Letter from the editor: How to be a billionaire

This annual edition that you hold in your hands — referred to as the Billionaires Edition — is always worth waiting for. Over the years, it has emerged as the authoritative signpost of the wealth created by the biggest entrepreneurs around the world.

As chief product officer Lewis D’Vorkin says, Forbes is about success, free enterprise, the entrepreneurial spirit and the rewards of hard work. "This special edition uniquely combines our nearly 100-year-old mission of championing capitalism with our reputation as experts in tracking and tallying individual wealth," he says.

You’ll find a delectable package of stories inside about these billionaires, their passions and their prized possessions. And what’s more, this year, there are some who’ve done more than just create wealth. They’ve made a big difference to the societies where they belong. Like Najib Mikati, the telecom tycoon who’s now holding the reins of his country — Lebanon — in the midst of the biggest crisis in the Middle-East region. Or our very own Azim Premji, who’s donated $2 billion in shares to a trust, the biggest such endowment by an individual in India. I’d say: May their tribe increase!

There’s plenty more in this edition to keep you hooked. Next month’s elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu hold enormous implications for the future of the two states. In our special package, we’ve attempted to distil why these two elections could trigger not just a regime change in both states — but also herald an entirely new chapter in state politics.

Even before the Japanese nuclear disaster, there was simmering tension in and around Jaitapur, a tiny hamlet in Konkan district in Maharashtra. But now, after the ghastly accidents in Fukushima, the face-off between the Prithviraj Chavan government and environmental activists over the construction of one of the biggest nuclear plants in the world is all set to escalate. Our in-depth and balanced story combines both reporting and exclusive images from ground zero.

Finally, try figuring this one out: What’s common to Hillary Clinton and an eco-friendly stove increasingly found across many Indian kitchens? For answers, I’d encourage you to turn to Page 114.