World’s rich list grows amid pandemic
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The combined wealth of the world’s richest people has grown by more than $5 trillion since 2020, according to Forbes’ annual ranking, despite the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic
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World’s richest five (from left), Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg. They are worth $700 billion collectively – up by more than $330 billion since 2020
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2,755 Record-breaking number of billionaires in 2021, 660 more than last year
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724 U.S. has most billionaires in world, followed by 698 in China and 140 in India
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$13.1 trillion Combined wealth of world’s billionaires as of Mar 2021 – up from $8 trillion in 2020
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493 Number of new billionaires in 2021 – roughly one new billionaire every 17 hours – including 210 from China and Hong Kong
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328 Number of women on billionaires list (12% of total).
Richest is L’Oréal board member Francoise Bettencourt Meyers (centre) with $73.6 billion
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72% Percentage of self-made billionaires (highest ever), up from 70 percent in 2020 and 49 percent in 2001
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RISING FORTUNES

Number of billionaires worldwide

Combined net worth 

140 billionaires
$295 billion

1,125 billionaires
$4.4 trillion

2,755 billionaires
$13.1 trillion
   
1987 2008 2021
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Sources: Forbes, UPI, Washington Post Pictures: AP, Getty Images
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