Slim overtakes Gates, Buffett to become Forbes richest person

NEW YORK, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Mexican Telecom titan Carlos Slim Helu took the title of the world's richest person from Bill Gates' pocket, and became the first non-U.S. billionaire to claim the spot in 16 years.

Mexican Telecom titan Carlos Slim Helu. (Xinhua/AFP,  File Photo)

SAME THREE, DIFFERENT ORDER

In the Forbes Magazine's 2010 billionaire list, which was announced in New York on Wednesday, Helu and his family knocked Gates out of the leading post with a total net worth of 53.5 billion U.S. dollars.

Helu ranked the third in the 2009 rankings. His rise has marked the first time since 1994 that the number one position is held by a non-U.S. billionaire. Japanese had occupied the top spot before giving it up to the Microsoft founder Gates in 1994.

The net worth of Slim, 70, who built a telecommunications empire after buying Mexico’s state-run phone monopoly two decades ago, rose $18.5 billion to $53.5 billion. Gates, 54, chairman of Microsoft Corp., fell to second as his net worth increased $13 billion to $53 billion. Buffett, 79, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., was third with $47 billion, a rise of $10 billion.

Slim is the first person other than Gates, last year’s richest person, or Buffett to top the list since 1994, which was also the last time a billionaire from outside the U.S. led the ranking: Japanese real estate tycoon Yoshiaki Tsutsumi.

Gates, last year's richest man, fell to the second by 500 million dollars less than Helu. Master investor Warren Buffett, whose net worth increased by 10 billion to 47 billion benefiting from a price hike in his Berkshire Hathaway shares, dropped from the second to the third.

Gates, last year's richest man, fell to the second by 500 million dollars  less than Helu.

Collectively, these three members of the Forbes list have gained 41.5 billion dollars over the past year. During the financial crisis from 2008 to 2009, these three had lost a collective 68 billion dollars.