HARRY Potter author JK Rowling has dropped out of the Forbes magazine rich list of billionaires, it emerged today.
The magazine said Britain’s high tax rates and the writer’s generous charitable donations meant she was no longer on the exclusive list.
Rowling came in at 1140 in the magazine’s previous rich list of billionaires, with a fortune of $1 billion, making her the 30th richest person in the United Kingdom.
JK Rowling has donated millions to charity © Deadline News
The Duke of Westminster, with an estimated worth of £7 billion, emerged as Britain’s richest person.
With her fortune now “dwindled” to below £640 million, she is no longer a dollar billionaire, the magazine says.
An article in the magazine said: “New information about Rowling’s estimated $160million (£101 million) in charitable giving combined with Britain’s high tax rates bumped the Harry Potter scribe from our list this year.”
The bulk of Rowling’s earnings comes from the Harry Potter books and film series, which concluded last year with the second instalment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
She also came in at 61 in Forbes’ list of powerful women.
The author announced an extension of the Harry Potter franchise with the ‘Pottermore’ website last year.
But the site has attracted fans’ ire after it was hit by lengthy delays in opening, as despite being due to launch in October last year it is still not online.
Reasons for the delay have been shrouded in mystery, with Rowling giving little away about the project.
The author’s spokesperson said: “We are not ready to say yet [why the Pottermore site has been delayed].
“There is no further information at the moment – but it [the reason] will be obvious when it is announced.”
The Harry Potter books have made Rowling a multi-millionaire Photo:Mo HH92
But Rowling has also said she is moving on from the boy wizard which propelled her to fame.
Last month she announced she would attempt more mature literature with a book aimed at adults.
The new book, which no details have been released of, will be published by Little, Brown and co, a change from Rowling’s previous publishing home Bloomsbury.
The magazine’s list of worldwide billionaires runs to 1,226, an increase on last year despite the global economic crisis.
Carlos Slim Helu, a 72-year-old Mexican telecoms chief, has been announced as the world’s richest man for the third year running.
