The World's Billionaires 2013
| Company type | List |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing / Financial rankings |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Forbes magazine |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Randall Lane (Editor) |
| Website | www |
The World's Billionaires 2013 marked the 27th annual compilation by Forbes magazine, which assessed the net worth of the globe's wealthiest individuals (excluding monarchs and authoritarian leaders) as of February 14, 2013. The list was published online on March 3, 2013, followed by its print edition on March 25.
Annual list
For the fourth year running, Mexico's Carlos Slim secured the top position on the 2013 billionaire rankings. Founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, held onto second place, while Zara creator Amancio Ortega advanced to third place after a $19.5 billion increase—the largest rise recorded in this edition. American financier Warren Buffett slipped to fourth, marking his first absence from the top three since 2000. Completing the top five was Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Noteworthy among newcomers was Diesel founder Renzo Rosso, estimated to have a net worth of $3 billion.
A surge in global asset prices prompted Forbes editor Randall Lane to describe 2013 as "an excellent year to be a billionaire." Conversely, Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg experienced a $4 billion decline, reducing his fortune to $13.3 billion, and Brazil's Eike Batista fell dramatically from seventh place to 100th. Overall, those who gained wealth outnumbered those who lost by a ratio of four to one.
The list featured a record-breaking total of 1,426 billionaires worldwide, collectively owning assets valued at $5.4 trillion. The United States led with 442 billionaires, followed by the Asia-Pacific region with 386 and Europe with 366. This edition introduced 210 first-time billionaires hailing from 42 countries; the U.S. contributed the highest number of newcomers with 27. Sixty individuals who appeared in 2012 dropped below billionaire status in 2013, and eight passed away during the year. The Asia-Pacific region saw the greatest number of drop-offs (29), with the U.S. next at 16. Female billionaires numbered 138 overall, including 50 from the United States.
Among the billionaires, a majority—961 individuals or 67%—were self-made; 184 (13%) inherited their fortunes outright; and 281 (20%) combined inheritance with entrepreneurial success. Two individuals—Sulaiman Al Rajhi and Roman Avdeev—shared the distinction of having the most children (23 each), both connected to banking through Al-Rajhi Bank and Credit Bank of Moscow respectively.
Top 10
| No. | Name | Net worth (USD) | Age | Citizenship | Source(s) of wealth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Template:Nts  |
Template:Sortname & family | $73.0 billion  |
73 | Mexico | Telmex, América Móvil, Grupo Carso |
| Template:Nts |
Template:Sortname | $67.0 billion |
57 | United States | Microsoft |
| Template:Nts |
Template:Sortname | $57.0 billion |
76 | Spain | Inditex Group |
| Template:Nts Template:Loss | Template:Sortname | $53.5 billion |
82 | United States | Berkshire Hathaway |
| Template:Nts |
Template:Sortname | $43.0 billion |
68 | United States | Oracle Corporation |
| Template:Nts |
Template:Sortname | $34.0 billion |
77 | United States | Koch Industries |
| Template:Nts |
Template:Sortname | $34.0 billion |
72 | United States | Koch Industries |
| Template:Nts |
Template:Sortname | $31.0 billion |
84 | Hong Kong/Canada | Cheung Kong Holdings |
| Template:Nts |
Template:Sortname & family | $30.0 billion |
90 | France | L'Oréal |
| Template:Nts Template:Loss | Template:Sortname | $29.0 billion Template:Loss | 63 | France | LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton |
| Legend | Icon | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Unchanged from previous year | ||
|
|
Increased from previous year | ||
| Template:Loss | Decreased from previous year | ||
Top 100
| No. | Name | Net Worth (USD billion) | Age | Country | Primary Wealth Source |
|---|
- Carlos Slim Helu & family | 73.0 | 73 | Mexico | telecommunications
- Bill Gates | 67.0 | 57 | United States | Microsoft Corporation
- Amancio Ortega | 57.0 | 76 | Spain | Zara (Inditex Group)
- Warren Buffett | 53.5 | 82 | United States | Berkshire Hathaway
- Larry Ellison | 43.0 | 68 | United States | Oracle Corporation
- Charles Koch | 34.0 | 77 | United States | diversified investments
- David Koch | 34.0 | 72 | United States | diversified investments
- Li Ka-shing | 31.0 | 84 | Hong Kong/Canada | diversified conglomerate
- Liliane Bettencourt & family | 30.0 | 90 | France | L'Oréal Group
- Bernard Arnault & family | 29.0 | 64 | France | LVMH luxury goods
- Christy Walton & family | 28.2 | 58 | United States | Wal-Mart retail chain
- Stefan Persson | 28.0 | 65 | Sweden | H&M fashion retailer
- Michael Bloomberg | 27.0 | 71 | United States | Bloomberg LP financial services
- Jim Walton | 26.7 | 65 | United States | Wal-Mart retail chain
- Sheldon Adelson | 26.5 | 79 | United States | casino operations
- Alice Walton | 26.3 | 63 | United States | Wal-Mart retail chain
- S. Robson Walton | 26.1 | 69 | United States | Wal-Mart retail chain
- Karl Albrecht | 26.0 | 93 | Germany | Aldi supermarket chain
- Jeff Bezos | 25.2 | 49 | United States | Amazon.com e-commerce platform
- Larry Page | — | — | United States | Google technology
(Additional entries follow the same structure, showcasing prominent industries such as mining, media, steel production, pharmaceuticals, real estate, and technology, with a focus on founders and their wealth origins.)