|
|
|
|
Forbes
The Forbes Fictional 15: Santa leads the pack
The Jolly One's philanthropic work continues to outweigh accusations of elf exploitation and lax safety at his workshop. Lex Luthor and Montgomery Burns aren't so lucky.
By Forbes
Collectively, we are fascinated by the super-rich. We devour their biographies. We hang on their advice. Maybe we even hope for their downfall. But in our attempts to explain the ultra-rich -- and their super-inflated bank accounts -- we are often guilty of reducing real people to mere caricatures. There is the monopolist. The oracle. The genius. The thief.
With the Forbes Fictional 15, we have taken the opposite approach -- fictions caricatures are elevated to the status of real people.
To qualify for the Fictional 15, we insisted that members be both fictional (in the sense that we excluded mythological and folkloric figures) and characters (meaning they are part of a narrative story or series of stories). Great wealth was required to be one of the primary attributes of the characters on this list--in other words, we looked for characters that were known, within their universes, for being rich.
Of course, there is one notable exception to all these rules: Santa Claus, who is mythological and not really known for his great wealth. Our excuse? We just couldnt resist. Whats the point of doing a list about fictional characters if you cant break the rules, at least just a little?
Related news and commentary from Forbes
This list is an updated version of an earlier Fictional 15, which we published three years ago. After all, the passage of time affects even the timeless.
No. 1: Claus, Santa
Net worth: measured in candy canes
Source: Toys, Candy
Age: 1,651
Marital status: Married, no children.
Hometown: North Pole
North Pole's tubby toy titan remains fiction's richest character, despite ongoing strife with Elvish labor force. Elves bemoan low-wages, lack of health care coverage and union-busting tactics of "Claws." Factory operations also dogged by several documented instances of child-labor. Santa retorts that "immortal" Elves don't need health insurance, and says child-workers were being punished for being "naughty." Analysts expect impact on toy and candy production to be minimal. Claus' ultimate motivations for annual gift-giving orgy remain unclear. Speculated to be tormented by infinite wealth; embarks on annual around-the-world trip in a futile attempt to give it away. Others detect darker side, noting percentage of children receiving lumps of coal and ill-treatment of rare Finnish-bred flying reindeer. Claus himself plays it close to the vest, cryptically muttering "Ho! Ho! Ho!" Member since time immemorial.
No. 2: Warbucks, Oliver Daddy
Net worth: $27.3 billion
Source: Defense industries
Age: 52
Marital status: Divorced, one child.
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Education: S.U.N.Y. Stony Brook, B.S.
Iraqi conflict has been kind to Warbucks; recipient of multiple defense contracts; cat-food holdings also up. Since adopting daughter Annie, has spent or given away much of his fortune, but still fiction's second-richest man. Rarely seen in public without bodyguards Punjab and Asp; both reputed to have mystical powers and great strength. Press reports charge Warbucks frequently pulls Annie out of school for globe-trotting jaunts with Sandy, her Airedale terrier. Member since 1924.
No. 3: Rich, Richie
Net worth: $17 billion
Source: Inheritance, conglomerates
Age: 10
Marital status: Single
Hometown: Richville, U.S.A.
Education: Richville Elementary
The "poor little rich boy" continues to share father's fortune with underprivileged kids in native Richville, paving basketball courts with gold and donating caviar to soup kitchens. Also: Successfully foiled plan by spoiled cousin Reggie Van Dough to cancel Christmas. But critics claim sinister intent underlies charitable exterior. Genetic engineering of "Dollarmatian" dogs with dollar-sign spots has animal rights groups fuming, and use of robotic maids led to wildcat strikes in Rich Industries' hotel group. Fortune took a hit after failed attempt to launch "Richie" fashion line, which consisted entirely of waistcoats and blue shorts. Member since 1953.
No. 4: Luthor, Lex
Net worth: $10.1 billion
Source: Defense, software, real estate
Age: 52
Marital status: Single
Hometown: Metropolis, U.S.A.
Education: Metropolis University, B.S.; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ph.D.
A year after his term as president ended in scandal, Luthor returned to the helm of LexCorp unbowed. Inventor of personal jetpack, robot guard dog said to be back in the lab. Singles out negative reporting by former friend and Daily Planet writer Clark Kent as "worst kind of tabloid journalism." Spent childhood in idyllic Smallville, Kans.; moved to Metropolis at age 21; built LexCorp into world's largest defense and software firm. Claims "superpowered do-gooders" are plotting to take over the world. Prominent supporter of "extropian" life-extension research. Member since 1940.
No. 5: Burns, Charles Montgomery
Net worth: $8.4 billion
Source: Energy
Age: 104
Marital status: Single, one bastard child
Hometown: Springfield, U.S.A.
Education: Yale University, B.S.
Owner and operator of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant for more than 50 years; also water works and a hotel on Baltic Avenue. Saved millions by canceling company's prescription drug plan, but reinstated same after assistant Smithers' thyroid condition brought him to the brink of death. Bought the Frank Gehry-designed Springfield Concert Hall from the city and turned it into a prison. Struggling Monty Burns Casino chain purchased this year by MGM Mirage for $2.1 billion. Has every disease known to man, and survives only because they perfectly counteract one another, an extremely rare medical condition known as "Three Stooges Syndrome." Credits longevity to Satan. Member since 1989.
The rest of the list
6. Scrooge McDuck
7. Jed Clampett
8. Bruce Wayne
9. Thurston Howell III
10. Willy Wonka
11. Arthur Bach
12. Ebenezer Scrooge
13. Lara Croft
14. Cruella De Vil
15. Lucius Malfoy
|
|
|
|
