Three Armenians included in 2013 Forbes billionaires list

YEREVAN, MARCH 4, ARMENPRESS: The 2013 Forbes Billionaires list now boasts 1,426 names, with an aggregate net worth of $5.4 trillion, up from $4.6 trillion. As reports Armenpress, referring to the official web site of Forbes magazine, 3 Armenians are included in the list of world’s top 1426 billionaires. American Armenian businessman Kirk Kerkorian, 91, is on the 307th place with 3,1 billion dollars. Russian businessman Sergey Galitski, who is of Armenian origins with Harutyunyan surname, is on 341nd place with 2,9 billion. Danil Khachaturov gets the 828 place having 1,2 billion.

Forbes found 210 new ten-figure fortunes. Once again the U.S. leads the list with 442 billionaires, followed by Asia-Pacific (386), Europe (366), the Americas (129) and the Middle East & Africa (103).

Resurgent asset prices are the driving force behind the rising wealth of the super-rich around the globe. While last year almost as many fortunes fell as rose, this year gainers outnumbered losers by 4-to-1. Many new names made the list thanks to free-spending consumers. To name a few: Diesel jeans mogul Renzo Rosso at $3 billion, retailer Bruce Nordstrom at $1.2 billion and designer Tory Burch at $1 billion.

Carlos Slim is once again the world’s richest person, followed by Bill Gates. Amancio Ortega of Spanish retailer Zara moves up to No. 3 for the first time. He is the year’s biggest gainer, adding $19.5 billion to his fortune in one year. He moves ahead of Warren Buffett, despite the fact that the U.S. investing legend added $9.5 billion to his fortune. This is the first year since 2000 that Buffett has not been among the top 3.