Bill Gates is the richest person on the planet for the fourth straight year, in what was a record year for billionaires and their fortunes, according to the annual list from Forbes magazine.
Gates’ $86 billion in wealth tops 2,043 other billionaires — a number that jumped 13 percent from 1,810 last year. The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist has been the richest person in the world 18 out of the past 23 years, Forbes reported.
While Gates’ pal Warren Buffett took over the No. 2 spot at $75.6 billion, it was Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos who had the best year of anyone. Bezos added $27.6 billion to his fortune to reach $72.8 billion and move into the top three for the first time.
Seattle can now boast that two of the world’s three richest men call the region home.
Our 2017 #ForbesBillionaires are worth more than ever before: a total of $7.67 trillion https://t.co/le6xDZwsmF pic.twitter.com/PqLqp2ZPp1
— Forbes (@Forbes) March 20, 2017
Forbes said the change in the number of billionaires (up 233 since the 2016 list) was the biggest in the 31 years that the magazine has been tracking the world’s wealthiest people.
Other notable moves on the list:
- President Trump slipped 220 spots on the list to number 544 with an estimated worth of $3.5 billion.
- Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, who once eclipsed Gates as the world’s richest man, fell to number six, the first time he’s been out of the top five in a dozen years.
- The U.S. continues to have more billionaires than any other nation, with a record 565. China is second with 319.
