Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Helu has beaten out Americans Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to become the wealthiest person on earth and nab the top spot on the 2010 Forbes list of the World's Billionaires.

Slim's fortune has swelled to an estimated $53.5 billion, up $18.5 billion in 12 months. Shares of America Movil (not an oil company), of which Slim owns a $23 billion stake, were up 35% in a year.

That massive hoard of scratch puts him ahead of Microsoft (MSFT) co founder Bill Gates, who had held the title of world's richest 14 of the past 15 years.

Gates, now worth $53 billion, is ranked second in the world.

U.S. billionaires still dominate the ranks — but their grip is slipping. Americans account for 40% of the world's billionaires.

The U.S. commands 38% of the collective $3.6 trillion net worth of the world's richest.


America Movil owns:

* Mexico México / Telcel 56.371 million
* Brazil Brazil / Claro 38.731 million
* Colombia Colombia / TELMEX Colombia, Comcel 27.390 million
* Argentina Argentina Paraguay Paraguay Uruguay Uruguay / Claro 16.589 million
* United States United States Includes Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands / TracFone Wireless 14 million
* Guatemala Guatemala Nicaragua Nicaragua El Salvador El Salvador Honduras Honduras Panama Panama / Central America Claro 9.158 million
* Ecuador Ecuador / Porta 8.304 million
* Peru Perú / Claro 7.178 million
* Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Dominican Republic Jamaica Jamaica / Caribbean Claro 4.809 million
* Chile Chile / Claro 3.002 million

Global Wireless Customers 182.724 million



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