Billionaires Freefall from Forbes’ Richlist

It’s official, the world is poorer. Off the Forbes’ list this year are 355 billionaires, along with $2 trillion net worth.
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Billionaires Freefall from Forbes’ Richlist
TOP SPOT: Bill Gates of Microsoft Corp. took out the top spot on the Forbes` richlist despite a loss of $18 billion. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)
3/11/2009
Updated:
3/11/2009
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/_MG_0144_medium.JPG"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/_MG_0144_medium.JPG" alt="LOSS AND GAIN: Steve Forbes announces the Forbes' 2009 list of the World's Billionaires in Manhattan on Wednesday March 11. (The Epoch Times)" title="LOSS AND GAIN: Steve Forbes announces the Forbes' 2009 list of the World's Billionaires in Manhattan on Wednesday March 11. (The Epoch Times)" width="300" class="size-medium wp-image-64736"/></a>
LOSS AND GAIN: Steve Forbes announces the Forbes' 2009 list of the World's Billionaires in Manhattan on Wednesday March 11. (The Epoch Times)

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/gates2_84555694_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/gates2_84555694_medium.jpg" alt="TOP SPOT: Bill Gates of Microsoft Corp. took out the top spot on the Forbes' richlist despite a loss of $18 billion. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)" title="TOP SPOT: Bill Gates of Microsoft Corp. took out the top spot on the Forbes' richlist despite a loss of $18 billion. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)" width="300" class="size-medium wp-image-64737"/></a>
TOP SPOT: Bill Gates of Microsoft Corp. took out the top spot on the Forbes' richlist despite a loss of $18 billion. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)
NEW YORK—It’s official, the world is poorer. Off the Forbes’ list this year are 355 billionaires, along with $2 trillion net worth.

Microsoft Corp founder Bill Gates regained the top spot with $40 billion to his name, sneaking past Warren Buffet who was last year’s winner. 

The top three on the Forbes’ list have lost a combined $68 billion in the past year. The 10 biggest dollar losers lost a combined $238 billion.

Buffet lost a whopping $25 billion last year due to the decline of Berkshire Hathaway stock, leaving him on a dollar total of $37 billion.

The 2009 list is dominated by Americans, who occupy 10 of the top 20 spots—a huge increase caused by a fall of fortunes in Asia and Russia.

The biggest loser was last year’s biggest gainer—Anil Ambani lost $32 billion in the last 12 months. New York Cith Mayor Michael Bloomberg was the only member of the top 20 who gained in net worth in the past year.