He's Back: Gates World's Richest Person Once Again

First time he's held Bloomberg title since 2007
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted May 17, 2013 8:16 AM CDT
He's Back: Gates World's Richest Person Once Again
Bill Gates and Carlos Slim pose during the inauguration of a new research center at the International Center for Improvement of Corn and Wheat in Texcoco, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013.   (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

It's been a while—six years, to be precise—since Bill Gates was dubbed the richest person in the world by Bloomberg. But thanks to an ascendant Microsoft and a dent in Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's fortune—now $72.1 billion—Gates is again at the top with $72.7 billion, Bloomberg reports. Slim lost some $3 billion following Mexico's congressional passage of a bill that would tighten the reins on his giant mobile-phone company, America Movil, sending its stock down 14%.

Meanwhile, Microsoft shares have jumped 28% this year, Bloomberg notes, and Gates' stock holdings have performed well. Among the rest of the richest: Warren Buffett is at No. 3, boasting $59.7 billion. Europe's richest person is Amancio Ortega of Spain, whose $56 billion put him in fourth place worldwide. IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad rounds out the top five with $55.6 billion. Here's the full list. (More Bill Gates stories.)

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