Slim Still World's No.1 Fat Cat

Forbes counts a record 1,226 billionaires
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 8, 2012 1:31 AM CST
Updated Mar 8, 2012 2:00 AM CST
Slim Still World's No.1 Fat Cat
Carlos Slim sits in the stands before a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. He could afford to buy both teams several times over without losing his No. 1 spot.   (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

There are more billionaires than ever in Forbes' annual list, but no surprises at the top. Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim heads up the list for the third year in a row, with an estimated net worth of $69 billion. Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and French luxury-goods magnate Bernard Arnault have the same places in the top four as last year. Forbes counted 1,226 billionaires from 58 countries worth a record $4.6 trillion.

Mark Zuckerberg was the richest of the seven Facebook billionaires, while 27-year-old co-founder Dustin Moskovitz—born eight days after Zuckerberg—was the youngest self-made billionaire. The US has the most billionaires of any country, 425, while Russia has moved into second place with 96 billionaires to China's 95. Harry Potter author JK Rowling dropped off the list after some hefty donations to charities, while Steve Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell, was among the 128 new entries and 104 women on the list. (More Carlos Slim stories.)

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