The World's Billionaires 2010 $3.5 billion. The United States accounted for 38% of the lists, down from 44% the year prior. The World's Billionaires 2010 The World's Billionaires 2010 edition was 24th annual ranking of The World's Billionaires by "Forbes" magazine. The list estimated the net worth of the world's richest people, excluding royalty and dictators, as of February 12, 2010. It was released online on March 10, 2010. Forty reporters across 13 countries contributed to the list. Carlos Slim and Bill Gates were featured on the cover. Mexican telecommunication mogul Carlos Slim narrowly eclipsed Microsoft's Bill Gates to top the billionaire list for
Carlos Slim to a running joke in the Mexican business scene where "there was nothing left to acquire in Mexico". He eyed towards investing the United States where he set up Telmex USA and also acquired a stake in Tracfone, a US cellular telephone company. At the same time, he established Carso Infraestructura y Construcción, S. A. (CICSA) as a construction and engineering company within Grupo Carso. During the same year, Slim had heart surgery and subsequently passed on much of the day-to-day involvement in the businesses to his children and their spouses. América Telecom, the holding company for América Móvil, was