Bloomberg staffers upset about Forbes’ billionaires list

Bloomberg billionaires Bloomberg staffers who work on its list of billionaires are upset that they didn’t receive credit on the Forbes’ billionaires list for the lower valuation of Christy Walton’s wealth, reports Keith Kelly of the New York Post.

Kelly writes, “Bloomberg writers David De Jong and Tom Metcalf, however, broke the news in November that Walton was not as wealthy as was believed.

“‘Walmart heir is $27 billion poorer than everyone thought,’ the headline of the story blared.

“The two scribes got a Wyoming court to unseal documents related to her inheritance.

“Bloomberg estimated her wealth at $5 billion — not $32 billion. It turns out half of John Walton’s then-$17-million fortune went to charitable trusts while a third went to his son, Lukas.

“In its latest ranking, Forbes published the lower Christy Walton wealth total — but gives no credit to that Bloomberg scoop.

“According to a Forbes spokeswoman: ‘Forbes reviewed unsealed documents and made its own determination about Christy Walton’s net worth.'”

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.