Business

Carlos Slim Helu overtakes Bill Gates as the world’s richest man

Pat McMahon Contributor
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Forbes Magazine has come out with their annual list of the richest people in the world and at the top of the list is not Bill Gates. Mexican telecom executive Carlos Slim Helu was named as the richest man in the world, with a fortune estimated to be $53.5 billion. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, slipped to number two with an estimated $53 billion. Legendary investor Warren Buffet was third, with his fortune said to be $47 billion.

Carlos Slim Helu has the bulk of his fortune tied up in his mobile phone company, America Movil. The company is the largest mobile phone provider in all of Latin America, with a reported 150 million customers. Recently, he has become more known in the United States by investing $250 million into the ailing New York Times Company.

According to Forbes, there are a record 164 billionaires in the world.

Full story: http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/10/worlds-richest-people-slim-gates-buffett-billionaires-2010_land.html?boxes=Homepagelighttop