Number Of Dollar Billioners Rose Above Two Thousand Level

- Number of dollar billioners around the world rose over 2 thousand in 2015, with an average age of 64, according to The Hurun Global Rich List.

The number of dollar billioners rose to 2,089 individuals in 2015 from 68 countries, up 222 from last year, in a record-breaking year for the world’s billionaires.

Hurun Report released the Hurun Global Rich List 2015, a ranking of the US dollar billionaires currently found in the world. Rupert Hoogewerf, Chairman and Chief Researcher of Hurun Report said, "Tech has been leading the way again for new billionaires. It’s all eyes on the new economy."

"'New Energy King' Li Hejun becomes the twelfth Number One China has had in the past 16 years, underlying once again the dynamism of the Chinese economy. In that same period, Bill Gates has been the only Number One in the US."

Wealth of 649 billioners increased in the past year, while wealth of 230 remained unchanged and 869 individuals saw their wealth decrease, over the same period. There were 341 new faces in the list, while 95 dropped out of last year’s list.

The Russian Rouble collapse, brought about by a stagnating Russian economy, sanctions due to Ukrainian conflict and cheaper oil price by the OPEC, has been the cause for 60 percent of Russian billionaires to see their wealth drop, led by Vladimir Yevtushenkov and Vagit Alekperov of Lukoil whose wealth fell by 77 percent and 73 percent respectively.

Although the list expanded by 222 individuals, the total wealth dropped by 1.5 percent to US$6.7 trillion, due to the big drop at the wealth of Russian billioners, but still more than the GDP of Japan and South Korea combined.

Wealth calculations were a snapshot of 17 January 2015, and for key people stock movements of 10 percent or more between the cut-off date and the release date were factored in, the Hurun said in the statement on the list.