US President Donald Trump has slipped more than 200 spots in the Forbes magazine annual list of the world’s richest people. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates led the rankings for the fourth year in a row.
Image: Reuters/J. Bourg
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Donald Trump's net worth shrunk to $3.5 billion (3.2 billion euros) in the latest Forbes list of the world's billionaires, published on Monday. That's about a third of the amount the mogul-turned-politician claimed to have while campaigning for the US presidency.
Trump, who ranked number 205 last year, fell to number 544 on the 2017 list. Forbes said in a statement that the slumping New York real estate market was one reason for the slide.
"Forty percent of Donald Trump's fortune is tied up in Trump Tower and eight buildings within one mile of it," the business magazine said. "Midtown Manhattan real estate is down; therefore, so is Trump's fortune."
Forbes said Trump's $66 million in campaign spending, as well as the $25 million used to settle Trump university lawsuits, had also put a dent in his wealth. Last May, Trump's team filed a personal financial disclosure form claiming his net worth amounted to more than $10 billion. Critics, who have accused Trump of exaggerating the value of his fortune, say he must release his tax returns to provide a clearer picture of his financial status.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the biggest winner of 2017Image: Getty Images
More billionaires in 2017
Bill Gates maintained the number one spot in the Forbes list for the fourth consecutive year, with his $86-billion fortune increasing from last year's $75 million. Warren Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, came in second place. His net worth surged to $75.6 billion from $60.8 billion.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos moved up to number three with the biggest gain of anyone on the planet, adding $27.6 billion to his $72.8 billion fortune.
Amancio Ortega, founder of Spanish clothing chain Zara, was at number four, while Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg moved up to number five for the first time.
In 2017 there were 2,043 people with 10-figure-fortunes, according to Forbes - the biggest number of billionaires recorded in the 31 years that the magazine has compiled the list.
The US had 565 billionaires, China was second with 319, and Germany was third with 114.
L'Oreal cosmetics shareholder Liliane Bettencourt, at number 14, has the highest ranking of the 227 women on the list.
nm/kms (Reuters, AFP)
Forbes ranks last year's highest-earning celebrities
There's no business like show business - and these entertainers are living proof. The US business magazine Forbes has released this year's star-studded list of the best-paid actors, athletes and musicians.
Image: Getty Images/M. Coppola
1st place: Taylor Swift ($170 million)
Only 26 years old, the pop icon has already broke the Rolling Stone's North America touring record. On that continent alone, her "1989" World Tour last year brought in $200 million (180 million euros). This puts her ahead of competitor Katy Perry, whose tour "only" generated about $135 million.
They're the richest boy band of all time, but that shouldn't come as a surprise, as their "On The Road Again" tour alone brought in a staggering $200 millions in revenue. It doesn't hurt that the Brits are extremely productive - they've released five albums over the past five years.
Image: Imago/IPA Press
4th place: Cristiano Ronaldo ($88 million)
The football star has plenty of reason to celebrate, especially as his national team Portugal just took home the Euro 2016 trophy. Things seem to be going well off the pitch as well: Ronaldo is the highest-earning sportsperson on the list - and also the best-known athlete worldwide, boasting over 200 million social media followers. He has endorsement deals with Nike and Armani, among others.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gambarini
6th place: Kevin Hart ($87.5 million)
US comedian Kevin Hart is famous for making his audience laugh - and he's got a reason to smile as well. He sold out more than 100 arenas on tour last year, raking in on average over $1 million per show. He also stars in Hollywood blockbusters. His latest, Central Intelligence, is out now.
Image: Getty Images/M. Coppola
8th place: Lionel Messi ($81.5 million)
Was all of it hard-earned money? Rather not. The Argentine football star made headlines recently when a Spanish court convicted him of tax evasion. The judges sentenced him to 21 months in jail, but most likely he'll only have to serve them on probation. He has also appealed the verdict. Either way, with so many millions in your bank account, life can't be too tough.
Image: Reuters/A. Gea
9th place: Adele ($80.5 million)
Adele is the only musician on the entire list who has earned more than half of her fortune with music alone. Her latest album "25" sold around 3.4 million copies in just the first week after being released. In total, it's been bought over 17.4 million times.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/H. Kaiser
12th place: Madonna ($76.5 million)
Madonna may be the oldest musician on the list, but the 57-year-old is still in great shape - physically and financially. The oldest male musician, by the way, is 74-year-old Paul McCartney, who ranks 25th. His earnings amounted to $56.5 million.
Image: Reuters/B. Tessier
13th place: Ellen DeGeneres ($75 million)
All smiles! Ellen DeGeneres' star-studded selfie from the Oscar award ceremony 2014 became the most popular tweet ever. Her popular talk show, which attracts over 3.6 million viewers per day, also earns her a spot among the top 20 of the highest-paid celebrities.
Image: picture alliance/AP Images/E. DeGeneres
20th place: David Copperfield ($64 million)
The 59-year-old illusionist seems to have found the magic formula to make more and more money. On top of the many millions in his bank account and his 11 Caribbean islands, he also boasts the world's largest collection of magic artifacts and memorabilia.
Image: picture alliance/AP/Invision/C. Sykes
Dream couple #1: Beyoncé and Jay Z ($107.5 million)
Team work at its best: Singer Beyoncé and her husband, the rapper Jay Z, are the world's highest-earning celebrity couple. Last year, their joint earnings were as high as $107.5 million.
Image: Getty Images
Dream couple #2: Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen ($74.5 million)
And then there's one more celebrity couple on this year's Forbes Celeb 100 list: American football star Tom Brady and fashion model Gisele Bündchen. Together, they earn $74.5 million.