This is the world’s richest person in 2018
Most people who dipped into their superannuation during the pandemic spent the cash paying down debt, a survey has found. Photo: Getty
Forbes has released its 2018 World’s Billionaire’s List and the richest person has a net worth of over $162 billion.
All figures are in Australian dollars.
In 1987, Forbes produced the first Forbes 400 list and five years later created the World’s Billionaire’s List.
This list highlights the richest people in the world.
In 2018, Forbes has found a record 2208 billionaires from 72 countries and territories.
The elite group is worth over $11 trillion. This is up by 18 per cent since last year.
Who is the richest person in the world?
Jeff Bezos is the richest person in the world and is the first person in America to top $100 billion as number one on the Forbes list of the World’s Billionaires.
Mr Bezos is the founder and CEO of Amazon, which was established in 1994.
As of February 9, 2018, Mr Bezos’ wealth was up by $93 billion from last year. This enabled him to overtake Bill Gates, who has been the richest person in the world for 18 of the past 24 years.
Mr Bezos also owns The Washington Post which he purchased in 2013 for $319 million.
Jeff Bezos is the richest person in the world, according to Forbes World’s Billionaires List. Photo: Getty
Who is the second richest person in the world?
The second richest person in the world is Bill Gates. He has a net worth of over $116 billion.
Along with his wife, Mr Gates is the cofounder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that works to save lives and improve global health.
In 1975, Mr Gates founded the software firm Microsoft with Paul Allen. He now owns just one per cent of shares from the company.
Who is the richest female in the world?
Alice Walton is richest female in the world with a net worth over $52 billion. Sam Walton, her father, was the founder of Walmart.
In 2011, Ms Walton opened Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas.
Her collection is valued over a hundred million dollars. It features work from Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol and Mark Rothko.
Who is the poorest person in the world?
Jerome Kerviel, an ex-Societe Generale trader, is the ‘poorest’ person in the world – at least by one measure. He owes SocGen (a french bank) over $7 billion. This means, on paper at least, he has a startlingly low net worth in the negative billions of dollars.
In 2014, Mr Kerviel turned himself in to the French authorities. He is currently serving a three-year sentence for his crime.