Philanthropist and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is once again the richest person on the face of the Earth. Despite leaving his former position, Gates still owns a large share in the company, and a five-year high in Microsoft’s stock pushed his fortune to an estimated $72.7 billion. Gates had held the title for many years following the success of Microsoft, but his fortune was overtaken in 2007 by Mexican investor Carlos Slim. Slim’s current fortune still weighs in at a hefty $72.1 billion, but he has lost 14 percent of his financial status in Mexico thanks to new legislature aimed to reform the country’s wealth distribution. Gates backed down gracefully from the title in 2007, claiming he did not like the attention his money brought. Instead, he helped start The Giving Pledge in 2010 with Warren Buffet, in which the world’s billionaires promised to donate at least 50 percent of their wealth to charities upon their deaths
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:24:05 +0000
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