Tags: the richest people in the world, billionaire success, billionaire success stories, world’s richest people, albert “thurn und taxis” edinburgh, billionaire success story, how to become a bellionaire, starmaker venture capital firms kleiner perkins caufield & byers, the world’s richest people, world richest people

Description: These folks made money in everything from media and real estate to coffee, dumplings and ethanol. Two-thirds of last year’s billionaires are richer. Only 17% are poorer, including 32 who fell below the billion-dollar mark. The billionaires’ combined net worth climbed by $900 billion to $3.5 trillion. That equates to $3.6 billion apiece. Read this list, and may be in future you invite it!

Bill Gates, the world’s richest man for 13 years, and his pal Warren Buffett, who holds the No. 2 spot despite enormous charitable donations, are quickly losing ground to Mexico’s most-monied man, Carlos Slim Helú. Helú’s net worth is up an astonishing $19 billion this year–the single biggest one-year gain in a decade–and is now just $7 billion shy of Gates and $3 billion less than Buffett. In Europe, Russia’s mostly young, self-made tycoons are catching up to Germany’s often-aging heirs and heiresses. Russia now has 53 billionaires (2 shy of Germany’s total), but they are worth $282 billion ($37 billion more than Germany’s richest). After a 20-year reign, Japan is no longer Asia’s top spot for billionaires: India has 36, worth a total of $191 billion, followed by Japan with 24, worth a combined $64 billion.

William Henry Gates III, Richest man in the world! Net Worth: $56.0 bil, Country Of Citizenship: United States , Industry: Software, Education: Harvard University, Drop Out.
William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American entrepreneur and the co-founder, chairman, former chief software architect, and former CEO of Microsoft, the world’s largest software company. Forbes magazine’s list of The World’s Billionaires has ranked him as the richest person in the world for the last thirteen consecutive years, and recent estimates put his net worth near $56 billion. When family wealth is considered, his family ranks second behind the Walton family.
Gates is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution. Although he is widely respected by people who see his wealth as a product of intelligence and foresight, his business tactics have often been criticized as unethical or anti-competitive, and have, in some instances, been ruled as such in court. Since amassing his fortune, Gates has pursued a number of philanthropic endeavors, donating large amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, established in 2000.

Albert von Thurn und Taxis, youngest billionaire! Net Worth: $2.0 bil, Country Of Citizenship: Germany , Industry: Diversified, Education: NONE!.
Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis appeared briefly in Forbes ranks at age 8 but officially inherited fortune on his 18th birthday in June 2001. Went to high school in Rome; studied economics and theology in Scotland. But doesn’t have to ever work. Assets include real estate, art and a tech company. His 30,000 hectares of woodland in Germany is considered one of the largest forest holdings in Europe. Lives in a family castle, Schloss Emmeram, with his mother, Gloria, and older sisters Maria Theresia and Elisabeth. Racecar driver tours with an Italian auto-racing league.

Sergey Brin, Google builder! Net Worth: $16.6 bil, Country Of Citizenship: United States , Industry: Technology, Education: University of Maryland, Bachelor of Arts / Science Stanford University, Master of Science.
With partner Larry Page, cofounder of searching phenomenon Google. Met Page at Stanford while pursuing graduate degrees in computer science; dropped out, launched famed search engine in 1998. Raised $25 million from starmaker venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sequoia Capital. Recruited longtime tech exec Eric Schmidt to run company. Took public in 2004; stock up 420% since. Sales: $10.6 billion, net margin 30%. Extended reach into satellite mapping, online payment systems, news. Founders have seen their net worth soar 130% in 2 years, outpacing early years of Bill Gates, Larry Ellison. Both have more than $2 billion outside of Google stock. Promising to “do no evil” with their riches; plan to pour $1.2 billion into Google’s charitable organization.

Joanne (JK) Rowling, Harry Potter writer! Net Worth: $1.0 bil, Country Of Citizenship: United Kingdom , Industry: Media/Entertainment , Education: University of Exeter, Bachelor of Arts / Science.
Once a single mother living on welfare in a coldwater flat in Edinburgh, Scotland, Rowling is now the only billionaire author on our list. The novelist has announced that the 7th (and last) installment of the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” will be published July 21. Worldwide sales of the Potter books have topped 325 million copies. The film seriesfrom which Rowling enjoys a cut of royalties and merchandisin has already grossed $3.5 billion, and there’s no doubt three more movies to come.