"I didn't get rich by being stupid." - Scrooge McDuck

Forbes has come up with a list of the 15 richest fictional characters, admitting to having taken "certain minor liberties with the stories ," to produce their article. While I'm willing to give them a walk on Santa Claus in #1 position, given the season and all, any true Duck fan would have to object to Uncle Scrooge all the way down in 4th place (behind Richie Rich and Daddy Warbucks!!!!).

I guess one of the "certain minor liberties" was arbitraily assigning Unca Scrooge's wealth at $8.2 billion. A little research (shame on you Forbes) would have revealed that in 1956, the richest duck in the world's worth was was already one multiplujillion, nine obsquatumatillion, six hundred and twenty-three dollars, and sixty-two cents. *

That is so many zeros beyond 1,000,000,000 that it gives me a headache just to think about it.

And that was nearly 50 years ago. At some point, the wily duck achieved fantasticillionaire status, so much they don't even bother to write it out as a number any more, as there would certainly be a run on black ink.

So cut your throats, Richie and Daddy. Billions don't make it on this playing field.

via Mark Evanier, who, even while noting that Scrooge could buy and sell Richie on his poorest day, surprisingly doesn't take up the gauntlet past that. I mean, they even spelled Duckburg wrong!

*Figure and art from "The Second Richest Duck", Scrooge's classic battle against Flintheart Glomgold, Uncle $crooge #15, 1956.

UPDATE: Gah! It's even worse! That was an old link to the original 2002 story. Forbes updated it this year, here, now listing Scrooge at #6(!!!) behind Rich, Warbucks, Lex Luthor, and C. Montgomery Burns from The Simpsons. They even have the gall to note that Unca Scrooge has dropped in net worth. I suppose we should be grateful that someone got it right this time that Duckburg isn't spelled with an "e."

Of course you know, Forbes, that this means war.