Meet New World's Richest Man: Mexican Businessman Carlos Slim

After more than ten years much hated, yet lovable Bill Gates is no more the richest man on earth. Now you must get yourself acquainted with the tough man in this picture, Mexican businessman Carlos Slim. The business world is going to be buzzing about him in the coming months.

His fortune is estimated to be $67.8 billion American dollars - equivalent to 8% of Mexico's gross domestic product. (Or 3 times the GDP of a 20 million people country like Sri Lanka.) Carlo Slim has $8.6 billion more than Bill Gates who is now the world's second richest man with $59.2bn. Slim has built his fortune from his mobile phone empire, America Movil group, which saw a huge share price increase in recent months.

The international media only reported this a few days ago. But it seems Mexicans have known this for many months. According to a Guardian news report, the Mexican online financial publication, Sentido Común claimed Carlos Slim to be the world's richest man back in April.

"When I put Slim ahead three months ago Forbes bumped him up to second place (in world rankings) a few days later," Mr Garcia, the editor of that Mexican newslet has told Reuters. "Let's see if the same happens again."

I think it's safe to say, many, especially in the US didn't like Bill Gates. His monopoly over computer Operating Systems earned him their wrath. But it will be amusing to see how they digest the fact of a Mexican from the "rough south" edging past "their" man. You can feel the American regret in the Engadget article which has the heading "Carlos Slim edges out Bill "Fatty Fat Fat" Gates as world's richest person." In it Paul Miller writes;

"It was probably inevitable, with Bill Gates handing out his cash right and left, and Microsoft's stock in pretty much a holding pattern for most of the 2000's, but it's still sad to see our man Bill get knocked off the top spot on the "world's richest" list."

He goes on to say;

"...and whatever he [Carlos Slim] lacks in geek cred he more than makes up on the streets with that entirely gangster name of his."

That's not a good remark. But I tend to agree with him. Carlo Slim has that stern master look. Very much like the rough, no-nonsense father like figure you see in cowboy movies commanding a horde of Sombrero wearing Mexican cowboys. He's also renown for cigar chomping. How unlike baby faced Bill Gates!

In a way the rich club seems to be heading back to the early 20th century when top hat wearing tough figures like John Rockfeller dominated that club.