Forbes Decabillionaires wealthiest people in the world?

[Dave1001]

Forbes estimates and ranks the wealthiest people in the world. In its last edition, it ranked about 50 people as being worth $10 billion dollars or more. Do you think they are the wealthiest people in the world? Or are there likely folks with hidden assets wealthier than them (such as Columbian drug cartel billionaires, current and former 3rd world dictators, shadowy international arms traffickers, mafioso, etc.).

[Darth Rotor]

Forbes estimates and ranks the wealthiest people in the world. In its last edition, it ranked about 50 people as being worth $10 billion dollars or more. Do you think they are the wealthiest people in the world? Or are there likely folks with hidden assets wealthier than them (such as Columbian drug cartel billionaires, current and former 3rd world dictators, shadowy international arms traffickers, mafioso, etc.).
I'd guess the Rothschilds (http://www.gold-eagle.com/gold_digest/markus112297.html)would have to figure, wouldn't they? To their eternal credit (pun!) the family don't make a great show about their wealth. Fergusons's latest chronicle of the Rothschild houses still leaves a lot of unanswered questions. An advantage of being private companies is that things stay private. (Note, the article linked is almost a decade old. It came when Asian currencies were a mess.)

DR

[T.A.M.]

what about the MWNs (Mollach Worshipping Neocons) they must be there somewhere?

TAM

[Hellbound]

what about the MWNs (Mollach Worshipping Neocons) they must be there somewhere?

TAM

Shush! Shhhh!

Yu dumi.

U R'nt supost 2 tel any1 !!!

That's why it's sekrit!

*Huntsman goes back into the clubhouse and hangs the "No Gurls Alowd" sign back on the door*

[T.A.M.]

i may be a blabber mouth, but I aint no chick...Dont make me prove it...lol

TAM (The Artistic Macrophage).;) Not :o

[Dave1001]

what about the MWNs (Mollach Worshipping Neocons) they must be there somewhere?

TAM

Let's keep this as real as possible. I have genuine curiousity. And I've heard outlandish, but not impossible speculation about hidden wealth, usually of drug criminals and current and former despots.

[Dave1001]

I'd guess the Rothschilds (http://www.gold-eagle.com/gold_digest/markus112297.html)would have to figure, wouldn't they? To their eternal credit (pun!) the family don't make a great show about their wealth. Fergusons's latest chronicle of the Rothschild houses still leaves a lot of unanswered questions. An advantage of being private companies is that things stay private. (Note, the article linked is almost a decade old. It came when Asian currencies were a mess.)

DR

Interesting, I haven't thought about private companies. For example, I remember one year forbes valuated George Lucas conservatively, but said if ILM was valued like similar companies with equivalent P/E ratios, his stake in it would make him wealthy on the order of Bill Gates.

Bloomberg is another big name with his wealth tied into a private company.

Don't know about the Rothchild's, but I'm a bit skeptical that people stay really wealthy generations after their wealth-forming patriarchs lived. How often do kids remain great investors relative to the market for that many generations?

I remember reading that when Nelson Rockefeller released his finances to run for Governor or President, the shock was that the Rockefeller wealth was really so low, that it had depreciated so much since John D. Of course, perhaps by then they had successfully hidden most of it. ;)

[jhunter1163]

"A billion dollars isn't what it used to be." - J. Paul Getty

I'm sure that the Colombian cartels have billions stashed somewhere, all that bribery isn't free you know...

[T.A.M.]

serious face back on:

I doubt most of the potential "illegal" wealthy are not likely in that league, though maybe. I suspect even the richest of the mafia and/or cartels, probably approach 2-3 Billion each, I doubt they are close to 10 Billion or more. IMO.

[gumboot]

serious face back on:

I doubt most of the potential "illegal" wealthy are not likely in that league, though maybe. I suspect even the richest of the mafia and/or cartels, probably approach 2-3 Billion each, I doubt they are close to 10 Billion or more. IMO.


I concur.

Frankly I'd be surprised if there's many illegal sorts that break $1 billion.

-Andrew

[eeyore1954]

I'd guess the Rothschilds would have to figure, wouldn't they? To their eternal credit (pun!) the family don't make a great show about their wealth. Fergusons's latest chronicle of the Rothschild houses still leaves a lot of unanswered questions. An advantage of being private companies is that things stay private. (Note, the article linked is almost a decade old. It came when Asian currencies were a mess.)

DR

According to that article if they invested their money for an 8% return since 1850 their net worth would be 1/2 of a quintillion? dollars
Morton (1962) noted that the Rothschild wealth was estimated at over $6 billion US in 1850. Not a significant amount in today's dollars; however, consider the potential future value compounded over 147 years!

Taking $6 billion (and assuming no erosion of the wealth base) and compounding that figure at various returns on investment (a conservative range of 4% to 8%) would suggest the following net worth of the Rothschild family enterprise:


$1.9 trillion US (@ 4%)
$7.8 trillion US (@ 5%)
$31.5 trillion US (@ 6%)
$125,189.1 trillion US (@ 7%)
$491,409.0 trillion US (@ 8%)

That sound a bit preposterous...
but if I remember correctly you only need to deposit one penny for a future and very extravagent + expensive meal at Milliways (the Restaurant at the End of the Universe). By the time you reach the end of the universe compound interest has taken care of it for you.

[Brainache]

So these Rothschilds um any cute chicks in the family looking for a happy go lucky Aussie bloke?
I can cook.
GSOH.
Family type.
Willing to convert to Moloch worshipping for the right heiress....

[Dave1001]

According to that article if they invested their money for an 8% return since 1850 their net worth would be 1/2 of a quintillion? dollars


That sound a bit preposterous...
but if I remember correctly you only need to deposit one penny for a future and very extravagent + expensive meal at Milliways (the Restaurant at the End of the Universe). By the time you reach the end of the universe compound interest has taken care of it for you.

I does sound preprosterous, but it may say a lot about the tendency of heirs to squander inherited fortunes throughout time.

Alternatively perhaps the planet is ruled by secret Sumerian googolianaires.

[T.A.M.]

Speaking of googolianaires...lol

The world is actually ruled by the board of directors of Google...at least the Cyberworld, which is all these CTers really have.

They should fighting the Big Brother that is Google...lol

TAM