Hi, I'm Tony

I've always read the rich lists for the stories rather than the numbers: the dropout, the heir who doubled it, the one bet that turned into billions.

A billionaire list tells you who is richest. It rarely tells you how they got there, what they actually own, or what they do with it. Billionaires Compared puts those stories side by side.

My favourite story from putting it together: Forbes says much of Andreas von Bechtolsheim's fortune goes back to a $100,000 cheque he wrote to Google in 1998. I hope you find a few surprises of your own. The portraits are original illustrations drawn for the site.

Fortunes move every day, and roles, stakes and pledges change. If something here is out of date, write to me at hello@billionairescompared.com with a link to the source, and I'll fix it. You can read how the facts are checked too.

Enjoy the rabbit hole,
Tony