The world's richest men are getting richer

AGM access: Viewers can watch a webcast with Buffett answering five hours of questions on April 30.

SAN FRANCISCO: In a year when populist voters reshaped power and politics across Europe and the United States, the world’s wealthiest people are ending 2016 with US$237bil more than they had at the start.

Triggered by disappointing economic data from China at the beginning, the UK’s vote to leave the European Union in the middle and the election of billionaire Donald Trump at the end, the biggest fortunes on the planet whipsawed through US$4.8 trillion of daily net worth gains and losses during the year, rising 5.7% to US$4.4 trillion by the close of trading Dec 27, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.