Use the news: Rich, richer, richest
The Forbes business magazine makes it its business to keep track of who are the richest people in the world. This month the magazine released its 35th annual list, and the results are amazing. The number of billionaires worldwide jumped a whopping 660 from last year, to a record 2,755.
There are a record 493 newcomers on the list and another 250 people back on who had fallen off in the past. Together this year’s billionaires are worth $13.1 trillion, up from $8 trillion in 2020, and “a staggering 86% of all billionaires are richer than a year ago,” Forbes reported.
Individually, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the world’s richest person for the fourth year in a row, with a net worth of $177 billion (up $64 billion from a year ago). SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk rocketed into the No. 2 spot with a $151 billion fortune ($126 billion more than last year). French luxury goods tycoon Bernard Arnault holds the No. 3 spot, with a fortune that nearly doubled to $150 billion from a year ago. No. 4 is Microsoft founder Bill Gates at $124 billion, and no. 5 is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at $97 billion.
The yearly net worth list was calculated on March 5. The wealthiest people in the world often use their money to support charitable causes.
Activity: In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about a charitable cause you think deserves support. Then write a letter to one of the world’s richest people, outlining reasons he should support this cause.