New York On The Moskva

Sour economy indicator — New York lags behind Moscow in filthy rich:

New York City has been eclipsed as the billionaire capital of the world, according to Forbes magazine, which yesterday released its annual ranking of the richest people on earth.

Seventy-four billionaires, with an average net worth of $5.9 billion, now call Moscow home, compared with 71, at an average of $3.3 billion, in New York City, the Forbes list shows.

The richest man in New York City is the industrialist David Koch, worth some $17 billion, according to the new Forbes ranking. He’s followed by the leveraged buyout entrepreneur Carl Icahn with $14 billion and Chanel’s Gerard Wertheimer with $12.9 billion.

Next on the list of richest New Yorkers is the city’s two-term mayor, Michael Bloomberg, who retains a sizable stake in the eponymous financial news firm he founded more than two decades ago. He is worth $11.5 billion, according to the list.

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Moscow’s replacement of New York City as home to the most billionaires has far-reaching economic distinctions. An example: The price of two nights in the Carlton Suite of Moscow’s Ritz Carlton hotel now costs $10,000. Two nights in the Executive Suite at the Four Seasons in New York is a mere $4,300.