World's Richest People
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Andy Manis, AP / Eric Francis, Bloomberg News/Land
World's Richest People
Forbes' 21st annual list of the wealthiest people on the planet spans industries and continents, and they inspire would-be newcomers to the billionaires' club. Who makes the list this year?
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Bill Pugliano, Getty Images
William Gates III
Rank: 1
Net Worth: $56 Billion
Last Year: $50 Billion
Microsoft's co-founder now focuses his time and talents on tackling diseases (hepatitis B, AIDS, malaria) in Africa, boosting America's lackluster high school graduation rate and helping women abroad start small businesses.
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David Silverman, Getty Images
Warren Buffett
Rank: 2
Net Worth: $52 Billion
Last Year: $42 Billion
This investment guru started out delivering newspapers as a boy, but is now America's most beloved investor. A philanthropist as well, Buffett's gift of Berkshire Hathaway shares last June to the Gates Foundation was worth an estimated $31 billion.
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Keith Dannemiller, ZUMA Press
Carlos Slim Helu
Rank: 3
Net Worth: $49 Billion
Last Year: $30 Billion
The son of a Lebanese immigrant, Carlos has donated close to $4 billion to education and health projects, and to the revitalization of downtown Mexico City's historical district.
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Ingvar Kamprad
Rank: 4
Net Worth: $33 Billion
Last Year: $28 Billion
Kamprad's company IKEA is one of the most beloved retailers in the world, with an almost cultlike following. He lives modestly and says his home is furnished mostly with his own IKEA products.
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Jean-Christophe Verhaegen, Getty Images
Lakshmi Mittal
Rank: 5
Net Worth: $32 Billion
Last Year: $23.5 Billion
The U.K.'s richest resident, known for his dealmaking, headed a $34 billion merger, creating an industry behemoth that now accounts for 10 percent of the world's steel.
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Who Are the Richest
Women in Entertainment?Each of these 20 divas have a minimum net worth of $45 million. Can you guess the top five?
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Christie's Great Estates
The World's Most Expensive Homes
While the housing market may go boom and bust, these palatial estates remain the cream of the crop in style and in price. Check out the world's most expensive homes.
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Richest Celebrities Under 21
Forbes totaled box office receipts, album sales, tour grosses, TV ratings and other metrics from 2006 to estimate the staggering earning power of these young celebrities.
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We love to dream of having the big bucks, but we'd miss out on a lot of life's simple pleasures.
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