The world’s rich have $2.6 trillion fewer dollars
The financial crisis has taken a huge toll on the world’s richest, according to Forbes, with the number of billionaires down by 30 per cent compared to last year. Today there are 793 people with ten-figure fortunes, down from 1,125 the year before. Of those who made the cut, 87 per cent saw their assets shrink, and only 6 per cent managed to grow their money. Not surprisingly, the combined worth of the world’s richest is also considerably smaller; it’s down $2.6 trillion dollars from last year. Today, the aggregate wealth of the billionaire club is worth $3.1 trillion, down from $5.7 trillion. Even Donald Trump is having financial troubles: he has lost half of his net worth, and his casino company is in bankruptcy.