The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world’s 20 richest people. In calculating net worth, the news organisation strives to provide the most transparent estimates available. Each Bloomberg Billionaire profile contains a detailed analysis of how that person’s fortune has been tallied.
The index is a dynamic measure of the world’s wealthy based on changes in markets, the economy and Bloomberg reporting. Each net-worth figure is updated every business day at 5:30 p.m. New York time. Stakes in publicly traded companies are valued using the share’s most recent closing price. All numbers are in U.S. dollars at current exchange rates.
Private companies are valued in several ways, such as by comparing the enterprise values or price-to-earnings ratios of similar public companies. The criteria used depends on the firm’s industry and size. Estimates of private company debt are based on comparable peers.
When ownership of private assets cannot be verified, they aren’t included in the calculations. The specific valuation methodology for each private company is included in the net-worth analysis section of a billionaire’s profile. (The full profile is available only to Bloomberg Professional subscribers.)
Source: Bloomberg
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