The super-rich in global perspective: a quantitative analysis of the Forbes list of billionaires

Abstract

Why are there more super-rich people in some countries than in others? Extra-ordinary wealth is often regarded with envy and might raise the suspicion that it can only be accumulated with the help of a minimalist state that does not concern itself with the plight of the many. This raises the issue whether a high number of billionaires can co-exist with a high-taxing, interventionist, social and welfare spending government? These two questions are at the heart of this paper's analysis. To answer them a quantitative analysis of the global Forbes list of billionaires is undertaken.