Bill Gates is no longer the richest man on the planet, as he was inched out by Carlos Slim Helu, according to Forbes:
Though the software visionary’s net worth rose $13 billion to a whopping $53 billion in the last year, he was ousted from the top of the money bin by Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu, who took the No. 1 spot on Forbes’ billionaire list this year, with a fortune of $53.5 billion.
My Grandmother is friends with Slim!
He’s a real nice guy, for sure. I would say more, but like I said, it’s my Grandmother that’s friends with him. Otherwise, I got nothin’.
La Raza!!!
Is this the same “Mexican technology” that’s responsible for the signs in their bathrooms warning you not to flush the toilet paper?
I don’t know where Forbes has been, but this status change was in the news during the summer of ’08, last time I was in Mexico.
@3:
Nope. Mexico is a pretty stratified county, and I’m glad you brought that larger context into this discussion. It’s an important thing to remember.
I think it could be a pretty clear example of why it’s important for a country to defend the existence of its middle class.
In other words, they’re both tied for the most wealthy but Forbes wants to sell more magazines by pretending something has changed.
@3
guffaw guffaw looki the dumb ass campesinos haw haw haw they cain’t read haw haw they don’t even got toilets in they houses hw haw haw
7 responses without a NYT joke yet? slackers
Is that the free-TV and movies online guy?
Great.
So now he can create a foundation and create lots of jobs for Mexicans.
@4–
Exactly. I was thinking, “Wait, did SLOG start a ‘recycled-two-year-old-posts’ category?”
@ 4 & 11: Links or it’s not true.
@12–
Fair. First one I found. From The Guardian.
Honestly, it looks like Slim, Warren, and Bill have been playing musical chairs with the top spot for a few years now.
Oh God, Larry Ellison is the 4th richest person in the world?
Bill probably gives less than a flying fuck about these rankngs; he has better things to do.
We are now outsourcing our billionaires
Nelsonesque: HA HA! M’Soft continues to circle the drain, happy to imitate, loathe to innovate. Fat white men sitting on their asses talking about their glory days. Everything they touch turns to boring.
@3 – The service from Slim’s telecommunications companies (phone, cell, internet, cable) work about as well those toilets that can’t accept paper. Fortunately for Slim, the Mexican gov’t does allow other companies to compete. Did I mention they charge the highest rates anywhere in the world?
Is that in Mexican money or real money?
So how much of his own money is this Slim guy giving away?
@19 – I meant to write DOES NOT allow competition. Too early.