Mexican tycoon the world’s richest man

Carlos Slim, the telecommunications tycoon who controls Mexico’s America Movil, is the richest person on Earth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a brand-new daily ranking of the world’s 20 wealthiest individuals.

US moguls Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are placed second and third on the list compiled by Bloomberg News. Brazil’s Eike Batista, who ranks 10th, still covets the top spot after vowing a year ago that he’d become the world’s wealthiest man by 2015.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index takes measure of the world’s wealthiest people based on market and economic changes. Each net worth figure is updated every business day at 5.30pm in New York.