I Recently saw the Forbes List of the world's richest people.For the fourth consecutive year, Mexico's Carlos Slim (remember him, the man who owns Claro?) remains the world's richest man. His assets? US$73 billion! A whole heap a cellphone dat! Slim's interests range from telecommunication to construction. But the man who really caught my attention was Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal.

He is upset with the Forbes people because he said they are underestimating his wealth. Have to say this is the first time I'm hearing somebody complain they are richer than they are given credit for. Usually people try to downplay their wealth, especially out of fear criminals are going to kidnap their relatives and seek hefty ransom payments. Well Bin Talal apparently has no such qualms. According to the prince, his worth is really 29.6 billion, not the 'mere' 20 that Forbes says he has.

He believes Forbes used flawed valuation methods that were "designed to disadvantage" Middle Eastern investors. According to the raging royal, the magazine had refused to accept the valuations of the stocks listed on Tadawul, the Saudi Arabian Stock Exchange, while it had accepted valuations of listings on other emerging markets such as the Mexican Stock Exchange. So incensed was the prince, his people have requested Forbes remove him from its rich list. It added that it had severed all ties with the magazine and would no longer cooperate with the valuation teams.

Still a billionaire

Now I believe a man has the right to make his voice heard, but here's my problem with the prince. Even though he thinks he's been shortened nearly 10 billion, he's still a billionaire! Stop di quarrelling! There are people who have to decide whether they drink the water from the stream and hope they don't catch some illness after, or stay thirsty. And this guy is having kittens because he didn't make the top 10 of the list where the extra billions would have put him.

I'm not the most thankful person out there. But even I know when I'm better off than some people. So why this guy can't realise he's better off than 90-plus per cent of the world and just clam up about it, I don't know. We're all ungrateful at some point, but guys like this make me look like an optimist.

But our goodly prince can redeem himself in my eyes if he were to, oh I don't know, sponsor some young Jamaican athletes/football players/netballers? Just throwing it out there.

Tell me how much billion you would need to be comfortable at daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com