World's Richest Person Remains Carlos Slim

Strategic Insights -

Carlos Slim, Mexico's 71-year-old business magnate, has retained his title as the world's richest person for the second consecutive year, according to Forbes magazine's annual global ranking of billionaires. Slim's estimated net worth is $74 billion, a gain of $20.5 billion over the past year, largely due to the success of his mobile phone operator, America Movil SAB. Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., remains in second place with $56 billion, followed closely by Warren Buffett, chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., with $50 billion.

Key Takeaways:

  • Carlos Slim, 71, remains the world's richest person for the second year, with an estimated net worth of $74 billion, a gain of $20.5 billion.
  • Slim's holdings include America Movil SAB, the largest mobile phone operator in the Americas, as well as stakes in U.S. companies such as the New York Times Co. and Saks Inc.
  • Bill Gates, 55, chairman of Microsoft Corp., retained his second-place position with a net worth of $56 billion, a gain of $3 billion.
  • Warren Buffett, 80, chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., held third place with a net worth of $50 billion, despite taking a salary of $100,000 for the past 30 years.
  • Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Facebook, jumped to 52nd place from 212th last year, with a net worth of $13.5 billion, a gain of nearly four times his previous net worth.
  • There are a record 1,210 billionaires worldwide, with 214 newcomers in 2011, including Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga Game Networks Inc.
  • The Asia-Pacific region gained the most billionaires, with 105 newcomers, and now has more than Europe for the first time in over 10 years.

Statistics:

  • $74 billion: Carlos Slim's estimated net worth.
  • $20.5 billion: Slim's gain in net worth over the past year.
  • $56 billion: Bill Gates' net worth, a gain of $3 billion.
  • $50 billion: Warren Buffett's net worth.
  • 1,210: The record number of billionaires worldwide.
  • 214: The number of newcomers to the billionaires list in 2011.
  • 54: The number of newcomers from China.
  • 31: The number of newcomers from Russia.
  • $4.5 trillion: The total assets held by billionaires on the Forbes list.
  • 2.3%: The percentage of the world's wealth held by billionaires.

Sources:

  • Forbes magazine
  • Bloomberg News
  • 2011 Toronto Star
  • Securities and Exchange Commission filings
  • Credit Suisse Research Institute
  • LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA
  • ArcelorMittal
  • Goldman Sachs
  • Zynga Game Networks Inc.