The world has a new richest man
Microsoft founder and former CEO Bill Gates has overtaken telecom magnate Carlos Slim as the world’s richest man, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires listing.
Bloomberg reports that Gates has a net worth of $72.7 billion, beating out Slim’s $72.1 billion.
Shares in Microsoft hit a five year high on Thursday (16 May) to $34.14, its best mark since January 2008, and also 27% higher for the year.
Investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett stole past Amancio Ortega into third position with a net worth of $59.7 billion, with Ortega moving into fourth with a worth of $56 billion.
Earlier this month, Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway reported a quarterly profit rise exceeding 5%, with its shares moving to an all time high.
Billionaires Bernard Arnault and Li Ka-Shing dropped out of the top 10 list, replaced by Christy and Jim Walton of the Wal-Mart group.
According to Bloomberg, the total wealth of all the billionaires listed amounts to $2.1 trillion.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a ranking of the world’s richest people according to their estimated net worth, and is updated daily.
The index is a dynamic measure of the world’s wealthy based on changes in markets, the economy, and Bloomberg reporting.
Bloomberg’s top 10 billionaires:
| Rank | Name | Position | Country | Est. Net Worth |
| 1 | Bill Gates | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | USA | $72.7 billion |
| 2 | Carlos Slim | America Movil | Mexico | $72.1 billion |
| 3 | Warren Buffett | Berkshire Hathaway | USA | $59.7 billion |
| 4 | Amancio Ortega | Inditex | Spain | $56.0 billion |
| 5 | Ingvar Kamprad | IKEA | Sweden | $55.6 billion |
| 6 | Charles Koch | Koch Industries, Inc. | USA | $45.2 billion |
| 7 | David Koch | Koch Industries, Inc. | USA | $45.2 billion |
| 8 | Larry Ellison | Oracle | USA | $41.6 billion |
| 9 | Christy Walton | Wal-Mart | USA | $37.9 billion |
| 10 | Jim Walton | Wal-Mart | USA | $36.1 billion |
Source: Bloomberg
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