After 13 years on top, Bill Gates is no longer the richest man in the world. That honor now belongs to his friend and sometimes bridge partner Warren Buffett.
Riding the surging price of Berkshire Hathaway stock, Buffett has seen his fortune swell to an estimated $62 billion, up $10 billion from a year ago.
Gates is now worth $58 billion and is ranked third richest in the world. He is up $2 billion from a year ago, but would have been as rich--or richer--than Buffett, had Microsoft not made an unsolicited bid for Yahoo! at the beginning of February. Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helú now ranks as the world's second richest person with a net worth of $60 billion.
More . . .
The World's Billionaires | ||
Notable Newcomers | ||
Youngest Billionaires | ||
Billionaire Bachelors | ||
Celebrity Billionaires | ||
Women We Envy | ||
Rags To Riches | ||
Credit Crunch Billionaires | ||
Top Billionaire Cities | ||
Obituaries |
The 1,125 richest people on Earth, and why a diminishing share of them are American.
The Prince of Mines
Patrice Motsepe is South Africa's first black billionaire.
Whiplash
As stock prices fluctuate wildly, so do the fortunes of some well-known billionaires.
Clean Machine
James Dyson got rich taking bags out of vacuums. Now he aims to take some bugs out of public restrooms.
The Hot Seat
Can Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière's credit rating agency withstand the subprime catastrophe?
Revenge Of The Ne'er-Do-Well
His father worried that Micky Jagtiani would never amount to anything. But the prodigal son built a retailing empire.
Buying City Hall
John Catsimatidis built a fortune in supermarkets, real estate and oil. Now he wants to be the next mayor of New York City.
New Money, Big Agenda
China's younger tycoons aren't just shaking up the economy. They are changing philanthropy.
That's Redcat, Not Redneck
Why is a name associated with glamour peddling sack dresses and duck blinds?
Justice, Russian Style
Philadelphia lawyer Bruce Marks makes a business suing oligarchs on behalf of other oligarchs.
Billionaire Inventors
Why didn't I think of that?
Gaming tycoon Richard Garriott will join the billionaire space tourist club when he blasts off in October.
Were You Born To Be A Billionaire?
An honest assessment of your ability to go big.
Answers to 20 thoughtful questions lobbed at some of the world's richest people.