The World's Billionaires 2019

 

Capitalism is taking some lumps—and not just in the headlines. For only the second year in a decade, both the number of billionaires and their total wealth shrank, as a strong dollar and weak global stock markets took a toll. By our latest count, there are 2,153 billionaires, 55 fewer than a year ago. Of those, 994, or 46 percent, are poorer than they were last year. In total, the ultra-rich are worth $8.7 trillion, down $400 billion from 2018. And the world is minting fewer new fortunes: 248 members of last year’s list are no longer billionaires (an additional 29 died), while only 195 people debuted on the 2019 list. The US and the Americas, driven by Brazil, are the only two regions that have more billionaires than they did a year ago. For much more on the world’s wealthiest, including our exclusive global ranking in order of net worth, go to:
www.forbes.com/billionaires