NEW YORK/TOKYO -- The number of billionaires across the world topped 2,000 for the first time ever, with the Asia-Pacific region home to more than anywhere else, 720 to be precise, according to Forbes' annual rich list.
In the list released on Monday, Microsoft's Bill Gates maintained top spot for the fourth-straight year with a fortune of $86 billion, while Wang Jianlin, the chairman of Dalian Wanda Group and China's richest man, was the most affluent Asian, coming in at 18th with a fortune of $31.3 billion.
