“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling and the founders of the Google search engine have landed on Forbes magazine’s annual list of billionaires after a year when rallying stocks and a strong euro swelled the list to the longest it has ever been.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates remains perched atop the list for the 10th straight year, but investor Warren Buffett is nipping at his heels.
Gates’ net worth is now estimated at $46.6 billion, still less than half the $100 billion it peaked at in 1998, but up about 13 percent from the $40.7 billion Forbes attributed to him in 2003.
All told, it was a fabulous year to be very rich.
The magazine counted some 587 billionaires around the world, up from 476 in 2003.
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The Fantastic 5
1. William Gates III: Washington,
$46.6 billion, Microsoft
2. Warren Buffett: Nebraska,
$42.9 billion, Berkshire Hathaway
3. Karl Albrecht: Germany,
$23 billion, supermarkets
4. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud: Saudi Arabia, $21.5 billion
5. Paul Allen: Washington,
$21 billion, Microsoft
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Compiled from RedEye news services and edited by Lara Weber (lweber@tribune.com) and Drew Sottardi (dsottardi@tribune.com)
