Thursday, November 19, 2009

India remains billionaire friendly

India’s billionaire list doubles


Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is once again the wealthiest person in India. The net worth of the promoter of the largest listed Indian company is put at $32 billion, an increase of 54 per cent from nearly $21 billion last year, according to a Forbes report.

“Trailing behind him are Lakshmi Mittal (Arcelor Mittal) with a net worth of $30 billion, up 46 per cent from $20.5 billion, and Mukesh’s estranged brother, Anil Ambani, whose net worth of $17.5 billion, 40 per cent, higher than before, put him in third place,” it said. A rebounding stock market that gained two-thirds in the past year and an economy growing at 6 per cent have boosted the net worth of India's richest people. The combined net worth of India’s 100 richest people is $276 billion, almost a quarter of the country’s GDP.

“Last year, there were only 27 billionaires on the India Rich List. This year, the number has almost doubled to 52 — just two short of what India had at the peak of the stock market boom in 2007,” according to the Forbes report.

article

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Warren Buffett gets bullish on select stocks


Still heavy with billions in corporate cash, Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett have added the following positions to the portfolio:

Nestlé
Wal-Mart
Exxon-Mobile



article

Friday, November 6, 2009

New York City tries to steal millions in "back taxes" from hedge fund manager

By LAURA SAUNDERS

What a difference four days can make.

Billionaire Julian Robertson won a $27 million tax case after he successfully argued that he wasn't a New York City resident for the year 2000 and didn't owe city taxes.

At issue was Mr. Robertson's whereabouts on four days during that leap year: April 15, July 23, July 31 and Nov. 16. The other 362 days were accounted for, with documentary proof of 183 days spent in the city and 179 spent outside. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance argued that because he didn't have documentary proof for the four days, he was therefore a resident and owed city taxes of $26,792,341.




WSJ article

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Carl Icahn continues to mint money


Icahn Enterprises 3rd-quarter profit quintuples

NEW YORK — Billionaire Carl Icahn's investing vehicle Icahn Enterprises LP on Thursday said its third-quarter profit nearly quintupled as revenue shot higher and expenses declined.

The company reported profit for the three months ended Sept. 30 of $110 million, or $1.39 per unit, up from $23 million, or 32 cents per unit, in the year-ago period.

article

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Warren Buffett adds a railroad to the portfolio


You may not be ready to bet on the U.S. economic recovery, but Warren Buffett sure is.

The billionaire made a splash Tuesday when his investment firm, Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK - news - people ), announced a deal to take over railroad operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe ( BNI - news - people ). The cash-and-stock deal is worth $100 a share for the 77.4% of the company Berkshire didn't already own, for a price tag near $34 billion.


article

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Al Gore: Is he a carbon billionaire???





















Al Gore
, founder of the internet, former vice-president of the United States, and now green (monetarily) beyond belief.....

Has everyone asking: is he a carbon billionaire and are you ok with that???

article: Al Gore denies he is 'carbon billionaire'

Monday, November 2, 2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Life is just a circus for Canadian billionaire Guy Laliberte

Canadian space tourist Guy Laliberté gives a thumbs up after landing with the Soyuz spacecraft crew in Kazakhstan. Photograph: Yuri Kochetkov/AFP/Getty Images



article

Friday, October 23, 2009

Mark Cuban: I'm not so against steroids

Dallas Mavericks billionaire owner Mark Cuban on the NBA's steroid policy:

"I'm not so against steroids," Cuban said, pausing to a roomful of laughter, "if it's administered under the proper supervision."


article

Well, here is another Wharton School alum being carted off by police. Why can't these guys stay out of trouble???

Yes, this is (former?) billionaire Raj Rajaratnam of Galleon Group, who allegedly is in big, big trouble. Our question is this: how fat is Raj??? 250, 300, 350, or 400 pounds??? He looks like he has eaten several Manhattan restaurants.

update: article

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Eike Batista: the Brazillian billionaire hits another gusher

Brazilian Billionaire Strikes Oil
Keren Blankfeld, 10.07.09, 08:00 PM EDT
Eike Batista's OGX announces first discovery of crude in offshore field.

Some guys have all the luck. Take Eike Batista.

Forbes pegged Batista's fortune at $7.5 billion in March, placing him 61st on our list of the world's richest people. Today, he's worth more than $20 billion, courtesy of a 64% run-up in the stock of his oil and gas company, OGX Petroleo e Gas, as well as valuation gains in other holdings. And that was before he struck oil on Wednesday.


Forbes article

Think Billion$ article

Self help lessons for prospective billionaires


Wanna be a billionaire? Drop out and get your maths right

Want to become a tech titan or hedge fund tycoon? Up your chances by dropping out of college or going to Harvard and working at Goldman Sachs.

Are billionaires born or made? What are the common attributes among the uber-wealthy? Are there any true secrets of the self-made?



ARTICLE

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Interview with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer



Michael Arrington of TechCrunch interviews Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on September 24, 2009.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

(former billionaire) Donald Trump cries Racism

Donald Trump Aide Accuses Scottish Councillor Of Racism
Telegraph(UK) | October 03rd 2009

Donald Trump Aide Accuses Scottish Councillor Of Racism

An aide to tycoon Donald Trump has accused Scottish councillor Sam Coull of making a racist remark after he was sent a letter mocking his New Jersey accent.

Mr Trump’s development director, George Sorial, said Mr Coull, a Peterhead councillor, had sent a letter on council-headed paper in which had written “Noo Joysee” instead of “New Jersey”.

Mr Sorial, who was born in the UK, said he was “insulted personally” and claimed it was racist.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Bill Gates remains king of the billionaires

















The winner, for the 16th straight year, as the richest man in the U.S.A. is Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

Congratulations, once gain, Bill.

Warren Buffett, second-richest, dropped $10 billion over the last from his personal balance sheet as shares of Berkshire Hathaway fell 20% in 12 months. He is now worth just $40 billion.

Rounding out the top 10 on The Forbes 400: Oracle founder Larry Ellison ($27 billion); Wal-Mart heirs Christy Walton ($21.5 billion), Jim C. Walton ($19.6 billion), Alice Walton ($19.3 billion), and S. Robson Walton ($19 billion); media maven Michael Bloomberg ($17.5 billion) and energy titans Charles and David Koch ($16 billion each).