Carlos Slim remains world's richest: Forbes

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu remained the richest person in the world with $74 billion in assets, while NRI steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal ranked sixth and Indian industrialist Mukesh Ambani is placed ninth in the US magazine Forbes annual list of world's top billionaires.

Telecom tycoon Helu, whose worth increased by $20.4 billion from last year's $53.5 billion, is followed by Microsoft founder and now a full time philanthropist William Gates III (popularly known as Bill Gates) with a net worth of $56 billion.

Investment guru Warren Buffet at the third spot with assets worth $50 billion.

Total number of billionaires, this year, has increased to a record 1,210 from 1,011 last year. Though America has the 33 per cent of the mega-rich, Asia-Pacific region has surged forward and overtook Europe for the first time.

TOP 10 WORLD'S RICHEST
1.	Telmex Chairman Carlos Slim Helu ($74 bn)
2.	Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates ($56 bn)
3.	Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet ($50 bn)
4.	Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Chairman Bernard Arnault ($41 bn)
5.	Oracle Chief Larry Ellison ($39.5 bn)
6.	Steel baron Lakshmi Mittal ($31.1 bn)
7.	Fashion mogul Amancio Ortega ($31 bn)
8.	EBX Group CEO Eike Batista ($30 bn)
9.	RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani ($27 bn)
10.	Walmart chief Christy Walton ($26.5 bn)