In context: Perhaps even more interesting are the overall metrics associated with the world's billionaires. Covid-19 has taken a toll on global equity markets, wiping out massive fortunes in just a matter of weeks.

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has topped Forbes' annual list of the wealthiest people in the world for the third year in a row, even after giving ex-wife MacKenzie Bezos $36 billion worth of Amazon stock as part of their divorce settlement.

Forbes calculated Bezos' net worth at $113 billion when its list was finalized on March 18.

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates took the silver medal with a net worth of $98 billion. Other high-ranking tech titans include Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison at five with a net worth of $59 billion, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at number seven with $54.6 billion and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at the 11 spot with a net worth of $52.7 billion.

Forbes counted 2,095 billionaires which is 58 fewer than last year and 226 fewer than just 12 days earlier when the list was originally compiled. Of those that made the cut, 51 percent are poorer than they were last year. Their collective net worth has fallen by about $700 billion since 2019.

Had the list been calculated today, or even in an alternate timeline where the Coronavirus didn't happen, it might have looked vastly different than it actually does.

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