The Richest People in the World
Posted on 11/27/2017
By Jennifer Calfas – Money (Dow Jones, Time Inc)
The richest people in the world have a staggering amount of wealth — comparable to the GDP of small countries for some. Many of the world’s richest, like Microsoft founder Bill Gates or Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg are self-made and took an idea that they turned into a billion-dollar fortune. For others, like the Koch brothers of Koch Industries, their businesses were inherited, but their control of the company led to overwhelming amounts of wealth.
Many billionaires donate a large percentage of their money to charity. In fact, several of the world’s richest have made “The Giving Pledge,” which means they have vowed to give away at least half of their wealth to charity.