The World's Billionaires list: Three decades of ten-figure fortunes

We're nothing if not masters of timing. nearly 30 years ago, on October 5, 1987, Forbes published its first tally of the world’s billionaires. Exactly two weeks later, on Black Monday, the Dow plummeted by 22 percent in one session, severely denting some of those fortunes. Our luck has since improved: This year, amid global strength in stock and commodities markets, the worldwide billionaire count has reached 2,043, an all-time high (just 140 made our inaugural class). Geographic and gender diversity have increased, too—the former much more than the latter. Here’s a (very ritzy) walk down memory lane.

Click on the image to enlarge