Richest person in the world
| List of the world's billionaires, ranked in order of net worth | |
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The net worth of the world's billionaires increased from less than $1 trillion in 2000 to over $7 trillion in 2015
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| Publication details | |
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| Publisher |
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| Publication | Forbes |
| First published | March 1987 |
| Latest publication | March 23, 2017 |
| Current list details (2017) | |
| Wealthiest | Bill Gates |
| Net worth (1st) |
 US$86 billion
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| Number of billionaires |
2,043 |
| Total list net worth value |
US$7.67 trillion
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| Average net worth |
 US$3.75 billion
|
| Number of women |
227 |
| Number of people aged 40 years or less |
56 |
| New members to the list |
195 |
| Forbes: The World's Billionaires website | |
The World's Billionaires is an annual ranking by net worth of the world's wealthiest billionaires compiled and published in March annually by the American business magazine Forbes. The list was first published in March 1987. The total net worth of each individual on the list is estimated, in United States dollars, based on their assets and accounting for debt. Royalty and dictators whose wealth comes from their positions are excluded from these lists.
In 2017, there was a record of 2,043 people on the list, which is the first time over 2,000 people were listed, that included 195 newcomers that included 76 from China and 25 from the U.S.; there were 56 people under 40 and it had a record of 227 women. The average net worth of the list came in at US$3.75 billion, down US$110 million from 2015. Added together, the total net worth for 2017's billionaires was US$7.67 trillion, up from US$7.1 trillion in 2015. As of 2017[update], Microsoft founder Bill Gates has topped the list 18 of the past 23 years.
According to a 2017 Oxfam report, the top eight billionaires own as much combined wealth as "half the human race".
Each year, Forbes employs a team of more than fifty reporters from a variety of countries to track the activity of the world's wealthiest individuals. Preliminary surveys are sent to those who may qualify for the list. According to Forbes, they received three types of responses – some people try to inflate their wealth, others cooperate but leave out details, and some refuse to answer any questions. Business deals are then scrutinized and estimates of valuable assets – land, homes, vehicles, artwork, etc. – are made. Interviews are conducted to vet the figures and get a better idea of an individual's holdings. Finally, positions in a publicly traded stock are priced to market on a date roughly a month before publication. Privately held companies are priced by the prevailing price-to-sales or price-to-earnings ratios. Known debt is subtracted from assets to get a final estimate of an individual's estimated worth in United States dollars. Since stock prices fluctuate rapidly, an individual's true wealth and ranking at the time of publication may vary from their situation when the list was compiled.
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