Rich lists seems to be one of the fastest growth areas of the business media. After Malcolm Forbes kicked off the trend in 1982 with his Forbes 400, other publications around the world have followed. Britain, Germany, Australia and others all have their own rich lists now, while China, India and others are quickly catching up.

Readers like the lists because they are, well, entertaining. But is there also a legal justification for ogling the fortunes of the fortunate?