The richest 83 individuals on the planet had a staggering combined wealth of US$1.5 trillion – equal to the total national debt of the U.K. – and US$18.3 billion on average, according to the Hurun Global Rich List 2012 published Tuesday by the Shanghai-based Hurun Research Institute.

The list, the first of its kind compiled by Hurun, ranked the 83 individuals with a personal wealth of US$10 billion or above based on available data as of Feb. 24.

Of the 83-member club, 56 are self-made multi-billionaires, making up about two thirds of the whole. The average age of the top 10 is 67, with the youngest being Facebook's co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the age of 28. All of the top 10 are men, with half being from the U.S. Indeed, a total of 10 women edged into the list, all of whom inherited their wealth.

The financial and investment industry contributed the highest number of billionaires on the list, accounting for 18 percent, followed by IT (13 percent), retail (12 percent) and natural resources (12 percent).

Those from the U.S. and Europe dominate the rankings, with 27 and 17 members included respectively. Following them are Russia (10), South America (10), China (5) and India (5).

Five people from China made the list, including four from Hong Kong and one from the Chinese mainland. Li Ka-Shing(13th on the list), chairman of HWL and Cheung Kong Holdings, was the richest person in China in 2012 with a personal fortune of US$24 billion. Zong Qinghou (78th on the list), chairman of Hangzhou-based beverage giant Wahaha Group, was the wealthiest on the Chinese mainland with a personal fortune of US$10.5 billion.

Also read: Top 10 richest people in China 2012

Here is the list of the 10 richest people on the planet in 2012:

   Mark Zuckerberg  马克•扎克伯格

 Rank: 8

Wealth: US$26 billion

Age: 28

Main source of wealth: Facebook

Country of Origin: United States

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