Gates is no longer the richest man

According to Forbes annual list of Billionaires, Bill Gates is no longer the worlds richest man, nor is any American for that matter. The belt now belongs to Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Helú of América Móvil. Carlos is said to have earned an estimated $53.5 billion, up $18.5 billion in the last 12 months. Shares of América Móvil, of which Slim owns a $23 billion stake, were up 35% in the period.

Gates, now worth $53 billion, is ranked second in the world. He is up $13 billion from a year ago, as shares of Microsoft rose 50% in 12 months due to the success of their new Windows 7 Operating System. In third came Warren Buffet. Warren's fortune jumped $10 billion, giving him an estimated $47 billion.

American Isaac Perlmutter, should also be mentioned. Pealmutter, flipped Marvel Entertainment to Disney for $4 billion in December, and netted nearly $900 million in cash and some 20 million Disney shares, making him one of the worlds newest billionaires. Of course, Social Media Tycoon, Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, made the list too with an incredible $4 billion net worth, making him one of the worlds youngest billionaires.

U.S. billionaires still dominate the ranks, but their hold is slipping. Americans account for only 40% of the world's billionaires, down from 45% a year ago.