1. Richest Men in world Main Page

2. Bill Gates Gates regained his title as the richest man in the world, with $US40 billion after slipping to third last year when he was worth $US58 billion. Buffett, last year's richest man, fell to second place with $US37 billion, down from $US62 billion. Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim took third place with $US35 billion, down from $US60 billion. Main Page

3. Warren Buffet Main Page Last year America’s most beloved investor was the world’s richest man. This year he has to settle for second place after losing $25 billion in 12 months. Shares of Berkshire Hathaway down 45% since last March. Injected billions of dollars into Goldman Sachs, GE in exchange for preferred stock last fall; propped up insurance firm Swiss Re in February with $2.6 billion infusion. Admits he made some "dumb" investment mistakes in 2008. Upbeat about America’s future: "Our economic system has worked extraordinarily well over time. It has unleashed human potential as no other system has, and it will continue to do so." Scoffs at Wall Street’s over-reliance on "history-based" models: "If merely looking up past financial data would tell you what the future holds, the Forbes 400 would consist of librarians." Son of Nebraska politician delivered newspapers as a boy. Filed first tax return at age 13, claiming $35 deduction for bicycle. Studied under value investing guru Benjamin Graham at Columbia. Took over textile firm Berkshire Hathaway 1965. Today holding company invested in insurance (Geico, General Re), jewelry (Borsheim’s), utilities (MidAmerican Energy), food (Dairy Queen, See’s Candies). Also has noncontrolling stakes in Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Wells Fargo.

4. Carlos Slim Helú Main Page Carlos Slim Helú, the Mexican mogul, is considered the third richest man in the world according to Forbes magazine. Slim's fortune is estimated in $35 billion. Slim, 69 years old, was born in Mexico to Lebanese parents.