China’s swelling billionaires snubbed by U.S. editors

Despite the growing number of China-made products piling up in American homes and businesses --- contributing to a mighty boost in the communist nation’s economy --- news that it jumped to No. 2 in the world (behind the United States) with the number of billionaires, surprisingly went unnoticed in most U.S. media while it garnered much play overseas, finds Grumpy Editor.

It’s something that should have been played on front pages, since Americans have contributed to elevating China’s rich list.

As covered in the Oct. 11 Grumpy Editor posting, the number of Chinese worth $1 billion or more jumped to 108 from only 15 last year.

Checking major newspapers around the nation yesterday did not turn up a single publication that put the story (or reference) on front pages.  Not in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Detroit News, Seattle Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Denver Post, Oregonian, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News or Philadelphia Inquirer, among others.  And nowhere in The Wall Street Journal’s pages was even one line found on the surge in Chinese billionaires.

One newspaper recognizing the story was The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.  It covered the milestone in four paragraphs.  Meanwhile, USA Today and the New York Post covered it (somewhat) with Monday stories, based on Forbes magazine information, that focused on a 26-year-old Chinese woman worth $16.2 billion --- but did not mention the 107 other billionaires.