Source : The Citizen
Posted by: Webmaster on 12-Mar-2010
Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim was on Wednesday named the world’s richest person, with a net fortune of $53.5 billion (Sh70 trillion), which is more than twice Tanzania’s GDP of $24 billion (Sh31.1 trillion).
GDP is the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year.
Mr Slim was named the world’s wealthiest person by the respected Forbes magazine, and his total wealth is enough to run Tanzania’s government under current budgetary levels for seven years. The government’s 2009/2010 budget totals about $8 billion (Sh9.7 billion).
Mr Slim moved to the top of the rich list after dislodging Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who for the past decade was the world’s richest person. Mr Gates is second on the latest Forbes list with a net worth of $53 billion.
Mr Gates has donated billions to humanitarian causes through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Mr Slim has followed suit by pledging to donate $65 million (Sh85 billion) to fund research into genomic medicine. He will team up with American billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad in the endeavour.
Mr Warren, Buffett described by Forbes as “America’s favourite investor”, was third with a personal fortune of $47 billion from a wide range of businesses. India’s Mukesh Ambani, who has interests in petrochemicals, gas and oil, was fourth on $29 billion, while steel magnate and compatriot Lakshmi Mittal was placed fifth with a net fortune of $28.7 billion.
Others in the top 10 included American Lawrence Ellison and founder of Oracle ($28 billion); France’s Bernard Arnault, who has made $27.5 billion from luxury goods like jewellery, and Brazilian mining and oil tycoon Eike Batista, who added a whopping $19.5 billion to his personal fortune in the year under review to amass $27 billion. He has reportedly vowed to climb to the top spot in a few years.
In ninth and tenth positions are Spain’s fashion retailer Amancio Ortega ($25 billion) and Germany’s Karl Albrecht, whose net worth of $23.5 billion was earned from running supermarkets.
Three women are in the list of the top 20 billionaires with US Wal-Mart sisters Christy Walton and Family ($22.5 billion) and Alice Walton ($20.6 billion) taking 12th and 16th positions, respectively, while make-up heiress Liliane Bettencourt from France was 17th with $20 billion posted by her business line L'Oreal.
There is no person from Africa in Forbes’ list of the world’s top 100 billionaires.