Forbes Magazine lists 946 billionaires

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According to Forbes Magazine, there are now 946 billionaires in the world. Up from 793 last year, those on the list are worth a collective $3.5 trillion dollars. Two-thirds of those who were on the list last year are richer this year, while 17 percent are worth less than they were last year. Thirty-two individuals who were on the list last year are not there this year, while 17 returned to the list after having been absent for a year or more.Those on the list come from 53 nations. Individuals from Serbia and Romania are on the list for the first time this year. There are 36 Indians on the list, three of them in the top 20. Of the 53 Russians on the list, 19 are listed for the first time. Only 5 Americans are in the top 20, but they make up 44 percent of the list overall.The top two on the list are Americans - Bill Gates, on top of the list for the 13th year in a row and with a net worth of $56 billion, and investor Warren Buffett, worth $52 billion. The rest of the top five, in order, are Carlos Slim, a Mexican industrialist who is worth $49 billion; Swede Ingvar Kamprad, worth $33 billion; and Lakshmi Mittal of India, whose $32 billion comes from the steel industry.The average age of those on the list is 62, but there are three on the list who are below the age of 30. The youngest person on the list is Albert von Thurn und Taxis, a German who is worth $2 billion. He is 23 years old.Two-thirds of those on the list made their money rather than inheriting it. But if you are a writer aiming for the billionaires club, you might want to make sure you have a Plan B. There is only one writer on the list, Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling, who is worth $1 billion.