Trends in the Forbes 400

The figure shows the wealth of the top person on the list has increased from $5 billion in 1982 to $122 billion in 1999 (in 2016 inflation adjusted dollars). In 2016, Bill Gates is the richest person for the 23rd year with an estimated total wealth of $81 billion. In real dollars, Bill Gates' wealth declined by over half from 1999 to 2003. Gates has donated a substantial portion of his wealth to charity, principally the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Declines in real wealth occurred after 1987, 1999, and 2007 peaks.
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The total wealth of the Forbes 400 reached $2.4 trillion in 2016. It was $1 trillion in 1998. The graph plots the net worth of the Forbes 400 in real 2016 dollars. In 2016, a net worth of $1.7 billion was required to join the Forbes 400. Not making the list were 153 billionaires.
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Source: Forbes Magazine, October, Forbes 400 issues published annually in October since 1982.

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Updated:Tuesday, 04-Oct-2016 21:49:08 PDT
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