Forbes 2017 billionaires list: Meet the richest people on the planet
Complete List
Bill Gates is No. 1 having increased his wealth from $75 billion last year to $86 billion this year.
Warren Buffet is No. 2.
Jeff Bezos is No. 3.
Mark Zuckerberg is No. 5.
No comments necessary. America is still the land of opportunity...for some.
It's a question as to how they got to where they are and what trade-offs were made, if any.
Some believe that its impossible to get that rich without having to walk on the backs of others either knowingly or out of ignorance. In some cases I do believe this is true, but I don't believe financial success inherently includes extracting money from those who have very little already.
I tend to think those who rise to the top out of nowhere are a result of being at the right place\time, with the right idea\product, and are willing to work hard to achieve their goals. And most success stories are not about billionaires, they are about small businesses that are able to do well for the same reasons that billionaires are able to do well.