Bill Gates getting some competition....

[Puddy 30]

Forbes: Slim is world's 2nd richest man By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer

Thu Apr 12, 3:10 AM ET

 

 

 

MEXICO CITY - Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim has quietly overtaken investor Warren Buffett as the world's second-richest man and is close to wresting the top spot from Bill Gates, Forbes magazine reported Wednesday.

 

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In the two months since Forbes calculated its 2007 wealth rankings, the 67-year-old Slim's fortune rose $4 billion to $53.1 billion, while Buffett's holdings slipped to $52.4 billion as of March 29.

 

In an article on its Web site, Forbes attributed part of Slim's "amazing run" to a 15 percent increase in the stock price of Carso Global Telecom, part of a larger rally in Mexican stocks. Slim's America Movil cell phone company also soared on news of a possible acquisition of Telecom Italia.

 

In the 2007 rankings released March 8 — but prepared almost a month earlier — Forbes had listed Slim as the world's third-richest man and estimated Gates' fortune at $56 billion.

 

Slim said shortly afterward that he wasn't concerned about his ranking or taking over the top spot, but he expressed differences with Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and Gates, the chairman and co-founder of Microsoft Corp.

 

"It's not about having who knows how many bonds, to spend them on whatever one wants or live it up all year," said Slim, an engineer who wears modest suits and whose main indulgence appears to be expensive cigars. "I don't have apartments abroad. I don't have a house abroad."

 

Slim, who owns Mexico's dominant phone company and has holdings throughout Latin America, said his vision of a businessman's role in the world is at odds with that of Buffett, who announced last year he would donate $1.5 billion every year to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

"It's very interesting, because he leaves those who are running his affairs the responsibility of being very profitable," Slim said of Buffett. "If they're inefficient or don't get real-term returns, they're not going to be running anything."

 

"Our concept is more to accomplish and solve things, rather than giving — that is, not going around like Santa Claus," Slim said. "Poverty isn't solved with donations."

[tonorator 14]

"Our concept is more to accomplish and solve things, rather than giving — that is, not going around like Santa Claus," Slim said. "Poverty isn't solved with donations."

 

 

has this guy solved anything?

[godtomsatan 26]

has this guy solved anything?

 

 

I also focussed in on this comment. The Gates Foundation isn't giving money away to "solve poverty".

[Mark5 1]

I also focussed in on this comment. The Gates Foundation isn't giving money away to "solve poverty".

 

 

The Gates foundation once sent me $432 for forwarding 3 emails

[Ursa Majoris 125]

has this guy solved anything?

 

He has a whole raft of charitable opportunities in his own back yard. How cool is it that the second richest man in the world not only lives in a shabby $hithole of a country amongst abject poverty but also criticizes the massive charitable efforts of the two Americans who are at the same wealth level as him?

[Big John 892]

The Gates foundation once sent me $432 for forwarding 3 emails

 

This belongs in the board games thread for Monopoly money.

[detlef 125]

The Gates foundation once sent me $432 for forwarding 3 emails

 

Can you believe I just got that e-mail the other day for like the 15th time? It amazes me how long these things go around and how freaking stupid people are.

 

THIS REALLY WORKS, IT WAS ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA THE OTHER DAY!!!

[Jimmy Neutron 1]

He has a whole raft of charitable opportunities in his own back yard. How cool is it that the second richest man in the world not only lives in a shabby $hithole of a country amongst abject poverty but also criticizes the massive charitable efforts of the two Americans who are at the same wealth level as him?

 

 

Good info. As much as we like to biyatch about the gap between rich and poor in this country, it's much, much worse in Mexico.

[Ursa Majoris 125]

Can you believe I just got that e-mail the other day for like the 15th time? It amazes me how long these things go around and how freaking stupid people are.

 

THIS REALLY WORKS, IT WAS ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA THE OTHER DAY!!!

 

Never underestimate the stupidity of people - there is no bottom to it.

[Rovers 2]

I wuz thinkin Gates must have gotten into lawn service er sumpthin....