Forbes Ranks Carlos Slim ‘World's Richest Person’

By Michael Lopez

If your net worth is somewhere in the ballpark of $74 billion, it’s safe to say you’re doing alright. Not only is Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim set for life, so are his children, his children’s children, and their children’s children. Calculating his total net worth, Forbes rated Slim the "World’s Richest Person" for the second year in a row.

In the realm of billionaires, Carlos has a sizable lead over Forbes’ No. 2, Bill Gates. A distant $18 billion behind Slim, the Microsoft founder once held the "World’s Richest" title himself. But that changed in 2010. Despite a global recession, Carlos earned more than $20 billion from his telecom business, putting him way ahead of the pack.

Born in Mexico City, Slim was a self-made millionaire by the time he was 26. He currently runs America Movil, Latina America’s largest wireless carrier and has substantial holdings in such brands as Saks Fifth Avenue and The New York Times.

But don’t think he’s keeping that entire $74 billion for himself. Carlos has established himself as one of Mexico’s most generous philanthropists, donating billions to various Latin American causes. Additionally, Slim contributed to the massive reconstruction of downtown Mexico City, and opened one of the country’s largest public art museums.

But he's not the only Latino to make the "World’s Richest" list. Spain’s Amancio Ortego isn’t far behind, with a No. 7 ranking from Forbes. His $31 billion net worth came primarily from the fashion firm Inditex, which oversees such brands as Zara and Massimo. Brazil’s Jorge Lemann ranked No. 55 and seemed to be on the uptick with $13.3 billion. No doubt that recent Burger King purchase helped “beef up” his profits.

And as far as the rest of the world goes, all of the usual billionaires made the list. Wall Street mogul Warren Buffet reached No. 3 with $50 billion, Wal-Mart heiress Christy Walton was in the Top 10 with $25 billion, and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg made quite an impression as the youngest tycoon with $13.5 billion.

Do you think you’ll ever be able to earn $1 billion? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Billionaires, Business, Carlos Slim, Cultura, Forbes, Hot Stuff, World's Richest