OPRAH BECOMES FIRST BLACK BILLIONAIRESS ON 'FORBES' LIST

Chat show host Oprah Winfrey has become the first black woman to join the ranks of Forbes magazine's billionaires list.

The iconic presenter's media empire grew steadily last year, taking her worth to just on $1 billion and pushing her onto the elite list. The news comes just two years after Robert Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, became the first black billionaire.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates remains at the top of the pile, however, with a whopping net worth of $41 billion. The computer mogul takes the number one spot for the ninth consecutive year, despite the fact that his wealth has shrunk 23 per cent on last year.

In fact most of the billionaires included have seen their fortunes shrink in recent years. The number of people who qualified to have their names listed dropped by 21 to 476 and their combined wealth fell from $1.55 trillion to $1.4 trillion.

The annual publication also notes that weakening economies have made this the third consecutive year of declines. In national terms the US continues to dominate, with 222 inclusions, though some 30 Americans lost their positions since the last list was compiled. Russia, meanwhile, now has 17 billionaires despite having none in 2000.

Other figures notable by their absence are Swiss businessman Klaus J Jacobs and Canadian tycoon Andre Chagnon, both of whom decided to give their fortunes away in dramatic acts of philanthropy.

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