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 in copper and aluminum products, along with a chemicals business, Química Fluor, and others. Slim made a large fortune in the early 1990s when Mexico privatized its telecom industry and Grupo Carso acquired Telmex from the Mexican government. In 1990 the Grupo Carso was floated as a public company initially in Mexico and then worldwide. Grupo Carso also acquired majority ownership of Porcelanite, a tile making company in 1990. This investment was assigned to an associated company, but in 1995 Grupo Carso began growing its equity stake to 83 percent and subsequently made it a subsidiary. Later in 1990, Slim