\n 6 Charles Koch $34 billion Up Diversified United States
\n 6 David Koch $34 billion Up Diversified United States
\n 8 Li Ka-shing $31 billion Up Diversified Hong Kong
\n 9 Liliane Bettencourt $30 billion Up L’Oreal France
\n 10 Bernaud Arnault $29 billion Down LVMH France<\/p>\n