[1] The rich keep getting richer. According to the latest Forbes ranking of the world’s richest people, there are now a record 946 billionaires around the world. They have made their money from everything from telecoms to steel to Chinese food.
[2] For the 13th year in a row, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is the richest person in the world. His personal fortune rose $ 6bn last year to $ 56bn (￡ 29bn). His friend, the investment expert Warren Buffett, was the second richest. His fortune increased by $ 10bn during the year to reach $ 52bn. Both Mr. Gates and Mr. Buffett give a percentage of their fortunes to charity. Third richest is the Mexican telecoms entrepreneur Carlos Slim Helu, who added $19bn to his wealth, and now has $49bn.
[3] The total wealth of all the people on the list grew by 35% during the year to $ 3.5 trillion as a result of rising property prices, commodities and stock markets. Luisa Kroll, who helped to compile the list at Forbes, said it was an extraordinary year’. On the previous list, there were just 793 billionaires.
[4] The richest Briton on the list is the Duke of Westminster, Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, at number 55. Grosvenor inherited much of his wealth and is one of the UK’s Wealthiest landowners. He is said to be worth $11 bn. Sir Philip Green, the retail entrepreneur who controls British Home Stores and Topshop owner Arcadia is the second richest Briton at number 104 on the list. Sir Philip, 55, has $ 7bn. Next are the property tycoons David and Simon Rueben, who are worth $4.5bn between them and are number 177 on the list.
[5] There are 29 British citizens on the list. Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson is number 230 with $3.8bn; David Sainsbury of the grocery family is 432nd with $2.2bn; newspaper owner Viscount Rothermere, Jonathan Harmsworth, is number 618 with $1.6bn and James Dyson also has $1.6bn. Harry Potter author JK Rowling is right at the bottom of the list with a fortune valued at $1 bn. There are two others who have made their money from a very different type of publishing ; Richard Desmond the former soft porn publisher, who now owns the Daily Express, is 754th on the list with $1.3bn in the bank and Paul Raymond, who owns Escort, Mayfair and Razzle magazines, is also worth $1 bn.
[6] The list shows growing wealth in both China and India, the two dynamic economies driving global economic growth. Another 14 people from India joined the fist. With a total of 36 billionaires, India has now overtaken Japan, which has 24, as home to the most billionaires in Asia. There are three Indians in the top 20, led by Lakshmi Mittal, an Indian citizen who lives in London and who is number five on the list with $ 32bn.
[7] There were 13 Chinese newcomers including Li Wei, the founder of Synear Food Hold ing. Her company is one of China’s largest producers of frozen food and is an official supplier to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
[8] The US still has 44% of the world billionaires but its share is getting smaller, Russia is also rising fast and has 53 billionaires according to Forbes. The Wal-Mart family dropped from the top 20, after a difficult year for the world’s largest retailer.
[9] The average billionaire is 62 years old and 60% of the people on the list made their money from scratch. Around 100 unmarried men are included among the world’s wealthiest. At the top of the list of bachelors are Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin—unmarried at 33 and 34 respectively, they are both worth $16.6bn and are number 26 in the overall list. Other interesting bachelors are Russian metals tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov, in 38th place with an estimated fortune of $13.5bn; and divorced James Packer, who has a more modest $5.5bn media fortune.
[10] One of the more interesting rich people on the list is the accordion-playing, fire-breathing founder of Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberte, at number 664 on the list. The 47-year-old Canadian founded his circus-based, animal-free acrobatic show in t984 and still keeps 95% of the business. His fortune is estimated at $1.5bn. The richest woman, at number 12, is 84-year-old L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, with a fortune of $ 20.7bn. Chat show queen Oprah Winfrey is believed to be worth $1.5bn.
QUESTIONS 21-25:
For answers 21-25, mark
Y(for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;
N (for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;
NG (for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.
QUESTIONS 26-30:
For answers 26-30, look in the text and find these words or expressions. Paragraph numbers are given to help you