A Hideous and Powerful Fascination

Forbes magazine, an observer of the wonders of capitalism that annually publishes a listing of the world's richest people, announced that Warren Buffett has ended Bill Gates' 13 consecutive years as the world's wealthiest person. Mr. Gates has tumbled to the third spot behind Mr. Buffett and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. The Financial Times, in its March 7th editorial "Rich and famous", observed there are 7 reasons to dislike these compilations, while conceding that "listing the wealthy still exerts a hideous and powerful fascination."