More from the launch of the world’s billionaires list:
“There are 1,645 billionaires spread across the globe – more than ever before – worth some $6.4 trillion, an 18.5% increase from last year. The United States is home to 492 of the world’s wealthiest, more than any other country, followed by China with 152 and Russia with 111″ — Check out The World Almanac Of Wealth.
“Buying the world’s biggest and most reclusive messaging service took more than just money, but months of gaining its founders’ trust and a promise of independence” — Parmy Olson. Read Inside The Facebook-WhatsApp Megadeal: The Courtship, The Secret Meetings, The $19 Billion Poker Game
“Property values are rising globally, creating wealth–and new billionaires–across the planet. Fifteen people join the FORBES ranks this year thanks to their real estate holdings, bringing the total number of property tycoons on the FORBES Billionaires List to 135″ — Erin Carlyle. Read The 20 Richest Real Estate Tycoons On The Forbes Billionaires List
“It was a record-breaking year for women on the FORBES list of the World Billionaires. Out of 1,645 billionaires, a record 172 are women – up from 138 last year. There’s no denying that women are still a tiny minority on the list, representing a little over 10% of the total” — Andrea Navarro. Read The World’s Richest Women 2014
And in other news:
“The judge presiding over the divorce case of oil man Harold Hamm and his wife Sue Ann has ruled that the billionaire founder of Continental Resources will not have to give up his controlling interest in the company as part of any settlement” — Christopher Helman. Read Judge: Billionaire Hamm To Retain Control Of Continental Resources In Divorce Settlement
“So much for that Super Bowl boost: just one month after surging on the success of a Super Bowl ad triumph, shares of RadioShack are plummeting more than 20% in early Tuesday trading after the electronics retailer released abysmal fourth quarter fiscal 2013 earnings results that included a same-store-sales drop of 19% and news that the company is closing 1,100 under-performing stores” — Maggie McGrath. Read RadioShack Closing 1,100 Stores After Same Store Sales Plummet 19%
“Mt. Gox may have become the biggest business to collapse within the Bitcoin economy when it declared bankruptcy last week after a massive theft of its coins. But it won’t be the last. On Monday night Bitcoin startup Flexcoin announced that it would be shutting down following the theft of 896 bitcoins from its servers, worth close to $620,000 at current exchange rates” — Andy Greenberg. Read Another Bitcoin Startup Tanks After $600,000 Theft
“Time to hop on the drone bandwagon — before it flies off without you. Facebook, in a deal first reported by TechCrunch and CNBC, is buying drone maker Titan Aerospace for $60 million” — Brian Solomon. Read Facebook Follows Amazon, Google Into Drones With $60 Million Purchase
“On Monday Disney and Dish Network signed a long-term agreement that could change the way we watch TV. The deal gives Dish the right to offer Disney channels, like ABC and as importantly, ESPN, online. Although the details haven’t been worked out, Dish could, at some point in the near future, sell the package of Disney channels to viewers who aren’t Dish subscribers as a standalone option” — Dorothy Pomerantz. Read Dish Disney Deal Could Help Speed Cord Cutting Options
FORBES news:
“Over the weekend, Warren Buffett issued his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway’s shareholders, displaying the wit and insight that has propelled him to beat bull and bear markets alike over the past 40-plus years. If you want to know more about what motivates the Oracle of Omaha, check out the FORBES ebook, ‘Warren Buffett, The $59 Billion Philanthropist’. Available on iTunes and Amazon now.”
