1st place - Mark Zuckerberg
The biggest loser of the outgoing year is American media mogul Mark Zuckerberg. The fortune of Meta’s head continues to melt. Over the past 12 months, he has shed almost $90 billion. According to the latest estimates, his net worth is currently only $36 billion. That is why Zuckerberg has lost his spot on the Forbes list of the ten richest men in the United States for 2022. The main reason for such a massive nosedive in his fortune is a record drop in Meta shares. This year, the company has been among the worst tech performers. Meta’s stock has lost nearly 60%.
2nd place - Changpeng Zhao
Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance's founder and chief executive officer Changpeng Zhao has also suffered humiliating losses over the past 12 months. His net worth decreased by 4 times, that is, by more than $74 billion. Now his fortune is estimated only at $21.5 billion. This wealth wipeout stems from his company's "tarnished" reputation. Binance has long been hit by a number of financial scandals. This year, the company has been involved in two high-profile cases at once. The world's biggest digital asset trading venue was accused of laundering several billion dollars and violating crypto regulations.
3rd place - Elon Musk
The world’s wealthiest person, Elon Musk, also failed to avoid huge losses. Over the past few months, the head of Tesla and SpaceX has seen his net worth slide by $67 billion to $203 billion. Such a sharp decline in the wealth of the tech billionaire can be attributed to a drop in the automaker's shares. This year, Tesla stock has taken several steep dives for various reasons, with the biggest slump caused by rumors about the company's job cuts. Amid this news, its CEO lost about $17 billion in just one day.
4th place - Jeff Bezos
Another billionaire who has been out of luck this year is the founder of US e-commerce giant Amazon. Jeff Bezos lost almost as much as Elon Musk. Over the reporting period, his fortune has decreased by $66.8 billion and currently stands at $126 billion. Now Bezos is inferior not only to his rival Mask but also to French fashion tycoon Bernard Arnault ($138 billion). The reason for his net worth fall is a collapse in Amazon stock. In the spring, shares of the world's largest online retailer were down to their worst levels in more than 8 years.
5th place - Larry Page
Google co-founder Larry Page closes the list of the top 5 billionaires who suffered heavy losses in 2022. His net worth is currently estimated at $87.8 billion, down $40.6 billion from last year. Despite the fact that Page stepped down his top position at Google a long time ago, he remains one of the company's controlling shareholders. However, the Internet search engine’s share price has plunged by more than 30% over the past year, which in turn had a negative impact on the well-being of the businessman.
Economic inequality remains one of the most pressing issues in today's world. To measure the gap between the rich and the poor in each country, the Gini index is used. This coefficient reflects how income is distributed within a society: the closer the index is to 100, the greater the inequality. Let's explore which countries currently have the highest Gini index values
This year has been pivotal for Bitcoin, the world's leading cryptocurrency. One of the key milestones was the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In April 2024, Bitcoin also experienced a halving event, which is typically seen as a positive development for the digital asset. This year, the cryptocurrency is up 57%, and analysts remain optimistic about its future. However, they highlight four key factors that could influence Bitcoin's trajectory, both for better and for worse
Analytical periodical US News and World Report has presented its ranking of the best countries in the world in terms of quality of life, based on a survey of nearly 17,000 people. The list considers factors such as economic and political stability, a strong labor market, income equality, family-friendliness, safety, the quality of education, and healthcare systems. Let's find out which countries made it to the top of this list.
