Warren Buffett toppled Bill Gates from the top spot on Forbes magazine’s annual list of billionaires worldwide, ending a 13-year reign for the Microsoft co-founder.
Buffett’s wealth grew $10 billion to about $62 billion in the 12 months through Feb. 11, mostly because of a gain in his company’s shares, Forbes said. The fortune of Gates, 52, rose $2 billion to $58 billion. Gates is third behind Mexican telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim, who has an estimated net worth of $60 billion.
Forbes’ list shows Russia overtaking Germany as the second-richest country. In 2006, half of the top 20 billionaires came from the U.S. This year, there were only four Americans.
Buffett, 77, is the biggest holder of Berkshire Hathaway stock, with about 32 percent of the Class A shares as of last July and 18 percent of the Class B shares as of Dec. 31, according to Bloomberg data.
Bloomberg News
