The billionaires club has never been bigger—or richer. Here’s who’s up, who’s down, who’s off the list and why it matters more than ever.

There are now more than 3,000 billionaires in the world, according to Forbes' annual ranking of the wealthiest people. They collectively hold about $16.1 trillion in wealth.

List: Global business leaders and entrepreneurs have experienced a remarkable increase in their wealth, significantly boosting their net worth through innovation and strategic foresight, thus becoming the world’s billionaires.