Letter From The Editor: On Doers and Doings

The special edition that you hold in your hands is the definitive guide to the richest people on earth. For a little less than three decades, Forbes has been at the forefront of tracking the wealth of the biggest billionaires around the world. The global wealth team, led by editors Luisa Kroll and Kerry A Dolan, have ranked the billionaires on the basis of their net worth. And this year too, despite the global uncertainties, the 2013 Forbes Billionaires list has as many as 1,426 names.

True to form, the US has the highest share of billionaires (442, to be precise), but the rise of Asia is clearly noticeable. In all, there are 386 billionaires in the region, up from 315 last year, which translates into a 20 percent jump in net worth. And China is well ahead in that race, with 122 billionaires; India takes second place at 55. This time, the number of newcomers (78) in Asia is significantly higher than the number of dropouts (22), suggesting that the momentum could last for a while.

There are plenty of riveting stories in this edition that are bound to keep you hooked. Like the one on Russian tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov, who is a strong candidate to eventually replace Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. Don’t miss the incredible story of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia. He’s apparently willing to go to any lengths to push up his ranking on the Forbes list, except that his methods are now no longer a secret. In 2010, I remember meeting Renzo Rosso in Mumbai, when he was here to launch his brand Diesel, in alliance with Reliance Brands. Today, Rosso is building a global fashion conglomerate that could rival LVMH.

When this magazine was launched in the US in 1917, its original name was Forbes: Devoted to Doers and Doings. The billionaire entrepreneurs, who feature in these pages, are a testimony to that very same spirit. As Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, once said about entrepreneurship, “The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.”

Best,
Indrajit Gupta
Editor, Forbes India
Email: indrajit.gupta@network18online.com
Twitter id: @indrajitgupta