Asia has more billionaires than U.S.

The wealth held by the world’s 1,542 billionaires jumped by nearly $1 trillion* in 2016. Asia’s economic expansion saw a new billionaire created every other day, with three in four living in China or India

Bill Gates  Microsoft  United States  $86bn
Amancio Ortega  Zara  Spain           $71.3bn
Li Ka-shing   Diversified  Hong Kong  $31.2bn
Mukesh Ambani   Oil and gas   India   $23.2bn

Number of billionaires   Wealth (US$)   Percentage change

United States              
538  2015: $2,395 billion
563  2016: $2,753 billion  UP 14.9%

Asia
520    $1,493bn
637    $1,965bn     UP 31.6%      Includes 318 Chinese, 101 Indian billionaires

Europe
339    $1,255bn
342    $1,319bn     UP 5.1%       Entrepreneurs can find Europe a difficult place to do business due to strict regulations

*$1 trillion = $1,000,000,000,000
 
World’s billionaires employ 27.7 million people


Sources: UBS/PwC, Bloomberg, Forbes Pictures: AFP/Getty Images       © GRAPHIC NEWS