Top Ten Richest People On The Planet =

Top Ten Richest People On The Planet

Forbes has compiled the List of the richest people on the Planet once again. This is the 25^th annual Billionaires Rankings compiled by Forbes. It is a Great effort by Forbes and is a well respected, widely read list of inspiration for future billionaires.

Forbes says – it is a snapshot of wealth on Feb’13, 2011. It is now over 10 months old and much water has flown down the Volga and Ganges in this period of time.

World in some parts has turned gloomier but warmer in some others. That can’t be helped. Next year will bring the new tidings. It is interesting to see the rankings of the top ten billionaires this year.

The Top ten list has one from Mexico (Rank.1); 4  from USA (Rank.2,3, 5,10  ) one from France (Rank 4, ) two from India (Rank No.s6 and 9), one from Spain (Rank No.7), one from Brazil (Rank No.8).

The list below gives, Rank No; Name; Net worth in Billions of $; Age ; Source; and Country of citizenship. This is followed by their details and then their brief Profile.

1   Carlos Slim Helu & family  :$74 B : 71 : telecom : Mexico

• Age: 71
• Source: telecom, self-made
• Residence: Mexico City, Mexico
• Country of Citizenship: Mexico
• Education: Bachelor of Arts / Science, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
• Marital Status: Widow
• Children: 6

Chairman, Telmex

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim smiles during a Bloomberg Television interview in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011. Slim, named the world's richest man by Forbes Magazine, said he's seeking to boost his investments in Colombia because of the country's open policy on oil exploration, its mineral assets and growing middle class.

The world's richest man owns stakes in more than 200 companies, notably in retail (Saks), media (The New York Times), tobacco (Philip Morris) and telecommunications.

2011 Lowlight: In April Slim's América Móvil was fined $1 billion for monopolistic practices, a decision it's appealing.

2   Bill Gates : $56 B : 56 : Microsoft : United States

• Title: Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Age: 56
• Source: Microsoft, self-made
• Residence: Medina, WA
• Country of Citizenship: United States
• Education: Drop Out, Harvard University
• Marital Status: Married
• Children: 3

Microsoft's software wizard and the world's second-richest man is having the most productive midlife crisis in history. His focus on creating, promoting and distributing vaccines is having a massive impact on global health. Gates' goal is to eliminate infectious disease as a major cause of death in his lifetime. He may succeed (see story, p. 88).
2011 Highlight: Malaria vaccine he backed ­recently passed a key clinical trial. The vaccine has the potential to save millions of lives.

3   Warren Buffett : $50 B: 81 : Berkshire Hathaway: United States

• Title: CEO, Berkshire Hathaway
• Age: 81
• Source: Berkshire Hathaway, self-made
• Residence: Omaha, NE
• Country of Citizenship: United States
• Education: Master of Science, Columbia University; Bachelor of Arts / Science, University of Nebraska Lincoln
• Marital Status: Widowed, Remarried
• Children: 3

Buffett recently raised hackles when he penned an op-ed claiming that his ­secretary pays a higher tax rate than he does, suggesting that "it's time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice." Obama then proposed a "Buffett tax" to ensure that no millionaire would pay less in taxes than a ­middle-class family. Conservative commentators immediately went on the offensive, including FORBES Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes, who suggested that Buffett was free to "send in his extra billions" to the U.S. Treasury.
2011 Highlight: In March Berkshire Hathaway spent nearly $10 billion to acquire specialty chemical maker Lubrizol, one of the company's largest-ever transactions

4   Bernard Arnault : $41 B :62 : LVMH : France

• Title: Chairman, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH)
• Age: 62
• Source: LVMH
• Residence: Paris, France
• Country of Citizenship: France
• Education: Bachelor of Arts / Science, Ecole Polytechnique de Paris
• Marital Status: Married
• Children: 5

The world's arbiter of good taste is also Europe's richest man.
2011 Highlight: Arnault's wealth soared as demand for luxury goods grew, especially in Asia.

5        Larry Ellison : $39.5 B: 67 : Oracle : United States

• Age: 67
• Source: Oracle, self-made
• Residence: Woodside, CA
• Country of Citizenship: United States
• Education: Drop Out, University of Illinois at Urbana; Drop Out, University of Chicago
• Marital Status: Divorced
• Children: 2

Larry Ellison seems to be spending more time in court than on the water: Oracle has been battling German software firm SAP over alleged software theft and rival HP over Ellison's hiring of its former chief Mark Hurd. Oracle stock is unharmed -- up 15% from a year ago. Ellison sold his half-share in 453-foot yacht Rising Sun to co-owner David Geffen in late 2010. After quietly donating millions to medicine and education, Ellison joined the Giving Pledge at Buffett's behest in 2010.

6   Lakshmi Mittal : $31.1 B : 61 : Steel : India

• Title: Chairman, ArcelorMittal
• Age: 61
• Source: steel
• Residence: London, United Kingdom
• Country of Citizenship: India
• Hometown: India
• Education: Bachelor of Arts / Science, St Xavier''s College Calcutta
• Marital Status: Married
• Children: 2

Net worth down $6.9 billion as shares of his ArcelorMittal, world's largest steelmaker, tanked 40% thanks to surging costs, despite an ongoing recovery in steel demand. Company expanded mining interests, buying Canadian miner Baffinland Iron Mines in January. In August it partnered with Peabody Energy to buy Australia's Macarthur Coal for $4.9 billion. Son Aditya was recently given additional responsibilities for Europe, sparking speculation about succession.

7   Amancio Ortega : $31 B : 75 : Zara : Spain

• Age: 75
• Source: Zara, self-made
• Residence: La Coruna, Spain
• Country of Citizenship: Spain
• Marital Status: Married
• Children: 3

Amancio Ortega stepped down as chairman of Inditex, the $15.8 billion (sales) fashion firm in January; he still gets 87% of his fortune from his stake in the publicly traded firm. The company, which operates under several brand names including Zara, Massimo Dutti and Stradivarius, has 5,000 stores in 77 countries. Ortega also owns properties in Florida, Madrid, London and Lisbon, a horse-jumping circuit, a stake in a soccer league; and has interests in gas, tourism and banks. Railway worker's son, he started as a gofer in a shirt store. With then-wife Rosalia Mera, also a billionaire, started making dressing gowns and lingerie in living room. Daughter Marta works for Inditex.

8   Eike Batista : $30 B : 55 : mining, oil : Brazil

• Age: 54
• Source: mining, oil, self-made
• Residence: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Country of Citizenship: Brazil
• Education: Drop Out, RWTH Aachen University
• Marital Status: Divorced
• Children: 2

Brazil's richest man is gearing up to take over the world. Making a play for foreign investors, Batista announced this year the opening of an office in New York and his intention to list some of his companies on the London Stock Exchange. Through his holding company, EBX, Batista controls businesses spanning mining, shipbuilding, energy, logistics, tourism and entertainment. After months of discussions, he was triumphant in February in taking control of Canadian gold outfit Ventana. Two-thirds of his fortune comes from OGX, the oil-and-gas exploration company he founded in 2007 and took public a year later. He says the company will start producing oil this year. In rare recent setback, his planned IPO for his shipbuilding business (OSX), meant to be the world's largest IPO in 2010, was a disappointment and has had a lukewarm reception in the Brazilian market. The son of Brazil's revered former mining minister who presided over mining giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce got his start in gold trading and mining. Onetime champion offshore powerboat racer; formerly married to Playboy cover girl. In media interviews he's been warning Carlos Helú Slim that he'll soon take his spot as the world's richest man, but he still has a ways to go.

9   Mukesh Ambani : $27 B : 54 : petrochemicals, oil & gas : India

• Title: Chairman, Reliance Industries
• Age: 54
• Source: petrochemicals, oil & gas
• Residence: Mumbai, India
• Country of Citizenship: India
• Hometown: India
• Education: Drop Out, Stanford University; Bachelor of Science in Engineering, University of Bombay
• Marital Status: Married
• Children: 3

His Reliance Industries inked $7.2 billion deal with BP, which took 30% in 23 of its oil-and-gas blocks in India. Subsequent government auditor's report alleging it had breached terms of its contract for developing one of those blocks and possible probe by federal investigating agency cast pall over Reliance's shares, down 11% in past year. Nation's most valuable company briefly ceded spot to state-owned coal miner Coal India in August.

10     Christy Walton & family : $26.5 B : 56 : Walmart : United States

• Age: 56
• Source: Wal-Mart
• Residence: Jackson, WY
• Country of Citizenship: United States
• Marital Status: Widow
• Children: 1

The world's richest woman, Wal-Mart widow Christy Walton inherited her wealth when husband John Walton, a former Green Beret and Vietnam war medic, died in an airplane accident near his home in Wyoming in 2005. Her late husband's investment in First Solar also boosts her total net worth by nearly $2.7 billion. The bulk still comes from her holdings in Wal-Mart, the retailer founded by her father-in-law Sam Walton and his brother James in 1962. Walton received almost $300 million in Wal-Mart dividends since last year. The stock was up only 3% in the past year.

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