Here are my thoughts on the recently published Forbes 400 ranking of the world’s wealthiest people:
- Last year saw the list grow to the most billionaires ever. This seems like a great omen for a looming worldwide economic recovery. Though I’m not a professional economist, I’m going to venture a guess that wealthy people tend to be the first to see the benefits of an upswing in economic activity. So if a lot of them got wealthy last year, then the rest of us are sure to follow.
- Last year also saw the largest combined wealth of all on the list. This probably just speaks to the unevenness of global wealth creation. Those in the know not only make far more, but make far more far quicker!
- Carlos Helu Slim’s wealth = $74 billion. Wow! Who would have ever thought that the heir to the Bill Gates throne would be Mexican? It absolutely tickles me that this investment wunderkind has had such a meteoric rise to the top. I just wonder if he’ll top the $100 billion mark...
- China has 115 members on the list. Though a lot has been said and written about China’s growing prominence, there’s nothing like having a triple digit number of billionaires to validate a shift in the earth’s axis.
- America still rules! 413 billionaires, 1 out of every 3 billionaires, 18 of the top 50... yep its true, these shores are still awash with cash.
- Facebook spawns 6 newcomers to the list. I have to admit it, I am absolutely baffled but yet marveled by the success of this little website. Facebook is a toy, albeit a somewhat addictive one, whose primary contribution that I know of is its amazing ability to kill time. Not sure how it makes the leap to billionaire creating machine à la Microsoft, Google, Berkshire Hathaway... but there are 500 million people who would probably vehemently disagree.
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