They are the famous 1% of the 1% of the 1%… the billionaires.
Every year they are criticized for their wealth and, for some, for their expansive and luxurious lifestyle. They are the object of all envy and are increasingly numerous. However, this increase in their numbers has not occurred without a decrease in the total amount of their fortune.
We mostly know the big names: Bill Gates and Amancio Ortega who battle for the top spot on the list each year with fortunes exceeding 70 billion dollars, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha… A dozen names come to mind as soon as we talk about billionaires.
Yet, they are far more numerous: according to the UBS bank report published on Thursday, October 13, 2016, there are 1,400 billionaires in the world. In 2015, no less than 210 people were added to the list of those whose fortune exceeds the symbolic billion-dollar mark. On average, according to the World Bank, their fortune is 3.7 billion.
Paradoxically, according to the UBS report, while the number of billionaires is on the rise, their fortune is declining. Certainly, they still have nothing to complain about since they collectively own 5.1 trillion dollars. However, this sum has decreased by 6% over a year.
Unsurprisingly, Americans are the largest group of billionaires in the world: 538 of the ultra-rich come from the United States. They are followed by China and Europe.
China, in particular, is experiencing the most significant growth in the number of billionaires: one every three days.
