Are These Filthy Rich People Billionaires?

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According to Forbes, there are a record 2,043 billionaires in the world this year, up from 1,810 in 2016. Combined, their net worth totals about $7.7 trillion, making them richer than the vast majority of every other person on earth, combined. In fact, it's estimated by Oxfam that the 8 richest people in the world alone have more wealth than the poorest 50% of humanity.

When broken down further, we find that the wealthiest 1% of people in the world (about 72 million people) own nearly half of all of the world's wealth, while the richest 10% own 86% of all of the wealth, leaving the bottom 90% fighting over the 14% of global wealth that remains.

Perhaps surprisingly, income inequality is actually worse in many of the poorer countries than it is in the richest countries like the United States, though the U.S has by far the greatest inequality among developed nations, with a Gini index of 46.1% as of 2013. The Nordic countries generally have the smallest income gaps thanks to their social democratic policies.

In this quiz, we'll test your knowledge of which celebrities and business icons are among the 2,043 billionaires of the world. Think you have what it takes to separate the billionaires from the poor millionaires? Take the quiz and find out!

Question 1

Is Tiger Woods A Billionaire?

Tiger Woods is one of the most successful golfers of all-time, one who seemed destined to topple Jack Nicklaus as the game's greatest player. However, injuries and inconsistent play have taken their toll on Woods in recent years, leaving him without a major championship win since 2008. Tiger signed several lucrative endorsement deals with companies like Buick and Nike early in his career, but lost several sponsors after his infidelity scandal emerged in 2009. It was estimated that the scandal cost the shareholders of companies that sponsored Tiger as much as $12 billion.

Question 2

Is Bill Gates A Billionaire?

Despite donating notable amounts of his wealth to various global causes, Microsoft co-Founder and Chairman Bill Gates has consistently ranked as one of the wealthiest people in the world. Gates and his wife Melinda head the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, the largest private charitable organization in the world. Along with hedge fund manager Warren Buffett, Gates launched The Giving Pledge in 2009, a campaign to convince some of the world's wealthiest people to donate at least half of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

Question 3

Is Tom Cruise A Billionaire?

Tom Cruise is the iconic actor of his generation, having an unprecedented 3-decade run as the leading actor in Hollywood. Cruise has been an unrivalled box office juggernaut pretty much since Top Gun, with just a single movie to his credit that could be considered a flop during that time, which was the ensemble musical Rock of Ages. Cruise's films have grossed over $9 billion worldwide. Cruise is currently working on Mission: Impossible 6, which will likely add another half-a-billion to that total at least.

Question 4

Is J.K. Rowling A Billionaire?

J.K. Rowling is the author of the uber-popular Harry Potter book series, which became the best-selling book series in history with more than 500 million copies sold. The first 7 books in the series have all been turned into feature films, which raked in nearly $7 billion at the global box office. DVD sales of the movies have also topped $2 billion, while toy sales have exceeded $7 billion. After trying her hand at crime writing under a pseudonym, Rowling returned to Harry Potter in 2016, releasing the 8th book in the series.

Question 5

Is Elon Musk A Billionaire?

Elon Musk is the founder of electric automaker Tesla and space transport company Spacex. He also founded and led SolarCity as its Chairman until that company was absorbed by Tesla last year. Musk is considered one of the world's leading visionaries, being intent on pushing the boundaries of technology, with an emphasis on environmental sustainability and improved transportation infrastructure. One of Musk's most recent endeavors was the founding of The Boring Company, which aims to create tunnels underneath cities which could ferry cars to different points at great speed.

Question 6

Is Mark Zuckerberg A Billionaire?

Mark Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook back in 2004 with several other students and built it into the dominant social media website in the world. The site now has over 2 billion active monthly users, or over 25% of the global population. Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan have committed to donating the majority of their wealth to various causes, including donating 99% of their Facebook shares to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a company which has a stated mission of "advancing human potential and promoting equality."

Question 7

Is Jerry Seinfeld A Billionaire?

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is one of the richest entertainers of all-time, having made a fortune through the immense success of his hit television series Seinfeld. The show was such a cultural phenomenon that NBC reportedly offered Jerry more than $100 million to produce another season of it, which he turned down. The show is still in wide syndication today, for which Jerry receives royalties. Jerry produced and starred in Bee Movie in 2007, which earned over $287 million at the box office, and now produces the popular internet show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which was recently picked up by Netflix.

Question 8

Is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson A Billionaire?

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has gone from being perhaps the most popular wrestling ever, to one of the most celebrated actors in the world. He was also getting paid big bucks right from the start of his movie career thanks to that wrestling stardom, making $5.5 million for his first starring movie role in The Scorpion King, which is recognized as Guinness World Record. Since then, Johnson has proven that he's a huge draw at the box office, in just about whatever he stars in. He was the highest paid actor in Hollywood in 2016, pulling in over $60 million in earnings.

Question 9

Is Warren Buffett A Billionaire?

Hedge fund manager Warren Buffett is one of the most successful investors of all time. His holding company Berkshire Hathaway delivered compounded annual returns of 20.8% between 1965 and 2016, meaning a single dollar invested with Berkshire in 1965 would have grown to over $18,513 by 2016. Buffett's holding company now owns more than 60 companies, including Dairy Queen, Geico, and Duracell. Buffett launched the The Giving Pledge in 2009 with Bill Gates, committing to donate 99% of his own wealth.

Question 10

Is Donald Trump A Billionaire?

Before he became a polarizing political figure, President Donald Trump was renowned as one of the greatest businessmen in the world. Trump built a vast empire of properties and brands, including hotels, casinos, golf courses, and more. His fame grew to such heights that he later became a reality TV star with hit shows The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice. In fact, one of the most well-known contestants from those shows, Omarosa, is a member of Trump's White House staff. Trump's empire is being run by his sons Eric and Donald Jr. while Trump runs the country.

Question 11

Is Martha Stewart A Billionaire?

Martha Stewart became a household name during the 1990's thanks to her show Martha Stewart Living, as well as her cookbooks, and magazines. Stewart founded Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in 1997 and took the company public in 1999, with its value promptly doubling. However, despite her vast wealth, Stewart attempted to avoid less than $50,000 in stock trading losses by acting on illegal insider info, for which she was jailed in 2004. The value of her media empire crashed, though she launched a successful comeback campaign after her release from prison in 2005.

Question 12

Is Vince McMahon A Billionaire?

Vince McMahon helped take wrestling from being a collection of small, local promotions into a global entertainment juggernaut. McMahon purchased the WWE from his father in 1982 and quickly launched an aggressive expansion campaign, getting the promotion on TV and using the financial windfall from those deals to woo talent from other promotions. By the mid-1980's, the WWE had launched its first PPV event, Wrestlemania 1, and was well on its way to dominating the sports entertainment industry for decades to come.

Question 13

Is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (PewDiePie) A Billionaire?

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, better known by his YouTube pseudonym of PewDiePie, is the most popular YouTuber in the world, with over 54 million subscribers. Felix rose to YouTube fame through his Let's Play gaming videos, in which he became notorious for his off-color commentary and rants. Felix's deal with Disney was scuttled after he became engulfed in controversy over various antisemitic comments and gestures found in his videos, which he claimed were for satirical purposes. His popularity only grew even further following the controversy.

Question 14

Is Jeff Bezos A Billionaire?

Jeff Bezos is the Founder and CEO of a little website called Amazon, which has grown from a small online bookseller into the largest online shopping website in the world. Amazon recently purchased Whole Foods and has already begun lowering prices on some foods in an effort to undercut other retailers. Amazon and Bezos have been criticized in the past for their lack of philanthropic efforts compared to some other large tech companies. Bezos is a member of the Bilderberg Group, which some conspiracy theorists claim is a group of elites planning the enslavement of humanity.

Question 15

Is Michael Bloomberg A Billionaire?

Michael Bloomberg is the Founder of the Bloomberg financial services and media company, and the former mayor of New York City. Bloomberg served three terms as NYC's mayor, successfully pushing for the city's term limits law to be changed ahead of his third run; NYC mayors could previously serve no more than two terms. Bloomberg has been a financial supporter of gun control and climate change issues and is one of several wealthy members of The Giving Pledge. He owns at least six homes.

Question 16

Is Stephen King A Billionaire?

Stephen King is the prolific author of dozens of books, including many classics of the horror genre. Many of King's novels and short stories have been turned into feature films and/or television films or series, including IT, Cujo, Christine, The Shining, Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile. His iconic horror novel Carrie, his first published novel, has been adapted for the screen on 3 separate occasions, with the latest coming in 2013, grossing $85 million at the box office. King ranks as one of the best-selling authors of all-time, with between 300 and 350 million copies of his books having been sold.

Question 17

Is Steve Ballmer A Billionaire?

Steve Ballmer is a former CEO of Microsoft and the owner of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. Ballmer was one of Microsoft's first employees, being hired in 1980, and held several positions until his promotion to CEO in 2000. Ballmer's reign was characterized by strong revenue growth, but several missed opportunities when it came to emerging technologies. Ballmer stepped down as CEO in early-2014 after coming under pressure from hedge fund manager David Einhorn and others over the company's stagnating stock price.

Question 18

Is Taylor Swift A Billionaire?

Taylor Swift is one of the most popular singers in the world as well as one of the most successful ever, having sold over 150 million albums and digital song downloads. One of the most followed celebrities on social media, Taylor briefly shocked her fans by deleting much of her social media content. After a brief hiatus, she has since begun using her accounts again. She is the 4th-most following person on Twitter, with over 85 million followers, trailing only Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and Barack Obama.

Question 19

Is George Soros A Billionaire?

Hedge fund manager George Soros has become a polarizing political figure, disdained by the right for his support of liberal causes and for his criticism of President Trump. Soros is most well-known for shorting the British Pound in 1992, a move which netted $1 billion in profit and earned him the title of The Man that Broke the Bank of England. While Soros no longer manages outside money, he does continue to hold investments through his family office Soros Fund Management.

Question 20

Is Carl Icahn A Billionaire?

Carl Icahn is one of the most controversial hedge fund managers in the world, earning himself the unflattering moniker of Corporate Raider. Icahn has recently come under additional scrutiny for alleging using his role as a special advisor on regulation to the Trump administration to further his own personal agenda, namely to push for changes to energy regulation which could positively affect some of his energy investments. Icahn resigned from his advisor role in August, saying he didn't want the allegations to distract from the work being done by the President.

Question 21

Is Rupert Murdoch A Billionaire?

86-year-old Rupert Murdoch is still going strong, taking over the CEO reins at Fox News from Roger Ailes in 2016, after the former was caught up in a sexual harassment scandal. Murdoch has built a vast media empire that includes 21st Century Fox, Fox Sports, Sky News, The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and HarperCollins. Murdoch was caught up in the phone hacking scandal that swept News International in Britain, stepping down as Director. He is credited with popularizing tabloid-style news reporting in England.

Question 22

Is Georgio Armani A Billionaire?

Giorgio Armani rose from humble origins to build one of the biggest fashion empires in the world. After launching his own brand in 1975, Armani made a global splash when American Gigolo was released in 1980. The movie, starring Richard Gere as a high-end playboy, heavily featured Armani-designed suits for its lead. Almost overnight, Armani had changed the way men's suits were viewed, and became an icon in the industry. The Armani brand has since expanded beyond fashion to include everything from restaurants to hotels.

Question 23

Is George R. R. Martin A Billionaire?

George R. R. Martin is the author of the best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series, which has sold over 60 million copies. The series has since been turned into a hit show on HBO, becoming arguably the most popular show in the world and the most pirated television show in history. Martin is also the author of several other books, including the vampire novel Fevre Dream and The Armageddon Rag. Martin was also a screenwriter and producer on The Twilight Zone and the Beauty and the Beast TV series.

Question 24

Is George Lucas A Billionaire?

George Lucas is the legendary creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, as well as a writer, director, and producer on dozens of movies. Lucas sold LucasFilms to Disney in 2012, with the goal of shifting his focus to working on smaller film projects. However, he continues to write the scripts for each new entry in the Star Wars franchise, including the upcoming Episode IX, and is also planning the write and produce Indiana Jones 5. He's also working on several Star Wars animated television series.

Question 25

Is Jerry Jones A Billionaire?

Jerry Jones rose to public prominence in the 1990's as the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, whom he bought in 1989. The team enjoyed a golden age shortly after he took over, winning the Super Bowl 3 times in a 4-year span that began in 1993 and becoming the most popular team in America. Though the Cowboys have failed to win the Super Bowl since, the team's value has nonetheless increased by more than 20-fold since Jones bought it. Jones is also involved in oil and real estate development.

Question 26

Is Michael Jordan A Billionaire?

The greatest basketball player of all-time, Jordan did not actually make all that much from his time in the NBA: less than $100 million. However, Jordan was one of the most heavily sponsored athletes ever, including having a huge sponsorship deal with Nike which persists to this day, in the form of that brand's iconic Jordan footwear. Jordan still works with several other companies, including Gatorade and Hanes. He's now a 90% owner of the Charlotte Hornets, as well as owning restaurants and a car dealership.

Question 27

Is Tim Cook A Billionaire?

Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple, having taken over the role after Apple co-Founder Steve Jobs passed away in 2011. While some people believe that Apple has lost its magic touch without Jobs at the helm, the company has nonetheless continued to post impressive results. Apple's revenue did decline in 2016 for the first time in a decade, which led to Cook suffering a pay cut of nearly $1.6 million due to a decline in cash incentives. Despite being CEO, Cook has a much smaller base salary than some other Apple executives, though he has a very lucrative collection of stock options.

Question 28

Is Mark Cuban A Billionaire?

Mark Cuban is a businessman, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and a regular "shark" on the hit TV show Shark Tank. Cuban made much of his early wealth from the sale of Broadcast.com, in which he was an early backer, to Yahoo in 1999, buying a Gulfstream V jet for $40 million shortly after the sale and then taking a majority stake in the Mavericks early in 2000. Cuban continued to invest in tech startups and other ventures, and has unsuccessfully attempted to purchase NHL and MLB teams over the year.

Question 29

Is Madonna A Billionaire?

Madonna remains one of the most influential and successful singers of all-time, having sold as many as 300 million albums. Her album True Blue sold 25 million copies, becoming one of the best-selling albums ever. Madonna was also a successful actress, starring in several films including A League of Their Own, Dick Tracy, Evita, and Die Another Day. Madonna continues to release new songs and albums, as well as go on tour, and maintains that she will do so until the day she dies.

Question 30

Is Oprah Winfrey A Billionaire?

Oprah Winfrey became one of the biggest stars on television during the 1990's, one which had vast influence over her large audience. She launched her own network (which is also called OWN) in 2011, which has failed to achieve the same success as her mainstream talk show, but which did have its most successful year yet in 2016. Oprah also took a large ownership stake in Weight Watchers in 2015, shares of which are up by over 285% this year.

Question 31

Is Steven Spielberg A Billionaire?

Steven Spielberg is the legendary director of several blockbuster movies, including Jaws, E.T., the Indiana Jones trilogy, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Minority Report, and War of the Worlds. Movies he directed have earned over $9 billion at the box office, making him the most successful director ever. Along with David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Spielberg launched his own movie studio, Dreamworks, in 1994, which was the first major movie studio to be founded in more than 50 years. It was sold to NBCUniversal in 2016.

Question 32

Is Ted Turner A Billionaire?

Ted Turner built one of the largest media empires in the United States, founding CNN, TNT, TBS, and the Cartoon Network, and buying MGM. Turner was the owner of the Atlanta Braves during the early part of their dynasty of the 1990's, during which they won the World Series in 1995. They were sold to Time Warner the next year. Turner also owned the WCW before selling it to Time Warner as well. It would eclipse the WWE in popularity during parts of the late-1990's, but was later sold to that promotion.

Question 33

Is Marissa Mayer A Billionaire?

Marissa Mayer was one of Google's first employees and later became the company's Vice President of Consumer Products. In 2012, she became one of the most visible leaders in the tech world when she took over the reins of Yahoo as CEO. Mayer embarked on an aggressive acquisition campaign as she attempted to modernize Yahoo's assets and develop new revenue streams. However, her acquisitions largely failed to improve the company's fortunes, including its noteworthy acquisition of Tumblr, which has lost value since its purchase by Yahoo for over $1 billion.

Question 34

Is Gabe Newell A Billionaire?

Gabe Newell is the co-Founder and CEO of video game developer Valve, best known for their Half-Life series and the MOBA Dota 2. However, it's the company's Steam digital distribution platform for PC games which has turned it into a cash cow. Steam controls the majority of the digital PC games market, with sales through its platform totaling roughing $3.5 billion in 2015. The platform appears to have an unassailable position in the market now due to various built-in perks such as achievements and trading cards.

Question 35

Is Hillary Clinton A Billionaire?

After attending Yale, Hillary Clinton worked at a law firm for a time, before eventually following her husband into politics. Clinton served as Secretary of State under Barack Obama and was a Senator for 8 years prior to that. While politicians don't make much in the way of dough, Clinton has served on the Board of Directors of several wealthy companies over the years, including Walmart. Clinton narrowly lost the 2016 Presidential Election, which would've made her the first ever female U.S President.

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