The Forbes Magazine team of fortune hunters has discovered 14 newcomers from India to join the list of 946 billionaires of the world’s richest people.
According to the Forbes Magazine, there were 36 billionaires with property of $191 billion from India in the richest people’s list, which also includes the 14 newcomers.
The Magazines said there were 178 newcomers, including 19 Russians, 14 Indians, 13 Chinese and 10 Spaniards, as well as the first billionaires from Cyprus, Oman, Romania and Serbia.
“India's rich are also marching toward the top of our rankings,” said the Magazine. “India now has three in the upper echelons,” the Magazine said.
Among the world’s 20 wealthiest, Lakshmi Mittal, who heads the world's biggest steel company, Arcelor Mittal, has been ranked top fifth with a net worth of $ 32 billion.
Brothers Mukesh and Anil Ambani have been 14th and 18th with personal property of $20.1 billion and $18.2 billion, respectively, said the list released by the Magazine.
Wipro’s Azim Premji, who is also an Indian, is ranked 21st with 17.1 billion.
The other Indians on the richest list include DLF’s K P Singh, ranked 62nd with $10 billion, Sunil Mittal’s family 69th with $9.5 billion, Kumar Mangalam Birla and Essar’s Ruia brothers 86th with $8 billion.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates with a net worth of $56 billion, continues to be the richest person in the world for 13th year in succession.
Two-thirds of last year's billionaires are richer. Only 17 percent are poorer, including 32 who fell below the billion-dollar mark. The billionaires' combined net worth climbed by $900 billion to $3.5 trillion. That equates to $3.6 billion apiece, said the Magazine.
The Magazine said that 44 billionaires were dropped off the list for various reasons.
The World’s Top 20 Billionaires
Rank Name Citizenship Age Net Worth ($bil)
1 William Gates III United States 51 56.0
2 Warren Buffett United States 76 52.0
3 Carlos Slim Helu Mexico 67 49.0
4 Ingvar Kamprad & family Sweden 80 33.0
5 Lakshmi Mittal India 56 32.0
6 Eeldon Adelson United States 73 26.5
7 Ernard Arnault France 58 26.0
8 Amancio Ortega Spain 71 24.0
9 Li Ka-shing Hong Kong 78 23.0
10 David Thomson & family Canada 49 22.0
11 Lawrence Ellison United States 62 21.5
12 Liliane Bettencourt France 84 20.7
13 Prince A. B. Talal Alsaud Saudi Arabia 50 20.3
14 Mukesh Ambani India 49 20.1
15 Karl Albrecht Germany 87 20.0
16 Roman Abramovich Russia 40 18.7
17 Stefan Persson Sweden 59 18.4
18 Anil Ambani India 47 18.2
19 Paul Allen United States 54 18.0
20 Theo Albrecht Germany 84 17.5