J.K. Rowling makes Forbes billionaire list

LONDON, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling has entered the Forbes billionaire list, passing the Queen Elizabeth II and Madonna as Britain's richest woman.

Rowling, 38, whose real name is Joanne, made the U.S. publication's list for the first time at No. 582, with an estimated worth of $1 billion, London's Sun reported Friday.

Six years ago, Rowling was a struggling single mother who created Harry Potter and his Hogwarts pals while teaching part-time.

Today, Rowling, a married mother of two, is one of the youngest billionaires on the list because of the success of her books, which were first published in 1998.

Britain's wealthiest citizen is the Duke of Westminster, real estate magnate Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 52, who is ranked No. 36 and worth $8.7 billion.

The richest person in the world according to the Forbes list is Microsoft magnate Bill Gates, whose fortune stands at $46.6 billion.