Sorry, Team America. When it comes to the richest global media moguls, Canada reigns supreme, at least according to Forbes’ latest list of billionaires. Thomson Reuters heir and chairman David Thomson, worth $23 billion, ranked 17th on the overall list, topping the media landscape.
Despite having strongly disavowed any plans to run for president in an ultimate bid to save the U.S. from its publicly smoking, salt-gobbling self, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg came closest to redeeming the honor of his country's media, landing at a cool 30th, seven spots below his 2010 rank.
Silicon Valley also made a strong showing, with Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg snagging 52nd and five other of the company's co-founders and investors making the list—four for the first time—as the social media site’s estimated value continues to grow.
The publisher from down under, News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch represented the owning-the-ratings, hacking-the-royals contingent, placing 122nd.
Manhattan magazine icon Si Newhouse still rates relatively high at 149, even though it’s been a bad couple of years for the glossy business. Luckily for him, though, reality shows are going strong. "Now, 40 percent of his fortune comes from his stake in Discovery Communications, operator of cable and satellite TV networks like Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and TLC," Forbes reports.
