With 268 fresh faces joining the ranks of the World’s Billionaires — including a record 40 new women — 2014’s class is the largest on record. That’s 42 fortunes more than the next largest group, which came in 2008 before the financial crisis hit, derailing the global economy. This crop of billionaires minted their fortunes from social media in Silicon Valley, real estate in China, fashion in Nigeria and every combination in between, and boasts an average net worth of $1.9 billion per person. In aggregate, their wealth amounts to $510 billion (also a record), or roughly the GDP of Norway or Poland. America’s contingent includes a cast of 10 tech stars, including WhatsApp founders Jan Koum ($6.8 billion) and Brian Acton ($3 billion), who sold their company to Facebook for $19 billion in February. Two billionaires emerged from within Facebook as well: COO and best-selling author of Lean In Sheryl Sandberg ($1 billion) and Jeff Rothschild ($1.2 billion), a little known linchpin to Facebook’s back-end who started with the company in 2005. From the entertainment industry comes Vince McMahon ($1.2 billion), the third-generation wrestling promoter. McMahon was briefly a billionaire over a decade ago but this is the first time he officially joins the Forbes Billionaires ranks, thanks to his exceedingly popular World Wrestling Entertainment, which is broadcast in 150 countries. Perhaps the best known American newcomer is fashion designer Michael Kors, longtime star of Project Runway.
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