Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim retained his position atop Forbes magazine's annual list of the world's billionaires yesterday with an estimated worth of $69-billion, placing him ahead of Bill Gates at $61-billion and Warren Buffett at $44-billion.
Slim, 72, has taken the top spot for three years in a row, largely based on assets from his telecommunications empire.
The US again led the list with 425 billionaires.
Russia overtook mainland China for the No2 spot with 96 compared with China's 95.
The year's biggest loser, with a $10.4-billion drop in his fortune, is ArcelorMittal chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal (No 21), who failed to make the Top 10 for the first time since 2004.
Other notable drop-offs include JK Rowling, Jim Balsillie (Research in Motion, maker of BlackBerry) and Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, who died last year.
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