The global billionaire club grew to 946 members in 2006/07 thanks to healthy equity and property markets, according to Forbes magazine.
Revealing its annual billionaires list today, Forbes offers no surprises when it reveals that Microsoft founder Bill Gates towers above all as the world's richest man.
With a personal fortune valued at $56 billion (£29 billion), he overcomes investor Warren Buffet's $52 billion (£30 billion) in second place and Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico's $49 billion £25.4 billion) in third.
More notable is the expansion of the total number of billionaires, up from 812 last year. In total 44 slipped off the list but 178 newcomers joined it as it stood on February 9th - the date on which the Forbes researchers totted up the totals.
In Europe, Russian billionaires are growing in number – including Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich at 16th - while in Asia, Indian fortune-makers are rising in prominence.
This year's richest woman was Liliane Bettencourt of France, whose inherited L'Oreal fortune saw her secure the number 12 spot.
Meanwhile Britain's richest man is Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, whose $11 billion (£5.7 billion) property estate grounded in London's highly-priced Belgravia sees him ranked 55th in the world.
The celebrity list was topped by Tom Cruise, whose total fortune stands at $67 million (£34.7 million).
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