New York – What could a Chinese dumpling maker and a Mexican telecom mogul possibly have in common? They’re among a record number of wealthy people who held the title of billionaire over the past year.
The tally of billionaires around the globe reached a high of 946, their combined wealth growing 35 percent to $3.5 trillion, according to Forbes magazine’s 2007 rankings of the world’s richest people.
The rich cashed in on strong equity markets, real estate and commodity prices worldwide, according to Forbes billionaires co-editor Luisa Kroll.
“It’s just been kind of an extraordinary year for markets worldwide,” she said.
Leading the list are two men who manage to keep getting richer as they give more and more money away. Microsoft founder Bill Gates ranked No. 1 for the 13th straight year, beating out friend and fellow philanthropist Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Gates’ fortune rose $6 billion to $56 billion last year, while Buffett garnered an additional $10 billion to boost his net worth to $52 billion.
Only five Americans ranked in the top 20, though they account for 44 percent of the overall list.
Breathing down Buffett’s neck was Mexican telecom giant Carlos Slim Helu, who added $19 billion to his existing fortune, the largest one-year gain over the past decade. With $49 billion to his name, Helu was $3 billion shy of the No. 2 spot.
Bumped from the top 20 were the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. heirs, who saw their company’s stock languish, and Mi chael Dell, founder of computer maker Dell Inc. Losing billionaire status entirely was Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, the once- powerful Japanese industrialist who first topped the tally in 1987.
2006 was a good year for Colorado billionaires. Eight residents made Forbes’ annual list of the world’s wealthiest, up from six in 2005.
New additions included local moneyman Gary Magness, at $1.3 billion, and TeleTech Holdings Inc. chairman Kenneth Tuchman, at $1.2 billion.
EchoStar chairman and chief executive Charlie Ergen continued to lead the Colorado delegation, with his fortune growing to $10 billion from $6.7 billion in 2005.
Qwest founder Philip Anschutz saw his wealth increase to $7.9 billion last year, up from $6.4 billion in 2005, according to Forbes.
Coloradans who made the list
62. Charlie Ergen, 54, $10, EchoStar
93. Philip Anschutz, 67, $7.9, investments
488. John Ma lone, 66, $2, cable television
557. Pat Stryker, 50, $1.8, Stryker Corp.
664. (no photo available) James Leprino, 70, $1.5, cheese
754. Gary Magness, 53, $1.3, cable, investments
799. Thomas Bailey, 70, $1.2, mutual funds
799. Kenneth Tuchman, 47, $1.2, TeleTech
