Billionaire 2012 List: The Top 100 Billionaires

This billionaire 2012 list includes the top 100 billionaires in the world. And yes, it is quite similar to the 2011 billionaire list, because really, once you are that rich, you tend to stay that rich. If you're curious about who the world's richest people are, look no further: This list includes the wealthiest men and women on the planet, courtesy of Forbes magazine, which ranks the world's billionaires each year.

Some of the world's top 100 billionaires are self-made, meaning they got rich by starting their own, highly successful companies. People like Bill Gates, Larry Ellison and certainly Warren Buffett fit in this category. Other billionaires listed here are running longstanding family companies with great success, including Christy Walton and her family (Wal-Mart). Some of the richest people in the world got that way by making incredibly smart investments, as well.

While most of us can't even begin to fathom what it would be like to be super rich, the top 100 billionaires listed here live a life of luxury and privilege that boggles the mind. And yes, some billionaires do everything possible to help others, in the form of generous charitable donations (and, in turn, generous tax deductions). Everyone listed here probably makes more money in one year that most of us will make in a lifetime. Uplifting, isn't it?