Bill Gates drops to #3 in World's Richest

[Jamroll]

The World's Billionaires 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Warren Buffett Takes Top Spot
Forbes

The number 13 has long been considered unlucky by superstitious people around the globe. How fitting, then, that Bill Gates' reign as the world's richest person ends after his 13th year at the top.

Despite being worth $58 billion, $2 billion more than last year, Gates is now the world's third-richest person, ceding the top spot ranking to his good friend and partner in philanthropy, Warren Buffett, whose net worth jumped $10 billion to $62 billion. Ranked No. 2 is Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim Helú, whose fortune has doubled in just two years to $60 billion. Read more...


1. Warren Buffett
2. Helú Slim & Family
3. William Gates III
4. Lakshmi Mittal
5. Mukesh Ambani
6. Anil Ambani
7. Ingvar Kamprad & Family
8. KP Singh
9. Oleg Deripaska
10. Karl Albrecht 11. Li Ka-shing
12. Sheldon Adelson
13. Bernard Arnault
14. Lawrence Ellison
15. Roman Abramovich
16. Theo Albrecht
17. Liliane Bettencourt
18. Alexei Mordashov
19. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud
20. Mikhail Fridman

World-Billionaires-2008: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

[wheelworks]

So is this proof that if you give, you'll get more?

[SaidAbdullahofDarfur]

wheelworks said

So is this proof that if you give, you'll get more?

psh, philanthropy = smoke screening

they give to make people believe that they're still human

they aren't, trust me.

[IbnMardhiyah]

dude, please stop hating.

[SaidAbdullahofDarfur]

IbnMardhiyah said

dude, please stop hating.

Hating?

I believe it human to hate what harms humanity.
Whether it be disease of the body, or disease of the mind.

[IbnMardhiyah]

SaidAbdullahofDarfur said

Hating?

I believe it human to hate what harms humanity.
Whether it be disease of the body, or disease of the mind.

You do not define what harms humanity or what benefits, in absolutes.

So like I said, stop hating.

[SaidAbdullahofDarfur]

IbnMardhiyah said

You do not define what harms humanity or what benefits, in absolutes.

So like I said, stop hating.

And you do?

Doesn't it strike you as odd that the bulk of the people on this list are from countries suffering from extreme poverty, lopsided trade agreements, outsourcing, and whatnot?

[IbnMardhiyah]

SaidAbdullahofDarfur said

And you do?

Doesn't it strike you as odd that the bulk of the people on this list are from countries suffering from extreme poverty, lopsided trade agreements, outsourcing, and whatnot?

No it does not.

You'd just find another reason to hate them if the bulk was from countries where the inhabitants were mostly middle-class or well-off. You just hate a lot of people for no reason.

[SaidAbdullahofDarfur]

IbnMardhiyah said

No it does not.

You'd just find another reason to hate them if the bulk was from countries where the inhabitants were mostly middle-class or well-off. You just hate a lot of people for no reason.

You honestly don't see a problem with these few people being so rich, and millions are so poor?

#2 is from mexico, A year back I read about him in al-quds, He's an arab business man, VP of the MEXICAN stock exchange.

The average mexican makes less than only 400USD a year, yet this man was the richest man in the world through 2007.

#4 & #5 are both indian #5 is worth more than 43.2 billion, the average indian makes 500USD a year.

This doesn't disgust you?

Are you thinking of what these people did to become so rich?
How many lives hey probably destroyed?
How many people died in their factories?

[IbnMardhiyah]

As usual your rhetoric is mostly emotional, distorted or irrelevant facts, and other flotsam.

SaidAbdullahofDarfur said

You honestly don't see a problem with these few people being so rich, and millions are so poor?

No.

I've said this a billion times, and I will say it again a billion times more.

I do not see any problem whatsoever with a minority of people being wealthy and many people being poor.

All those poor people have the opportunity to work and improve their lives. The majority of the rich people on this list are self-made, and did not inherit their wealth. By and large, they made their money fair and square.

Gates and Ellison are in the IT world, and Dell, who isn't mentioned here but is also in the same industry, did the same. Slim Helu is in Telecom. The Indian moguls are in steel and a variety of other verticals. Prince Waleed was really just an average Saudi but he was clever broker and knew how to maneuver very artfully, and the Citicorp deal was just absolutely f***ing BRILLIANT.

Islam is not a communist of socialist system that you so desperately wish it to be. if anything Islam, although it has its own unique financial regulations, is still far more closer to capitalism than it is to socialism. Islam does not say making money is bad, or being rich is bad. Yes, money has its dangers, and Islam does advise on how to distribute wealth fairly, but nowhere does Islam shun business or making money. If anything Islam was BUILT on money.

#2 is from mexico, A year back I read about him in al-quds, He's an arab business man, VP of the MEXICAN stock exchange.

Actually he has some Lebanese blood in him, like many.... many ... many Central and South Americans. Otherwise he's just as Mexican as the rest, and he built up his money through legitimate business activities and that is not a crime, nor is it something unethical - which you are trying to portray it to be.

The average mexican makes less than only 400USD a year, yet this man was the richest man in the world through 2007.

#4 & #5 are both indian #5 is worth more than 43.2 billion, the average indian makes 500USD a year.

This doesn't disgust you?

No, it does NOT disgust me.

Why should it? Are you trying to, in some really twisted way, imply that these rich men now bear the responsibility of improving the wages of all the poor? That's so dumb. They have no such legal, ethical, or moral responsibility. Not in Islam, and not outside of Islam.

Are you thinking of what these people did to become so rich?
How many lives hey probably destroyed?
How many people died in their factories?

Again, you're ranting on and on emotionally.

Warren Buffet is just a smart investor.

Gates was a thief who stole the Windows idea before it could become IP and parlayed it onto IBM clones. Larry Ellison [from Oracle] is a hard driver who built Oracle's empire through legitimate business activities, in fair market competition against his main rival, SAP.

Prince Waleed - smart investing, routinely referred to as the Arab version of Warren Buffet. Another example [amongst many] of smart Arab investors and brokers was Khashoggi, even though I think his activities were unethical, it doesnt matter, it was all legitimate BUSINESS.

Legitimate business runs via the market. The Market decides who survives and who dies. Yes, some people will go out of business due to stronger competition, but thats not illegal or unethical.

So what the heck are you talking about?

Really?

Like, tomorrow, my name could be up there. What are you going to do? Come point fingers at me and say I killed so many people and drank the blood of babies to get to where I am? That I'm so evil because I'm worth a couple dozen billions? Or that, I have some sort of ethical / moral / legal and inexorable responsibility to raise all the poor peoples' daily wages and incomes?

ITS BUSINESS.

NOT A CHARITY.

[Zam]

IbnMardhiyah said

Like, tomorrow, my name could be up there. What are you going to do? Come point fingers at me and say I killed so many people and drank the blood of babies to get to where I am? That I'm so evil because I'm worth a couple dozen billions? Or that, I have some sort of ethical / moral / legal and inexorable responsibility to raise all the poor peoples' daily wages and incomes?

ITS BUSINESS.

NOT A CHARITY.

You're name could be on the list as soon as tomorrow?
How do you make so much money when you're on Islamica all day?

[IbnMardhiyah]

Zam said

You're name could be on the list as soon as tomorrow?

.... or any other person ...

How do you make so much money when you're on Islamica all day?

Smart people get paid for their efforts, and not for their time.

Dumb people [about 95% of North America] slave away, getting paid for their time. And they're left fighting over 5% of the scraps.

[Zam]

IbnMardhiyah said

.... or any other person ...



Smart people get paid for their efforts, and not for their time.

Dumb people [about 95% of North America] slave away, getting paid for their time. And they're left fighting over 5% of the scraps.

interesting

But anyway, people shouldn't confuse heights of virtue with essential justice. It's not unjust that people accumulate a lot of wealth validly as long as they give in sadaqah what is due by Allah from it, and so you can't blame such people. But you become the true Khalifa of Allah when you are given a lot of wealth and provide for others from your means as much as your tawakkul allows. And thus the wealth that you spend for the sake of Allah is preserved in the Hereafter for you, while what you did not spend will become dust.

[IbnMardhiyah]

Zam said

interesting

But anyway, people shouldn't confuse heights of virtue with essential justice. It's not unjust that people accumulate a lot of wealth validly as long as they give in sadaqah what is due by Allah from it, and so you can't blame such people. But you become the true Khalifa of Allah when you are given a lot of wealth and provide for others from your means as much as your tawakkul allows. And thus the wealth that you spend for the sake of Allah is preserved in the Hereafter for you, while what you did not spend will become dust.

... I've been saying that all along to this guy.

Many of the Sahabaa were rich businessmen. They were never chastised or criticized for being wealthy. Islam has its own system for regulating money in a just manner, and that system does indeed allow for disparities to exist between the rich and poor. As long as everyone who has money is contributing a fair share [which is why its marked as a percentage] to society, and then anymore out of the goodness of their heart, its all good.

So why are people hating on rich businessmen?

If you just want to hate on rich spoiled brats, go hate on Paris or someone. At least you won't sound like a wierdo for hating on her.

[SaidAbdullahofDarfur]

[LEFT said

IbnMardhiyah[/left];98368]As usual your rhetoric is mostly emotional, distorted or irrelevant facts, and other flotsam.



No.

I've said this a billion times, and I will say it again a billion times more.

I do not see any problem whatsoever with a minority of people being wealthy and many people being poor.

All those poor people have the opportunity to work and improve their lives. The majority of the rich people on this list are self-made, and did not inherit their wealth. By and large, they made their money fair and square.

Gates and Ellison are in the IT world, and Dell, who isn't mentioned here but is also in the same industry, did the same. Slim

Helu

is in

Telecom

. The Indian moguls are in steel and a variety of other verticals. Prince

Waleed

was really just an average Saudi but he was clever broker and knew how to maneuver very artfully, and the

Citicorp

deal was just absolutely f***

ing

BRILLIANT.

Islam is not a communist of socialist system that you so desperately wish it to be. if anything Islam, although it has its own unique financial regulations, is still far more closer to capitalism than it is to socialism. Islam does not say making money is bad, or being rich is bad. Yes, money has its dangers, and Islam does advise on how to distribute wealth fairly, but nowhere does Islam shun business or making money. If anything Islam was BUILT on money.

Actually he has some Lebanese blood in him, like many.... many ... many Central and South Americans. Otherwise he's just as Mexican as the rest, and he built up his money through legitimate business activities and that is not a crime, nor is it something unethical - which you are trying to portray it to be.

No, it does NOT disgust me.

Why should it? Are you trying to, in some really twisted way, imply that these rich men now bear the responsibility of improving the wages of all the poor? That's so dumb. They have no such legal, ethical, or moral responsibility. Not in Islam, and not outside of Islam.

Again, you're ranting on and on emotionally.

Warren Buffet is just a smart investor.

Gates was a thief who stole the Windows idea before it could become IP and parlayed it onto IBM clones. Larry Ellison [from Oracle] is a hard driver who built Oracle's empire through legitimate business activities, in fair market competition against his main rival, SAP.

Prince

Waleed

- smart investing, routinely referred to as the Arab version of Warren Buffet. Another example [amongst many] of smart Arab investors and brokers was

Khashoggi

, even though I think his activities were unethical, it

doesnt

matter, it was all legitimate BUSINESS.

Legitimate business runs via the market. The Market decides who survives and who dies. Yes, some people will go out of business due to stronger competition, but

thats

not illegal or unethical.

So what the heck are you talking about?

Really?

Like, tomorrow, my name could be up there. What are you going to do? Come point fingers at me and say I killed so many people and drank the blood of babies to get to where I am? That I'm so evil because I'm worth a couple dozen billions? Or that, I have some sort of ethical / moral / legal and inexorable responsibility to raise all the poor peoples' daily wages and incomes?

ITS BUSINESS.

NOT A CHARITY.

Spoken like a true capitalist.

If how you make people feel doesn't matter to you what does? You're own selfish desires and ambitions?

Do you care about the people these people used to get to the top?

Islam stresses compassion to mankind NOT MONEY.
Capitalism as a system treats people as merely resources to be used.

Money is GOD in capitalist Societies.

Look at what your posted above,

Why should it? Are you trying to, in some really twisted way, imply that these rich men now bear the responsibility of improving the wages of all the poor? That's so dumb. They have no such legal, ethical, or moral responsibility. Not in Islam, and not outside of Islam.

Am I implying that they bear the responsibility? Yes, as a matter of fact I am.
In a world where human rights violations are considered nothing but another tax to Corporations. When Workers making a dollar a day produce the goods that make people billionaires, When fathers die trying to get .50 cent more to feed their families. When children are forced to work on the assembly line.

Its called Compassion, Its something central to Islam.
The only thing you're doing is making excuses and trying to justify the actions that leave so many desolate each day.

Legitimate business runs via the market. The Market decides who survives and who dies. Yes, some people will go out of business due to stronger competition, but

thats

not illegal or unethical.

So what the heck are you talking about?

Yet again the typical capitalist.

The Market decides you say? Is the Market your substitute for God Now?

Do you know what drives the stocks?
What drives the corporations?

The people they enslave.
The lives they rob, the people they kill to use as examples.
An environment of fear and torment that keeps the rich, rich; and the poor, poor.

In about every line you talk about whats legal or Moral, sir as a

Muslim

I think you should know that

Islamic

morals are FAR from the guise of morality our country puts on for show. America was built on the age old prospect of saying one thing and doing another, a system of corruption and malice.

In about every line you rant about my emotions, I've seen lives destroyed by this system. I've seen people sell their souls for cash.

In

Chicago, no in the U.S. we have a saying.

M.O.E.T.

These four letters, no this philosophy is responsible for more deaths than any one state, responsible for more wars, more killings, more betrayals than statistics can count.

Money Over Every Thing, The Gang slogan, the corporate slogan.

No blood or soul is worth more than a dollar.

I ask you one last time,

Are you okay with this?

IbnMardhiyah said

.... or any other person ...



Smart people get paid for their efforts, and not for their time.

Dumb people [about 95% of North America] slave away, getting paid for their time. And they're left fighting over 5% of the scraps.

I was waiting for this...
so you DO blame people for being poor, Not the system that taught them to work that way, not the culture that breeds this attitude, or the Rich who employ them.

So thats your philosophy? Social Darwinism? The bulk of people are to stupid to not be oppressed?