Forbes list of billionaires

Forbes list of billionaires
LohShiSan2004 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Forbes list of billionaires
Type	Annual ranking
First published	1987
Publisher	Forbes
Country	United States
Language	English

Forbes list of billionaires is an annual compilation published by Forbes magazine that ranks the world's wealthiest individuals by net worth. The list generates widespread attention across media outlets such as The New York Times, BBC News, The Guardian, Bloomberg L.P., and CNBC. It intersects with profiles of prominent figures including Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Bernard Arnault, Jeff Bezos, and institutions like Berkshire Hathaway, LVMH, Microsoft, Tesla, Inc., and Amazon (company).

Overview

The compilation aggregates data on private individuals including entrepreneurs such as Carlos Slim, Mukesh Ambani, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, and political magnates like Vladimir Putin as subjects of analysis by outlets like Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Coverage of the list frequently appears alongside reporting on markets such as the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, Shanghai Stock Exchange, and Euronext. The list influences public perceptions of wealth linked to companies including Alphabet Inc., Meta Platforms, Inc., Apple Inc., and Saudi Aramco.

Methodology

Forbes employs valuation techniques drawing on filings from regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission and financial data from firms such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Valuations use share prices from exchanges including Hong Kong Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange and account for holdings in private firms like IKEA-related entities, family conglomerates such as Reliance Industries, and holdings associated with families like the Walton family. The methodology considers asset classes traced through documents from Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, and court filings in jurisdictions like Delaware and Luxembourg. Adjustments reflect events such as mergers by Meta Platforms, Inc., spin-offs like AbbVie from Abbott Laboratories, and initial public offerings like those of Airbnb and Uber Technologies, Inc..

Annual Lists and Rankings

Since inception in 1987, editions have highlighted year-to-year shifts involving individuals such as Carlos Slim Helú, Amancio Ortega, Li Ka-shing, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and newcomers like Zhang Yiming and Dustin Moskovitz. Special compilations include country-specific lists for United States, China, India, Germany, and Russia, and sectoral views for technology magnates at firms like Intel Corporation and Oracle Corporation versus investors linked to Blackstone Group and KKR & Co. Inc.. Milestones track changes after events such as the 2008 financial crisis, Dot-com bubble, COVID-19 pandemic, and sanctions involving Vladimir Putin-associated oligarchs.

Notable Billionaires and Records

Record holders and notable figures include long-term leaders like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, technology disruptors such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, luxury and retail magnates like Bernard Arnault and Amancio Ortega, and industrialists like Mukesh Ambani and Li Ka-shing. The list has documented records for youngest billionaires including Kylie Jenner and heirs like members of the Walton family and Mars family, as well as longest-tenured entrants such as Ingvar Kamprad during his lifetime. It has tracked wealth shifts tied to transactions by companies including Facebook, Alibaba Group, Tencent Holdings, and Berkshire Hathaway, and legal events involving figures like Roman Abramovich.

Criticisms and Controversies

Scholars and journalists at outlets like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and ProPublica have critiqued the list's opacity, valuation of private holdings, and treatment of tax avoidance strategies connected to trusts and entities in Cayman Islands, Switzerland, and British Virgin Islands. Controversies have arisen over inclusion or exclusion of politically exposed persons such as Vladimir Putin-alleged networks, accuracy in volatile markets like Cryptocurrency exchanges tied to Binance and Coinbase Global, Inc., and disputes involving family claims seen in cases related to Gautam Adani and legal proceedings in India. Coverage of philanthropic offsets involving foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Bezos Earth Fund also generates debate.

Economic and Social Impact

The list influences philanthropy decisions by figures like Bill Gates, MacKenzie Scott, George Soros, and Michael Bloomberg, impacts investor sentiment in markets monitored by Morningstar, Inc. and S&P Global, and shapes policy discussions in legislatures such as the United States Congress and bodies like the European Commission. Reporting on wealth concentration has fed into movements associated with activists such as Oxfam and Occupy Wall Street, and informed analyses by economists at institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Related Lists and Comparisons

Comparable rankings include the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, country rankings produced by national outlets like Hurun Report and lists from organizations such as Forbes Asia and Forbes 30 Under 30 (distinct compilations), as well as academic measures of wealth concentration used by researchers at Harvard University, London School of Economics, and Stanford University. Cross-references appear with rankings of corporations by market capitalization like Fortune Global 500 and with compilations of wealthy families such as lists detailing the Walton family and House of Saud members.

Category:Wealth lists