back to article Gates retakes rich list top spot as Zuckerberg slides off chart

Bill Gates struck a blow for the world's techies yesterday, when he regained his spot at the top of the world's billionaire list despite mislaying around $18bn over the last year. But, illustrating how recessions hit the youth hardest, Facebook boy wonder Mark Zuckerberg has been booted off the Forbes Magazine billionaire list …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Toastan Buttar
    Gates Halo

    Facebook

    "It's hard to imagine the privately held company being worth nearly as much as it was a year ago."

    It's hard to imagine how Facebook was EVER thought to be worth ANYTHING. Hell, I LIKE Facebook and dip into it pretty much daily, but I'm buggered if I'll give them one single penny of my hard-earned.

    A business model, you say ? What's that ?

    Bill, because really it's nice to have a nerd rather than a jock as the richest guy in the world, isn't it ?

  2. TimNevins

    Who's missing

    Interesting we never hear about people like Murdoch, or the Astors, or the Rockafellas, or the Rothschilds.

    These people have fortunes that dwarf Bill boy and yet never seem to appear.

  3. Luis Ogando
    Paris Hilton

    Poor Micky D..

    ...only 12bn bucks to his name. Let's all start a campaign to help the poor, desolate sod out.

    On second thoughts, let's not!

    Paris, because she's obviously had her fair share of bucks (sic).

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    White american males

    Nice to know the redistribution of wealth continues apace... :-\

  5. goggyturk
    Happy

    They already got there

    "The annual hitlist for goldiggers, con artists and kidnappers illustrated the effect of the financial tornado which has hit the word's economy in the last year, blowing large chunks off even the most rock solid fortunes."

    I think the con artists already got there. That would be why everything went down the toilet in the first place.

  6. Dave

    Must Do Better

    Damn! Missed out again!

  7. Ed

    Who's missing - certainly not Murdoch

    @TimNevins

    Tsk, tsk... You didn't bother looking at the list, did you?

    #138 Rupert Murdoch - a 'mere' $4B

    #305 David Rockefeller Sr - $2.2B

    The Ator & Rothchild fotunes have been diluted among many descendants - none are individualy in the billionaire league...

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    What? No Saudi Royalty?

    Bill is #1 eh? I am sure, the current Saudi king better him with his loose change.

    SA produces around 1/3 of world oil and a certain (%20 ?) cut goes into his pocket - no tax. Remember, his brother was gambling (and loosing) millions of $s some nights in London Casinos in 70's. Money doesn't mean sh*t to these guys.

  9. Clarissa

    Re: Who's missing

    Look a little harder at the list and you'll find the following:

    R. Murdoch: 132nd, 4Bil

    D. Rockefeller Snr: 305th, 2.2Bil

    Also remember that these lists are complied from publicly available information - share holdings, remuneration etc so will not include privately held fortunes in whatever is left of the baking sector/under the mattress.

    I see my boss is still on the list though even if he does only make the bottom fifth.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    that explains.........

    "so will not include privately held fortunes in whatever is left of the baking sector/under the mattress."

    why the Hovis family arent on the list ;)

    Paris, she cant spell either

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Gates Horns

    How he managed it

    No doubt he managed it by giving away the majority of his fortune to avoid the next IRS tax band designed just for him...

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Ugh...

    Quote "White american males - Nice to know the redistribution of wealth continues apace... :-\"

    And when was the last time a poor man gave you a job (doubtless sweeping the floor), eh?

    They took the risk, they earned it, and good for them - and I noticed that Gates is happily redistributing his. Perhaps white American males are the ones who have what it takes nowadays.

  13. Ricky H
    Happy

    good

    I'm glad that pretentious git Suckerberg slid off.

    Who's the CEO now b!tch?

  14. Mark

    Now now

    Let's not have all this money envy amongst some of us. You will generally note that these billionaires tend to piss their fortunes out in philanthropic acts so I don't begrudge them a penny.

    If Bill G (and his arsehole company) has made shit loads of money but then chooses to make the lives of millions of the World's poor more liveable in retirement then what's wrong with that - I don't think arguing the counter-case of "if it wasn't for them they wouldn't be so poor etc etc" has much legs as it's generally Governments that allow the mass fiscal fucking of the poor.

    Interesting to note in a Bloomberg article how much charities are suffering in the downturn as much of their money was donated by Hedge Funds etc. Several even dedicate their funds to charity (Robin Hood foundation, TCI etc).

This topic is closed for new posts.