Skip to main content
BBC NEWS / ENTERTAINMENT
Graphics VersionBBC Sport Home
News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
Entertainment Contents:  Arts & Culture

Friday, 27 February, 2004, 10:19 GMT

Rowling joins Forbes billionaires

JK Rowling Harry Potter author JK Rowling has joined the prestigious US-based Forbes magazine's list of world billionaires.

Rowling saw her wealth rise to $1bn (£530m) with the success of her last book, The Order of the Phoenix, and the Potter film franchise, Forbes said.

Last year Rowling, 39, who is currently writing the sixth Potter book, was named the world's best-paid author.

Once an unemployed single mother, she has now sold more than 250 million books around the world.

Rowling was ranked at number 552 out of a record number of 587 billionaires in the Forbes list.

The writer said last year that the enormous wealth the Harry Potter books have brought her made her feel guilty.

In an interview with Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman, she said the rewards had been "completely disproportionate".

Joked

The Sunday Times had estimated Rowling's personal wealth at £280m before the release of The Order of the Phoenix, but Rowling denied that amount was correct.

"I met my accountant recently and I said 'They say in the rich list that I am richer than the Queen, so that means you've embezzled quite a lot of money,'" Rowling told Paxman in June.

"I mean I do know what ball park I've got. I mean I'm not that clueless. And I certainly have not got £280m," she added.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates was the world's richest man in the Forbes list for the 10th year running with a personal fortune of over $46bn (£24.7b).

The magazine's list mainly consists of business tycoons, including five members of the Walton family, which owns US supermarket chain Wal-Mart and Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea football club.


E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:
JK Rowling 'best paid author' (02 Nov 03  |  Entertainment )
Rowling's 'guilt' at Potter wealth (19 Jun 03  |  Entertainment )
JK Rowling 'richer than Queen' (27 Apr 03  |  UK )
Rowling up for adult book prize (14 Jan 04  |  Entertainment )
Potter world book sales hit 250m (17 Nov 03  |  Entertainment )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
JK Rowling profile
Harry Potter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC NEWS: 

News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
Entertainment Contents:  Arts & Culture

NewsWatch | Notes | Contact us | About BBC News | Profiles | History

^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©