World’s billionaires

You think you’ve had a bad year financially? How about losing $25 billion as the stock market tanked?

According to Forbes, that’s what happened to none other than Warren Buffett, one of the world’s smartest investors. Before you start sending spare change to Omaha, however, consider that Buffett still has about $37 billion in various holdings, which continues to rank him among the world’s most wealthy individuals.

Even so, it has been a bad 12 months for the richest of the rich. A year ago, Forbes estimated that 1,125 people were worth $1 billion or more. This year, the group has been pared to 793. Even the new No. 1 — Bill Gates — saw an $18 billion withdrawal from his fortune.

Who else is at the top?

Here’s the list:

1. Bill Gates: $40 billion

2. Warren Buffett: $37 billion

3. Carlos Slim Helu and family: $35 billion

4. Lawrence Ellison: $22.5 billion

5. Ingvar Kamprad and family: $22 billion

6. Karl Albrecht: $21.5 billion

7. Mukesh Ambani: $19.5 billion

8. Lakshmi Mittal: $19.3 billion

9. Theo Albrecht: $18.8 billion

10. Amancio Ortega: $18.3 billion

To read more about how these individuals made (and lost) all that money, visit Forbes.

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