The 2012 edition of the Forbes World's Billionaires ranking
The World's Billionaires, 2012 is the 2012 edition of the annual ranking of the world's billionaires published by the American business magazine Forbes. The list data published by Forbes for 2012 contain 1,226 people with an estimated net worth of at least US$1 billion, worth a combined US$4.57 trillion.[1] That is 17 more than the 1,209 people in the 2011 list.[2] The top-ranked person was Carlos Slim Helu & family, with an estimated US$69.0 billion (telecom).[1]
Methodology
The figures on this page were compiled from the list data published by Forbes for the 2012 World's Billionaires list.[1] Net worth figures are Forbes's own estimates, in US dollars, at the time the list was compiled; they are not audited figures. Totals and breakdowns were calculated by Powerbase from that data: country means the country of citizenship recorded by Forbes; regions are a grouping of those countries made for this page (Forbes does not publish them in this form); gender is as recorded by Forbes; and industry is the first industry category Forbes assigns to each entry. Entries listed by Forbes as a family (for example "& family") are counted once. Forbes's own methodology article could not be opened for this page, so its details are not summarised here.
This page deliberately reproduces only aggregate figures and the top 100 entries, not the complete Forbes list. It contains no breakdown by religion, ethnicity or race.
Summary
Summary of the list
| Measure |
Value
|
| Number of billionaires |
1,226
|
| Combined net worth |
US$4.57 trillion
|
| Average net worth |
US$3.73 billion
|
| Median net worth |
US$2.10 billion
|
| Worth US$100 billion or more |
0
|
| Combined worth of top 10 |
US$0.40 trillion
|
| Countries of citizenship represented |
59
|
[1]
By country of citizenship
Top 25 countries of citizenship
| Country |
Billionaires |
Share of total |
Combined net worth (US$ billion)
|
| United States |
424 |
34.6% |
1,639.8
|
| Russia |
96 |
7.8% |
376.1
|
| China |
95 |
7.7% |
204.3
|
| Germany |
55 |
4.5% |
251.3
|
| India |
48 |
3.9% |
194.6
|
| Hong Kong |
38 |
3.1% |
159.0
|
| Brazil |
37 |
3.0% |
153.0
|
| United Kingdom |
36 |
2.9% |
98.6
|
| Turkey |
34 |
2.8% |
54.3
|
| Canada |
26 |
2.1% |
80.9
|
| Japan |
24 |
2.0% |
73.3
|
| Taiwan |
24 |
2.0% |
61.5
|
| South Korea |
20 |
1.6% |
47.0
|
| Australia |
18 |
1.5% |
65.7
|
| Indonesia |
17 |
1.4% |
41.5
|
| Spain |
16 |
1.3% |
70.9
|
| Italy |
16 |
1.3% |
76.5
|
| France |
15 |
1.2% |
122.0
|
| Israel |
13 |
1.1% |
41.5
|
| Mexico |
11 |
0.9% |
129.7
|
| Sweden |
11 |
0.9% |
75.7
|
| Malaysia |
9 |
0.7% |
45.3
|
| Switzerland |
9 |
0.7% |
37.2
|
| Saudi Arabia |
8 |
0.7% |
51.0
|
| Ukraine |
8 |
0.7% |
31.1
|
| All other (34) |
118 |
9.6% |
392.7
|
[1]
By region
Region (grouping of citizenship countries)
| Region |
Billionaires |
Share of total |
Combined net worth (US$ billion)
|
| North America |
450 |
36.7% |
1,720.7
|
| Europe |
343 |
28.0% |
1,344.3
|
| Asia-Pacific |
315 |
25.7% |
961.3
|
| Latin America & Caribbean |
66 |
5.4% |
371.3
|
| Middle East & North Africa |
46 |
3.8% |
143.7
|
| Sub-Saharan Africa |
6 |
0.5% |
33.2
|
[1]
By gender
Gender as recorded by Forbes
| Gender |
Billionaires |
Share of total |
Combined net worth (US$ billion)
|
| Men |
1,107 |
90.3% |
4,093.4
|
| Women |
105 |
8.6% |
434.0
|
| Not stated |
14 |
1.1% |
47.1
|
[1]
By industry
First industry category assigned by Forbes
| Industry (Forbes category) |
Billionaires |
Share of total |
Combined net worth (US$ billion)
|
| Investments |
110 |
9.0% |
380.3
|
| Diversified |
108 |
8.8% |
380.7
|
| Real Estate |
101 |
8.2% |
319.0
|
| Technology |
86 |
7.0% |
437.6
|
| Manufacturing |
83 |
6.8% |
239.6
|
| Energy |
79 |
6.4% |
350.7
|
| Finance and Investments |
77 |
6.3% |
238.4
|
| Food and Beverage |
67 |
5.5% |
223.3
|
| Fashion & Retail |
63 |
5.1% |
325.8
|
| Fashion and Retail |
60 |
4.9% |
330.0
|
| Metals & Mining |
59 |
4.8% |
323.7
|
| Service |
48 |
3.9% |
116.0
|
| Media |
42 |
3.4% |
137.5
|
| Construction & Engineering |
32 |
2.6% |
78.5
|
| Finance |
31 |
2.5% |
76.4
|
| Logistics |
26 |
2.1% |
70.7
|
| Health care |
25 |
2.0% |
61.7
|
| Automotive |
23 |
1.9% |
76.5
|
| Telecom |
21 |
1.7% |
135.9
|
| Healthcare |
19 |
1.5% |
54.0
|
| Media & Entertainment |
18 |
1.5% |
57.7
|
| Sports |
16 |
1.3% |
25.7
|
| Gaming |
12 |
1.0% |
55.0
|
| Gambling & Casinos |
4 |
0.3% |
13.7
|
| Retail |
4 |
0.3% |
5.3
|
| Business |
3 |
0.2% |
19.8
|
| Oil |
3 |
0.2% |
4.3
|
| Politics |
2 |
0.2% |
24.4
|
| Medicine |
2 |
0.2% |
4.8
|
| Not stated |
1 |
0.1% |
6.4
|
| Media |
1 |
0.1% |
1.2
|
[1]
Top 100
Entries ranked 1 to 100 by Forbes (tied ranks included).[1] Age is as given in the Forbes list data for 2012.
| Rank |
Name |
Net worth (US$ billion) |
Age |
Citizenship |
Source of wealth |
Industry
|
| 1 |
Carlos Slim Helu & family |
69.0 |
72 |
Mexico |
telecom |
Telecom
|
| 2 |
Bill Gates |
61.0 |
56 |
United States |
Microsoft |
Technology
|
| 3 |
Warren Buffett |
44.0 |
81 |
United States |
Berkshire Hathaway |
Investments
|
| 4 |
Bernard Arnault |
41.0 |
63 |
France |
LVMH |
Fashion and Retail
|
| 5 |
Amancio Ortega |
37.5 |
75 |
Spain |
Zara |
Fashion & Retail
|
| 6 |
Larry Ellison |
36.0 |
67 |
United States |
Oracle |
Technology
|
| 7 |
Eike Batista |
30.0 |
55 |
Brazil |
mining, oil |
Energy
|
| 8 |
Stefan Persson |
26.0 |
64 |
Sweden |
H&M |
Fashion & Retail
|
| 9 |
Li Ka-shing |
25.5 |
83 |
Hong Kong |
diversified |
Diversified
|
| 10 |
Karl Albrecht |
25.4 |
92 |
Germany |
Aldi |
Fashion and Retail
|
| 11 |
Christy Walton & family |
25.3 |
57 |
United States |
Wal-Mart |
Fashion and Retail
|
| 12 |
Charles Koch |
25.0 |
76 |
United States |
diversified |
Diversified
|
| 12 |
David Koch |
25.0 |
71 |
United States |
diversified |
Diversified
|
| 14 |
Sheldon Adelson |
24.9 |
78 |
United States |
casinos |
Gaming
|
| 15 |
Liliane Bettencourt & family |
24.0 |
89 |
France |
L'Oreal |
Fashion & Retail
|
| 16 |
Jim Walton |
23.7 |
64 |
United States |
Wal-Mart |
Fashion and Retail
|
| 17 |
Alice Walton |
23.3 |
62 |
United States |
Wal-Mart |
Fashion and Retail
|
| 18 |
S. Robson Walton |
23.1 |
68 |
United States |
Wal-Mart |
Fashion and Retail
|
| 19 |
Mukesh Ambani |
22.3 |
54 |
India |
petrochemicals, oil & gas |
Energy
|
| 20 |
Michael Bloomberg |
22.0 |
70 |
United States |
Bloomberg LP |
Politics
|
| 21 |
Lakshmi Mittal |
20.7 |
61 |
India |
steel |
Metals & Mining
|
| 22 |
George Soros |
20.0 |
81 |
United States |
hedge funds |
Investments
|
| 23 |
Michele Ferrero & family |
19.0 |
85 |
Italy |
chocolates |
Food and Beverage
|
| 24 |
Sergey Brin |
18.7 |
38 |
United States |
Google |
Technology
|
| 24 |
Larry Page |
18.7 |
39 |
United States |
Google |
Technology
|
| 26 |
Jeff Bezos |
18.4 |
48 |
United States |
Amazon.com |
Technology
|
| 27 |
Thomas & Raymond Kwok & family |
18.3 |
|
Hong Kong |
real estate |
Real Estate
|
| 28 |
Alisher Usmanov |
18.1 |
58 |
Russia |
steel, telecom, investments |
Metals & Mining
|
| 29 |
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud |
18.0 |
57 |
Saudi Arabia |
investments |
Finance and Investments
|
| 29 |
Lee Shau Kee |
18.0 |
84 |
Hong Kong |
diversified |
Real Estate
|
| 29 |
Georgina Rinehart |
18.0 |
58 |
Australia |
Mining |
Metals & Mining
|
| 32 |
Theo Albrecht, Jr. & family |
17.8 |
|
Germany |
Aldi, Trader Joe's |
Fashion & Retail
|
| 32 |
Iris Fontbona & family |
17.8 |
69 |
Chile |
mining |
Metals & Mining
|
| 34 |
Michael Otto & family |
17.6 |
68 |
Germany |
retail, real estate |
Fashion & Retail
|
| 35 |
David Thomson & family |
17.5 |
54 |
Canada |
media |
Media & Entertainment
|
| 35 |
Mark Zuckerberg |
17.5 |
27 |
United States |
Facebook |
Technology
|
| 37 |
Ricardo Salinas Pliego & family |
17.4 |
56 |
Mexico |
retail, media |
Fashion & Retail
|
| 38 |
Alberto Bailleres Gonzalez & family |
16.5 |
80 |
Mexico |
mining |
Metals & Mining
|
| 39 |
Rinat Akhmetov |
16.0 |
45 |
Ukraine |
steel, coal |
Metals & Mining
|
| 39 |
Cheng Yu-tung |
16.0 |
86 |
Hong Kong |
diversified |
Real Estate
|
| 41 |
Michael Dell |
15.9 |
47 |
United States |
Dell |
Technology
|
| 41 |
Vladimir Lisin |
15.9 |
55 |
Russia |
steel, transport |
Metals & Mining
|
| 41 |
Azim Premji |
15.9 |
66 |
India |
software |
Technology
|
| 44 |
Steve Ballmer |
15.7 |
56 |
United States |
Microsoft |
Technology
|
| 45 |
Alexey Mordashov |
15.3 |
46 |
Russia |
steel, investments |
Metals & Mining
|
| 46 |
Vladimir Potanin |
14.5 |
51 |
Russia |
metals |
Metals & Mining
|
| 47 |
Phil Knight |
14.4 |
74 |
United States |
Nike |
Fashion and Retail
|
| 48 |
Paul Allen |
14.2 |
59 |
United States |
Microsoft, investments |
Technology
|
| 48 |
German Larrea Mota Velasco & family |
14.2 |
58 |
Mexico |
mining |
Metals & Mining
|
| 50 |
Carl Icahn |
14.0 |
76 |
United States |
leveraged buyouts |
Investments
|
| 50 |
Birgit Rausing & family |
14.0 |
88 |
Sweden |
packaging |
Manufacturing
|
| 52 |
Forrest Mars, Jr. |
13.8 |
80 |
United States |
candy |
Food and Beverage
|
| 52 |
Jacqueline Mars |
13.8 |
72 |
United States |
candy |
Food and Beverage
|
| 52 |
John Mars |
13.8 |
75 |
United States |
candy |
Food and Beverage
|
| 52 |
Joseph Safra |
13.8 |
73 |
Brazil |
banking |
Finance and Investments
|
| 56 |
Vagit Alekperov |
13.5 |
61 |
Russia |
Lukoil |
Energy
|
| 57 |
Mikhail Fridman |
13.4 |
47 |
Russia |
oil, banking, telecom |
Energy
|
| 58 |
Mikhail Prokhorov |
13.2 |
46 |
Russia |
investments |
Finance and Investments
|
| 59 |
Susanne Klatten |
13.0 |
49 |
Germany |
BMW, pharmaceuticals |
Automotive
|
| 59 |
Francois Pinault & family |
13.0 |
75 |
France |
retail |
Fashion & Retail
|
| 61 |
Mohammed Al Amoudi |
12.5 |
67 |
Saudi Arabia |
oil, diversified |
Energy
|
| 61 |
Anne Cox Chambers |
12.5 |
92 |
United States |
media |
Media
|
| 61 |
John Paulson |
12.5 |
56 |
United States |
hedge funds |
Investments
|
| 64 |
Robert Kuok |
12.4 |
88 |
Malaysia |
diversified |
Diversified
|
| 64 |
Luis Carlos Sarmiento |
12.4 |
79 |
Colombia |
banking |
Finance and Investments
|
| 64 |
Viktor Vekselberg |
12.4 |
54 |
Russia |
oil, metals |
Energy
|
| 67 |
Antonio Ermirio de Moraes & family |
12.2 |
83 |
Brazil |
diversified |
Diversified
|
| 68 |
Roman Abramovich |
12.1 |
45 |
Russia |
steel, investments |
Diversified
|
| 69 |
Donald Bren |
12.0 |
79 |
United States |
real estate |
Real Estate
|
| 69 |
Jorge Paulo Lemann |
12.0 |
72 |
Brazil |
beer |
Finance
|
| 69 |
Ronald Perelman |
12.0 |
69 |
United States |
leveraged buyouts |
Investments
|
| 72 |
Len Blavatnik |
11.9 |
54 |
United States |
diversified |
Energy
|
| 72 |
Leonid Mikhelson |
11.9 |
56 |
Russia |
gas, chemicals |
Energy
|
| 74 |
Leonardo Del Vecchio & family |
11.5 |
76 |
Italy |
eyewear |
Fashion & Retail
|
| 75 |
John Fredriksen |
11.3 |
67 |
Cyprus |
shipping |
Logistics
|
| 76 |
Aliko Dangote |
11.2 |
54 |
Nigeria |
sugar, flour, cement |
Manufacturing
|
| 76 |
Stefan Quandt |
11.2 |
45 |
Germany |
BMW |
Automotive
|
| 78 |
Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor & family |
11.0 |
60 |
United Kingdom |
real estate |
Real Estate
|
| 78 |
Harold Hamm |
11.0 |
66 |
United States |
oil & gas |
Energy
|
| 80 |
Savitri Jindal & family |
10.9 |
62 |
India |
steel |
Metals & Mining
|
| 81 |
Andrey Melnichenko |
10.8 |
40 |
Russia |
coal, fertilizers |
Energy
|
| 82 |
James Simons |
10.7 |
73 |
United States |
hedge funds |
Investments
|
| 83 |
Ernesto Bertarelli |
10.6 |
46 |
Switzerland |
biotech, investments |
Healthcare
|
| 84 |
Jack Taylor & family |
10.4 |
89 |
United States |
Enterprise Rent-A-Car |
Service
|
| 85 |
Abigail Johnson |
10.3 |
50 |
United States |
Fidelity |
Business
|
| 86 |
Robin Li |
10.2 |
43 |
China |
Technology |
Technology
|
| 86 |
Eliodoro Matte |
10.2 |
|
Chile |
paper |
Manufacturing
|
| 88 |
Ray Dalio |
10.0 |
62 |
United States |
hedge funds |
Investments
|
| 88 |
George Kaiser |
10.0 |
69 |
United States |
oil & gas, banking |
Energy
|
| 88 |
Johanna Quandt |
10.0 |
85 |
Germany |
BMW |
Automotive
|
| 88 |
Hans Rausing |
10.0 |
86 |
Sweden |
packaging |
Manufacturing
|
| 88 |
Tadashi Yanai & family |
10.0 |
63 |
Japan |
retail |
Fashion and Retail
|
| 93 |
Serge Dassault & family |
9.9 |
86 |
France |
aviation |
Diversified
|
| 93 |
Ananda Krishnan |
9.9 |
73 |
Malaysia |
telecoms |
Telecom
|
| 95 |
Klaus-Michael Kuehne |
9.8 |
74 |
Germany |
shipping |
Logistics
|
| 96 |
Pallonji Mistry |
9.7 |
82 |
Ireland |
construction |
Construction & Engineering
|
| 97 |
Alejandro Santo Domingo Davila |
9.5 |
35 |
Colombia |
beer |
Food and Beverage
|
| 98 |
Horst Paulmann & family |
9.3 |
77 |
Chile |
retail |
Fashion & Retail
|
| 99 |
Gennady Timchenko |
9.1 |
59 |
Russia |
oil & gas |
Energy
|
| 100 |
Laurene Powell Jobs & family |
9.0 |
48 |
United States |
Apple, Disney |
Technology
|
| 100 |
David & Simon Reuben |
9.0 |
69 |
United Kingdom |
investments, real estate |
Real Estate
|
| 100 |
Dmitry Rybolovlev |
9.0 |
45 |
Russia |
fertilizer |
Manufacturing
|
| 100 |
Harold Simmons |
9.0 |
80 |
United States |
investments |
Investments
|
See also
External links
Notes