Mexico telecoms czar Carlos Slim topped the Forbes annual world's richest list Wednesday, sporting a $69 billion fortune that while down from last year still outpaced the runner-up, Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Forbes said 1,226 tycoons made it onto its global list of billionaires this year, but Slim held onto the top spot for the third straight year, with $7 billion more than Gates.
In the third spot was US investment guru Warren Buffett, worth $44 billion; followed by France's luxury king Bernard Arnault, $41 billion; and a newcomer to the top five, Spain's Amancio Ortega, the owner of the Zara fashion chain, whose net worth surged by $6.5 billion to $37.5 billion despite Europe's financial straits. Despite the sluggish world economy, Forbes said, the billionaires' list grew: there were 128 newcomers while 117 dropped off, with an average net worth of $3.7 billion, unchanged from last year.
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