By Olivier Acuña
Bill Gates and Carlos Slim
MEXICO CITY (Mexico Tribune).- Microsoft founder Bill Gates increased his fortune in 2013 and according to Forbes as of 2014 he is again the richest man in the world with a net worth of over $76 billion USD.
This means that Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim fell to second place after four years of heading the Forbes list of the riches people in the world.
According the New York-based magazine Slim´s fortune fell by over $1 Billion USD in the last year mainly due to the new telecommunications law in Mexico, a fall in the stock price of his multinational mobile phone company America Movil and a decrease in the prices of copper and gold which affected the value of his mining company Minera Frisco.
Forbes said that Slim was the only billionaire in the top ten list to have registered losses in the last 12 months.
Gates is now in first place for the 15th year in the last 20 which is mainly due to the rise in the stock prices of Microsoft.
The magazine pointed out that the combined fortune of the 1,645 multimillionaires on its list increased from $5.4 trillion USD to $6.4 trillion in 2013, which represents a world record.
Another record that was set this year is the amount of people with 10 digit fortunes which rose to 268, including those of 42 women. In all, the list of 2014 includes more multimillionaire women than ever before having increased from 138 in 2013 to 172 this year.
The third richest man in the world is Spanish textile industry tycoon Amancio Ortega with a net worth of over $64 billion, followed by U.S. investment magnate Warren Buffet with just over $58.2 billion.
Fifth place on the Forbes list is founder of the computer pogram creater Oracle, Larry Ellison, with a net worth of $48 billion.
And in the following five places in this order were investment bankers Charles and David Koch; casino entrepreneur Sheldon Adelson and the heirs of the Wal-Mart empire Christy and Jim Walton.
This year’s list includes 16 Mexicans, compared to only 15 last year, including mining tycoon German Larrea Mota in 67th and the main shareholders of Grupo Mexico with $14.7 billion.
In 90th place of the famous Forbes list is Alberto Baillares Gonzales, who is the main shareholder of Grupo Bal with $12.4 billion.
Other Mexicans in the list are the owner of TV Azteca Ricardo Salinas Pliego and the owner of Televisa Network Emilio Azcarraga Jean. Also Eva Gonda de Rivera, Maria Asuncion Aramburuzabalaa, Antonio del Valle Ruiz, Jerónimo Arango, David Peñaloza Sandoval, y José y Francisco José Calderón Rojas.
Towards the bottom of the list are Mexican politician and casino owner Carlos Hank Rhon and businessman Roberto Hernández Ramírez; banker Alfredo Harp Helú, Max Michel Suberville and Rufino Vigil González.
MexTrib/oab
Mexico Tribune 