It's time to have a little fun. Forbes just issued their annual “Fictional 15,” which ranks the richest fictional characters in the world. In that we are in the business of play and toys, I thought you might find it to be fun with a little social commentary thrown in. Here is the list (with some commentary by me in parentheses):
1. Carlisle Cullen
Doctor / Vampire of Twilight books (Is vampire a profession?)
2. Scrooge McDuck
Treasure hunter (It’s amazing what a recession can do. Here is a duck that makes no investments. He just keeps it all in his money bin so he didn’t take a hit during the recession. In fact his wealth went up with the value of gold.)
3. Richie Rich
Inherited wealth (I have always found Richie Rich to be insufferable).
4. Tony Stark
Defense contractor / Iron Man (Perhaps he also secretly owns Burger King).
5. Jed Clampett
Hillbilly / Oil Magnate (I wonder if he owns BP? Maybe he should have Granny do the oil clean up with a bunch of possums in the cement pond).
6. Adrian Veidt
Ozymandias / Marketer This is a character from the Watchman series. A marketer with super powers. (I thought all marketers had super powers.)
7. Bruce Wayne
Batman / Defense contractor (Defense contracting must be big business, just ask Daddy Warbucks, who incidentally did not make the list.)
8. Tooth Fairy
Inherited wealth (Doesn't it make you wonder how she gets around the EPA for tooth disposal?)
9. Thurston Howell III
Not clear what he or his company, Howell Industries, does.
10. Sir Topham Hatt
Railroad tycoon (Does he own Thomas or simply employ him; that’s a troubling question).
11. Artemis Fowl II
Criminal (He appears to be a kind of literary Lex Luthor).
12. Montgomery Burns
Atomic energy tycoon
13. Chuck Bass
Real Estate (He is on that show, Gossip Girls, which I have not, will not and never will watch).
14. Jay Gatsby
Organized crime boss from The Great Gatsby. (The only high brow fiction character on the list.)
15. Lucille Bluth
Real Estate (She is a character from the failed, but funny TV show, Arrested Development. It seems like Forbes was reaching with this one.)