Ok, guess which city in the world has the most billionaires.
If you guessed New York, you’re really close. New York has the second highest number of billionaires, at 31.
I’ll give you a few hints:
- New York isn’t even on the right continent.
- One of the billionaires from this city recently purchased London’s Chelsea Football club …
- He’s only 37, but he’s the second richest man in this city.
- The city’s not in England, though. Or even in Europe.
- The richest man in this city is in jail.
Give up?
Well, this is only possible because almost every rich person in this country lives in the same city. By contrast with the United States, where the combined net worth of all American billionaires is equivalent to just six percent of the gross domestic product of USA ... the richest 100 people in this country are worth over 25% of it’s entire economy.
By now you’ve probably guessed. According to Forbes, Moscow is the city with the most billionaires in the world. It’s hard to believe, and it’s actually a sad commentary on the current state of affairs in that country.
As the BBC article mentions, almost every one of these rich Russians owes their wealth to the purchase of formerly state-owned companies after the fall of the Soviet Union. Two-thirds of them owe their fortunes to “exploitation” of their countries natural resources. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not really and eco freak, but the natural resources of a country belong to it’s citizens. And if they’re going to be used to make billions of dollars, I’d like to see that money spread out a little better. It’s even more hurtful when you think of the fact that these companies are one “owned by the people” not so long ago. What do the people have to show for it?
The rich are still getting richer, of course. The Gateway to Russia story mentions that Forbe’s list from late February only had 25 Russians on it … the list published today has about 36 billionaires and 64 businessmen with over $200 million dollars, and thanks to Russia’s booming stock market, the number of billionaires in Russia increased 40 percent in just 2.5 months, and their total wealth rose from $79.4bn to $110bn.
The Gateway to Russia also has other bad news about the Russian economy. Seven percent of it’s citizens are living on 25 rubles or less, the equivalent of a dollar a day. This is a level of poverty unheard of in the United States … If you look at the Russian deffinition of poverty (which is still based on Soviet era calculations about a “basket of consumer goods” which includes buying a new coat every five years [:-|]), they calculate 22% of the population, or thirty million people.
I’ll leave it to you to read the article, it’s rather discouraging, and somewhat depressing. The author essentially concludes that the Russian people have been living in poverty for so long (and are likely to continue doing so, regardless of any possible effort, for so much longer), that they have become accustomed to poverty and may be, in a sense, so hopeless that they can’t see beyond that.
Of course, there are many other countries in the third world where this is the case, but it’s hard to really think of once-proud Russia in that way. Especially when they have the Richest City in the World.
29 Comments
Well its somewhere in Russia I guess, Moscow?
Did you consider reading the other two pages of the article?
hangs head in shame
You know.. I completely missed that there were other pages, the light grey and tiny size meant I missed them
Still… I was right! heh..
Just to be a difficult, Moscow is in Europe.
The gulf between the rich and the poor in Russia certainly seems to be profound. It is though an inevitable price for a poor country to pay switching from a public centered to a private centered market economy.
That’s a good point … it really is in Europe. [blush]
man i know its moscow & i’m surprised
i donno
i am not 100% sure but ni think it is brunei
are you sure that moscow, russia is the richest city in the world?i thought it’s in germany…well..if that was the real answer, then, thanks for the information.
none.
It must be MOSCOW MOSCOW MOSCOW
There are 34 billionaires and over 100 buisness men with over 200 miliion dollars.
vatican
donno,think it is kenya!
i think the richest city in the world is in Philippines?he he he ….....
I think its tokyo.
It’s London, England!!!!!!!!!!! DUH!
i know for certain that the richest city in the Philippines last year 2004 is Quezon City, but I’m not sure if this city is the richest throughout the world.
London rules!!!!
The richest city in the world is london!!!!! YAY!! Good!
it LONDON the richest city in the world! YAY!!!! UK rules!! Forget USA and China! YaY!
The answer depends on how “being rich” is defined. When it comes to money, Maybe Moscow or NY…
When it comes to the “spiritual” then it must had been Lhasa(not sure if it is a city Tibet before the Communist arrives. When it comes to history it’s Iraq(Baghdad) and when it comes to me Cebu City Philippines(I live here)...lol
It’s zurich, but almost all the money it’s not invested in this city cause it’s from people all over the world
The richest city in the wold has to be London it’s the financial capital.But the richest city is Moscow obviously because Abromovich is from there so is that one whose owns YUKOS and in jail for tax fraud. Conspiracy if you ask me by Putin just for more money for him and his political party. Wales Rules
London is most definitely not the financial capital of the world. Being the richest depends on income and people rich people living in the city. Then we start considering New York, Tokyo, Munich and such. dont get excited
I believe that the richest city in world is Cebu City. Theres nothing more than cebu, Cebu is the best for me!!!!!!!!
i think the riches country in the world is New YORK or MOSCOW or TOKYO or VATICAN hehehe, I think its NEWYORk the least city to expect is BAGHDAD?
Montreal is problably the richest cities in the world located in Quebec Canada.It has a strong economy and they speak two languages and they have allot of immagrants!
It’s TOKYO!!!!! and it will be the world’s richest city unrivalled for twenty years!!!!!!!! read this http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/richest-cities-gdp-intro.html
if you look at it, it doesnt matter how many billionaires live in a city to make it the richest city. I would say New York City is the richest easily. It definitly surpasses London in wealth. New York is the financial capital of the world with the largest stock exchanges and all the money invested. New York rules, all other cities can suck it hard.
Abu Dhabi is the richest city in the world of the country United Arab Emirates.
Ninety miles from Dubai, another Xanadu has been decreed. Its name is Abu Dhabi.
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Check the link (MUST SEE)
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_ar…;
I'm an Indian, brought up in Dubai, UAE. Dubai is an awesome city especially Abu-Dhabi.
OIL is the major thing in the country that makes them rich.
Cheers!
Regards