Where the richest people in the world hang out through the year – from the US event where billionaire Jeff Bezos and Disney landed major deals, to Cannes Film Festival and Art Basel Hong Kong
- The world has 2,640 billionaires – all of them undoubtedly among the most influential people on the planet – but their predictable social calendar makes it easier to bump into them than you’d think
- From Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault at Cannes, to Bill Gates’ and Jeff Bezos’ regular trips to Idaho and tech billionaires Sergey Brin and Larry Page at Burning Man, these are their must-dos
There are exactly 2,640 billionaires in the world, according to Forbes. That’s about 0.00003 per cent of the global population.
Despite their scarcity, these billionaires are surprisingly easy to find. After all, birds of a feather – especially those of a small brood – flock their private jets together. At the start of the year, they descend en masse on Davos. In July, they fly to Sun Valley. In December, their yachts stop by St Barts.
Here’s where billionaires mingle, wheel and deal, and relax, and how you can join them – for a small price, of course.
January: Davos
After billionaires shake off their New Year’s Eve hangovers, many make their way to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos to attend lavish dinners, hit the slopes, and discuss the global problem du jour.
Many of Davos’ luxury hotels, like the Steigenberger Icon Grandhotel Belvédère and AlpenGold, are closed to the public, so you’d be better off renting a flat. Those don’t come cheap, though. One flat with two double beds and a pull-out sofa costs nearly US$27,500 to rent for the five nights of the conference.
And good luck finding food. With most of the restaurants booked up for conference events, you may be left paying US$43 for a hot dog.
February: Super Bowl
NFL teams are among the most popular toys of the ultra-rich.