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SALT LAKE CITY — J.K. Rowling — the first female billionaire novelist — is a billionaire no longer, according to Forbes' "billionaire dropoffs" list.
Forbes attributed the drop in fortune to Rowling's $160 million in charitable giving and to Great Britain's high tax rate.
Rowling, who before the wildly popular Harry Potter series was a single, unemployed mother living on welfare, has had no qualms in the past about giving of her fortune generously. The author has been known to get involved in causes to help those in similar situations — once citing One Parent Families, a single-parent empowering non- profit, as one of her favorite causes.
Rowling is also the founder of Lumos, a charity that helps disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe.
Potter goes west
Plans were announced in December for a Harry Potter land similar to the one that exists in Universal Studios Orlando to be built in Universal Studios Hollywood.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opened in Orlando in 2010, boosted park attendance by 36 percent, according to park officials.
Those who have not had the chance to explore the Orlando park — sipping Butterbeer among throngs of fellow Potterheads, capering to and fro between Hogwarts and the best shops Hogsmeade has to offer — will not be disappointed by a visit to the new park, which plans have sporting many of the same attractions.
Although a specific timeline has not yet been nailed down, the park is expected to be opened in 2015.
"Secrets will be revealed"
The props, sets and costumes that brought the magic of the wizarding world to life for a generation of Muggles will soon be viewable to the public.
Leavesden Studios, home for a decade to the Harry Potter films, will open its doors to Potterheads for the first time March 31.
Visitors, who first created Harry's world in their minds and later saw it translated to the big screen, can explore Diagon Alley, the Gryffindor common room and other iconic locations from the films.
The tour includes props — such as Harry's Nimbus 2000, which he rode until an eventful Quidditch match in his third year that led to the destruction of the broom by the Whomping Willow — and a "creature workshop," where students can learn how creatures such as the terrifying Aragog were brought to life.
Tickets for the magical experience are nearly $45 — plus the cost of a plane ticket, of course.
Return of Pottermore
J.K. Rowling's highly anticipated Harry Potter companion website, Pottermore, opened to a limited audience in October. After lengthy testing of the beta version, the site's designers have determined it will be ready to open to the public in April.
The website promises an immersive Harry Potter experience — complete with unpublished writings of Rowling's and in-depth character sketches by the author, as well as games and activities.
Over the coming weeks and months we'll be adding exclusive content and many more exciting features.
–Pottermore blog
The site's developers said in a blog post about the delay in opening that after the beta testing, which was open to 1 million users and featured an extensive waiting list, "it became clear that our original platform wouldn't be suitable when millions more users came on to the site."
"Over the coming weeks and months we'll be adding exclusive content and many more exciting features (such as sounds) to Pottermore for you to explore, share and discover," the blog post read.
"So get ready to join the Pottermore journey - the wait is nearly over."
