No Slim pickings as Mexican knocks Gates off top spot

MEXICAN telecom tycoon Carlos Slim Helú has overtaken Microsoft founder Bill Gates as the world’s richest person, Mexican financial website Sentido Comun has reported.

The fortune of Helú this year reached $67.8 billion (€49.7bn), topping Gates’ net worth of $59.2bn (€43.4bn), according to the website.

It said the Mexican billionaire’s wealth rocketed past Gates on the back of very strong performance of his telecom firm, America Movil.