Four Irish make Forbes mega rich list

Bill Gates gained ground at the top of the mega-rich rankings as the world's wealthiest people added $400bn (€337bn) to their net worth, according to Forbes magazine's latest annual list.

The number of people whose wealth reached 10 figures stood at a record 793, an increase of 102 from the previous year, with Microsoft founder Gates in first place for the 12th year in a row. His $50bn (€42bn) fortune marked an increase of $3.5bn (€2.9bn) from the 2005 Forbes list.

Four Irish men also made the list. Fermanagh based businessman Sean Quinn was 292nd in the list with a fortune of $2.5bn (€2.1bn). He shares that spot with John Dorrance III who lives in Dublin. Independent News and Media Chairman Tony O'Reilly comes 562nd in the list with $1.4bn (€1.17bn) while financier Dermot Desmond, who has a fortune of $1bn (€841m), comes 746th.

The magazine said strong markets around the world contributed to the surge in wealth, as the total net worth of the list jumped to $2.6 trillion (€2.18 trillion) - more than the annual GDP of Germany. The number of billionaires had grown by more than 300 in the past three years.