Gates tops billionaires list, Buffett gains

There are 268 new billionaires on the planet, swelling the ranks of the ultra-rich to 1,645, says Forbes.

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Microsoft founder Bill Gates is at the top with at net worth of $76 billion. Warren Buffett is fourth with $58.2 billion, up $4.7 billion from last year.

A total of 252 billionaires made their money from finance or investments, Forbes says. Activist investor Carl Icahn is number 25, with $24.5 billion. George Soros is right behind him, at slot 26, with $23 billion.

The U.S. has the most billionaires on the list, with 492. Canada clinched 32 spots. The highest-ranked Canadians, in the 27^th spot, are David Thompson and family, who have made $22.6 billion in media. Also on the list in 153^rd are Loblaws grocery tycoon Galen Weston and his family, with $8.5 billion.

For the full list, click here.

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Staff

The staff of Advisor.ca have been covering news for financial advisors since 1998.