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Among the high rollers, Forbes noted that the American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson increased his net worth at an average of $1.6 million an hour.

The list also saw growth in the number of countries with billionaires - 47, including first-time entries from Kazakhstan, Poland, Ukraine and Iceland.

Some 131 new billionaires came from 27 countries, with 69 from the United States and nine from Russia, including the first Russian female, Elena Baturina, whose construction fortune is estimated to be worth $1.3 billion.

Forbes counted 68 women billionaires, seven of whom are self-made.

Even though she spent five months in a federal prison, the American domestic diva Martha Stewart made the list for the first time, debuting at number 620 with an even $1 billion.

In contrast, the founder of Yukos, the Russian oil giant, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who is languishing in a Moscow prison, saw his fortune fall $12.8 billion, making him the biggest loser.

BY THE NUMBERS

$90 billion - the estimated combined wealth of the Walton family, which founded Wal-Mart, the world's largest grocer

$18 billion - the amount Lakshmi Mittal, the steel tycoon, is estimated to have accrued over the year

$12.8 billion - the amount Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the list's biggest faller, is estimated to have lost over the year

$1.6 million - the amount the American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson is estimated to earn in an hour

68 - the position held by Philip Green and his wife Cristina, the leading British-born billionaires, who are worth around $6.8 billion

To check out the Forbes list, click here

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