Top 10 World’s Billionaires in 2014. Gates added $9 billion to his fortune since 2013 and topped the Forbes 2014 billionaire list. He had topped the list in 15 of the previous 20 years, but his previous number one ranking was in 2009. Mexican telecommunication mogul Carlos Slim came in second place after being number one the previous four years. Zara founder Amancio Ortega placed third for the second consecutive year. American investor Warren Buffett was in the top five for the 20th consecutive year, placing fourth. America’s Christy Walton was the highest ranking woman, placing ninth overall. Aliko Dangote of Nigeria became the first African to enter the top 25, with an estimated net worth of $25 billion.
A total of 1,645 people made the 2014 billionaire list, representing a combined wealth of $6.4 trillion. Of those, a record 268 were newcomers, surpassing 2008’s 226 newcomers. 100 people listed in 2013 failed to make the list. The number of women on the list rose to a record 172 in 2014. Approximately 66 percent of the list were self-made, 13 percent achieved their wealth through inheritance alone, and 21 percent through a mixture of the two.
The United States had 492 billionaires on the list, the most of any country. It also had the most newcomers with 50, and women with 54. China had the second most billionaires with 152, while Russia was third with 111. Algeria, Lithuania, Tanzania, and Uganda were all represented on the list for the first time. Turkey saw the most people drop off the list, 19, due to a period of high inflation in the country.
Here is a List of Top 10 World’s Billionaires in 2014
- Bill Gates – $76.0 billion
- Carlos Slim & family – $72.0 billion
- Amancio Ortega – $64.0 billion
- Warren Buffett – $58.2 billion
- Larry Ellison – $48.0 billion
- Charles Koch – $40.0 billion
- David Koch – $40.0 billion
- Sheldon Adelson – $38.0 billion
- Christy Walton & family – $36.7 billion
- Jim Walton – $34.7 billion
