(WWJ) Forbes is out with its annual list of the richest people on the planet, and some Michiganders did make the cut.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos tops the list for the third year in a row with a worth $113 billion. That's after he gave $36 billion to his ex-wife MacKenzie as part of their divorce settlement. Bill Gates came in second in the 2020 rankings, and luxury goods tycoon Bernard Arnault nudged out Warren Buffett to move into the number three spot for the first time. Alice Walton, an heir to the Walmart fortune, is the richest woman, ranked ninth at $54.4 billion.
Multiple people from Michigan are on the list, including:
#133 - Hank and Doug Meijer who run the retail chain worth 10.2 billion
#230 - Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert who is worth 6.5 billion
#414 - Ronda Stryker the director of the Stryker Corporation, the medical equipment company near Kalamazoo
#484 - Marian Ilitch who co-founded Little Caesars and also owns the Detroit Red Wings and Motor City Casino Hotel
Also, further down the list are businessman Roger Penske, Ambassador bridge owner Matty Maroun and his family, and William Young from Ypsilanti who is CEO of plastic container maker Plastipak. (See the complete Forbes list at this link.)
Forbes reports the richest people on Earth are not immune to the coronavirus — and the pandemic is tanking many fortunes. As of March 18, when Forbes finalized the list, it counted 2,095 billionaires, 58 fewer than a year ago and 226 fewer than just 12 days earlier. Of the billionaires who remain, Forbes said 51% are poorer than they were last year. In raw terms, the world's billionaires are worth $8 trillion, down $700 billion from 2019. READ MORE.
