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Most detainees were released after reaching settlements with the
authorities, who say they arranged to seize more than $100
billion in assets through such deals. But the government has
provided few details about who was netted in the sweep, what
they were accused of and how much they gave up.
Forbes said earlier in the week that it was "impossible to know
definitively who gave how much to whom when".
The magazine said it had removed the 10 Saudi billionaires who
made the cut last year, including detained in the crackdown like
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, with wealth previously valued at
$18.7 billion, and Mohammed al-Amoudi whose treasure stood at
$8.1 billion.
"With greater clarity regarding their wealth, some might
eventually return to the ranking," Forbes said.
The magazine's Middle East edition said in a separate statement
on Thursday that the wealth of Saudi billionaires was believed
to have increased from $42.1 billion last year due to the rise
in oil prices and capital markets globally, but would be
excluded due to the reported asset seizures.
Alwaleed, who told Reuters in an interview hours before his
release in January that he did not expect to give up any assets
to the government, sued Forbes in 2013 alleging the magazine had
undervalued his wealth.
The magazine listed 2,208 billionaires worldwide in 2018, up
from 2,043 in 2017.
(Reporting By Stephen Kalin, Editing by William Maclean)
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