<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Forbes: The World's Billionaires website </Td> </Tr> <P> The World's Billionaires is an annual ranking by documented net worth of the world's wealthiest billionaires compiled and published in March annually by the American business magazine Forbes . The list was first published in March 1987 . The total net worth of each individual on the list is estimated and is cited in United States dollars, based on their documented assets and accounting for debt . Royalty and dictators whose wealth comes from their positions are excluded from these lists . This ranking is an index of the wealthiest documented individuals, excluding and ranking against those with wealth that is not able to be completely ascertained . </P> <P> In 2017, there was a record of 2,043 people on the list, which is the first time over 2,000 people were listed, that included 195 newcomers that included 76 from China and 25 from the U.S.; there were 56 people under 40 and it had a record of 227 women . The average net worth of the list came in at US $3.75 billion, down US $110 million from 2015 . Added together, the total net worth for 2017's billionaires was US $7.67 trillion, up from US $7.1 trillion in 2015 . In 2017, 500 of the richest people in the world became richer by $1 trillion, according to a report by Bloomberg News . As of 2017, Microsoft founder Bill Gates has topped the list 18 of the past 23 years . </P> <P> According to a 2017 Oxfam report, the top eight billionaires own as much combined wealth as "half the human race". </P>

Who topped the forbes world's billionaires list 2017