The rich will continue to get richer: 300 of the world’s richest people are more than $500 billion better off than this time last year, and Bill Gates is back on top
- The top 300 billionaires add $524 billion to their net worth in 2013
- The total wealth of the world’s richest people amounted to $3.7 trillion at the end of the year
- Biggest gains for tech bosses, whose wealth increased by 28 percent
- Bill Gates’ wealth increased by $15.8 billion to $78.5 billion
Back to the top: Microsoft boss Bill Gates once again tops the world’s rich list by adding more than $15 billion to his total wealth.
The world’s richest people got even richer in 2013, adding $524 billion to their collective net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Indexa daily ranking of the 300 richest people in the world.
According to the ranking, the total value of the world’s top billionaires amounted to $3.7 trillion at the market close on December 31.
Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, was the biggest winner of the year, as he regained the title of richest man in the world, ousting Mexican Carlos Slim from first place.
The fortune of the 58-year-old Microsoft president increased by $15.8 billion to $78.5 billion.
The news came as figures showed shares of Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, rose 40 percent.
Mr. Gates’ assets are primarily held in Cascade Investment LLC.
Through these investments, he owns stakes in about three dozen publicly traded companies and several privately held companies.
Elite: Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp (left) had revenue of $13.2 billion in the 12 months ending September 30, while Amancio Ortega (right) retained the title of Europe’s richest person.
Business leader: Gates, 58, is worth $78.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Index, while shares of Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, rose 40 percent
Investment: Less than a quarter of Bill Gates’ wealth comes from Microsoft
Gates’ assets have enjoyed a boost thanks to a rally in stock holdings including Canadian National Railway Co. and disinfectant products maker Ecolab Inc., which rose 34 percent and 45 percent respectively.
The investment in these companies means Gates has stakes in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Corbis Corp., a photo archive company.
Gates spokesman John Pinette declined to comment.
The most striking numbers came from the technology sector, which soared 28 percent over the year.
Only 70 out of 300 posted a net loss over the 12-month period.
John Catsimatidis, the billionaire founder of real estate and energy conglomerate Red Apple Group Inc, said: ‘The rich will continue to get richer in 2014.
“Interest rates will remain low, stock markets will continue to rise, and the economy will grow at less than 2 percent.”
Microsoft accounts for less than 25 percent of Gates’ fortune.
The software mogul has donated $28 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
A surge in global stocks in 2013 means last year was the best annual gain since 2009. The MSCI World index advanced 24 percent over the year to close at 1,661.07 on December 31.
The Standard and Poor’s 500 index rose 30 percent to close at 1,848.36, its best annual gain since 1997.
BLOOMBERG’S TEN RICHEST PEOPLE (NET WORTH)
1. Bill Gates: $78.5 billion
2. Carlos Slim: 72 billion dollars
3. Amancio Ortega: 65.2 billion dollars
4. Warren Buffett: $60.3 billion
5. Ingvar Kamprad: $52.8 billion
6. Charles Koch: $50 billion
7. David Koch: $50 billion
8. Larry Ellison $43.3 billion
9. Christy Walton: $39.1 billion
10. Sheldon Adelson: $37.5 billion
The Stoxx Europe 600 gained 17 percent to close at 328.26. S&P 500 companies are worth $3.7 trillion more today than they were 12 months ago, after a year in which Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke signaled the reduction of economic stimulus.
The bull market, born in the depths of the credit crisis, is entering its sixth year driven by near-zero interest rates and a conviction among investors that it is finally safe to own stocks again.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. Founder Sheldon Adelson was the second-biggest gainer in 2013, adding $14.4 billion to his net worth as the company’s shares rose 71 percent.
Revenue for the six gaming operators of China’s only legal casinos rose 18.6 percent to 360.75 billion patacas ($45.2 billion) last year.
Las Vegas Sands had revenue of $13.2 billion in the 12 months ended September 30.
Slim lost $1.4 billion during 2013. His América Móvil SAB, America’s largest mobile operator, fell 12 percent in the first three months of the year after Mexico’s Congress approved a bill to repeal the billionaire market dominance.
The company ended the year up 2 percent after a planned expansion in Europe was halted, reassuring investors who were worried about the billions of dollars in investments the strategy would require.
Billionaire: Las Vegas Sands Corp. founder Sheldon Adelson was the second-biggest earner in 2013, adding $14.4 billion to his net worth.
Industry growth: Gaming revenues for the six operators of China’s only legal casinos rose 18.6 percent to 360.75 billion patacas ($45.2 billion) last year.
“Billionaires are wondering what they should do with their money in 2014,” said Mark Haefele, global chief investment officer at UBS AG’s wealth management unit.
“Central banks will continue to provide support, so stocks will likely continue to rise throughout the year.”
Bloomberg News revealed 109 new billionaires in 2013. None of them have ever appeared in an international wealth ranking.
For example, Lynsi Torres is the youngest billionaire in the US.
The 31-year-old In-N-Out Burger heiress inherited a family chain that grew from a single self-service burger stand founded in 1948 in Baldwin Park, California, to a fast-food empire.
The company is now valued at more than $1 billion.
One negative story that emerges from these figures is that of Eike Batista, whose net worth plummeted by more than $12 billion during the year.
OGX Petróleo & Gas Participacoes SA, the oil company that made him the richest man in Brazil, went bankrupt in October.
Philanthropist: Gates has donated $28 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
As of March 2012, Batista was the eighth richest person in the world. He now he has a negative net worth.
Amancio Ortega retains the title of the richest person in Europe. Inditex SA, the world’s largest clothing retailer, rose 14 percent for the year.
The billionaire is reported to have recently purchased an office building in London’s West End for £410 million.
Sergey Galitskiy, founder of OAO Magnit, Russia’s largest food retailer, added $5.3 billion to his net worth in 2013, more than any other Russian billionaire.
The 46-year-old has a fortune of $13.8 billion. The richest person in Russia is Alisher Usmanov, 60, with a net worth of $20.2 billion.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia remains the richest person in the Middle East, ending the year with a net worth of $32.4 billion. That is, an increase of 3.7 billion dollars in the year.
Aliko Dangote is the richest person in Africa. The Dangote Group founder acquired $9.2 billion during the year, making him the 30th richest person in the world.