Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz shed 450,000 shares of Facebook in the past few days for proceeds of about US$9m (€7.25m) - a tiny chunk of his total stake.

It’s one of the most eagerly awaited stock flotations in recent years and will value Facebook at about $100 billion (€77bn).

THE global ranks of billionaires grew by 199 people in the past year, but none came close to unseating Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man, who added $20.5 billion (€14.83bn) to his coffers, according to Forbes magazine’s annual tally.

AN anonymous donor has offered to foot the likely €300,000 bill for a little Cork girl to have lifesaving treatment in the US.

THINGS are on the up for US billionaires with more than half of them adding to their net worth in a year which once again saw Bill Gates as the richest of them all, Forbes magazine said.