Carlos Slim edges out Bill "Fatty Fat Fat" Gates as world's richest person

It was probably inevitable, with Bill Gates handing out his cash right and left, and Microsoft's stock in pretty much a holding pattern for most of the 2000's, but it's still sad to see our man Bill get knocked off the top spot on the "world's richest" list. His replacement is no stranger to tech though, Carlos Slim built his fortune in the Mexican telecom biz, and has amassed an estimated net worth of $67.8 billion, thanks to a surge in the shares of America Movil. Slim's fortune represents 8% of Mexico's gross domestic product, and whatever he lacks in geek cred he more than makes up on the streets with that entirely gangster name of his.

[Thanks, Emiliano M]

[JON BLAST @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:21PM]

Carlos Slim is my rap name

[joegtheog @ Jul 3rd 2007 6:14PM]

So is Jon Blast your porn name?

[brendan Sheehan jnr @ Jul 3rd 2007 8:30PM]

To get your porn name--in case some people don't know--you take your first pets name, and you Mothers' maiden name.

Mine is Rocky Foley! I think that's hilarious.
I'm from Ireland, so you can imagine how funny some of them over here are. For instance, I have one friend who has the porn name Fluffy Hegerty, LOL.

[Anthony @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:25PM]

I'm not really pro or con immigration reform but it is disconcerting that the richest man IN THE WORLD has built his wealth in a country where 1/2 of the population lives in poverty.

Spread it around, Carlos.

[Neko @ Jul 3rd 2007 8:21PM]

I know bill gates is no saint, but this guy Slim doesnt deserve all the money he's got, as owner of Telmex, the company that runs most telephone lines here in mexico he was asked a few months ago, why were the phone lines/fees were so overpriced and he answered: "because mexicans are poor and cant afford them" he's just like our government tax-bleeding us to our death

[Trace The Hedgehog @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:26PM]

Does this guy hand out money right and left too?

[Jason @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:25PM]

No, he's a greedy, sleazy, gangster.

I'm just as critical of Microsoft's business practices as anyone else, but you still can't deny that at least Gates seems to care about making the world a better place and easing the suffering of the sick and poor. This guy can't say the same.

[mhc @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:21PM]

Huh? from Sydney Morning Herald:

"Slim,..., will meet all contributions dollar for dollar..... He spearheaded an initiative in 2005 that called on politicians to reform Mexico's justice system, fight crime, boost public finances, improve health and education and develop infrastructure."

[John Galt @ Jul 3rd 2007 8:14PM]

@Jason

Everybody wants something for nothing.

God-Damned do-gooders!

[aStopperBy @ Jul 4th 2007 7:20PM]

@mhc

"...and develop infrastructure."
Aka further monopolizing of Mexico by the companies Carlos Slim owns.

[ScOObyDoo @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:26PM]

Plus, he pretty much drove CompUSA into the ground. I'm sure the money he made off selling more than half their stores and inventory didn't hurt much.

[Logik @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:31PM]

I think CompUSA was already doomed. I visited one of those stores when they began popping up-only to never, ever again do business with them.

[Logik @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:28PM]

Thanks to the absurd and corrupt Mexican government, this guy has and will go long without any real competition; making him even more wealthy.

[booyaka @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:47PM]

And the United States government is so perfect right? LMAO

[Logik @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:21PM]

And the United States government is so perfect right? LMAO

If you say so, then it is [perfect].

[Logik @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:24PM]

"And the United States government is so perfect right? LMAO"

If you say so, then it is [perfect].

[Josh @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:26PM]

Don't feed the trolls.

[Jason @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:27PM]

The US has a ton of problems with controlling the power of corporations, but you can't even make a comparison to Mexico's government. For example, the police's highest source of income is bribes. The government officials use the same methods when dealing with sleazy businessmen.

[brendan Sheehan jnr @ Jul 3rd 2007 8:33PM]

The Mexican government has fucked up Mexico, whereas the American government has fucked up THE WORLD!!!

[Kamal @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:30PM]

Does this mean people will finally stop knocking Bill Gates?

[Andir3.0 @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:36PM]

You can dream...

[brendan Sheehan jnr @ Jul 3rd 2007 8:40PM]

The guy who gave us Vista? I think not.

[booyaka @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:40PM]

Mexicans are taking over the United States and soon the World.

[mradem @ Jul 3rd 2007 8:27PM]

Mexicans are going to take over the world?? A few Mexicans at the top of the corruption are making all the money while most of them live off of less than $5 per day. Good luck assembling an army, they're more worried about food and shelter.

[Charles Hanna @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:48PM]

Ummmm, I think Chinese will take over before the Mexicans do...

[Matt B @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:43PM]

There are those that call me....... Slim.

[Humjaba @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:19PM]

+1 for the Monty Python reference

[michael @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:45PM]

He may now be the richest, but he doesn't deserve it.

He like has a true monopoly over telecommunications in Mexico. It's not even half as bad as AT&T.

At least Bill Gates is a generous person, who led the technology age. Slim just owns a bunch of companies, and has no desire to help the world.

[Andir3.0 @ Jul 3rd 2007 5:55PM]

"At least Bill Gates is a generous person"

Hahah, thanks. Needed that.

[Adoniteking @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:51PM]

A TAPPED PHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN CARLOS AND BILL

Carlos S: Yo! billy..guess what

Bill:...what?

Carlos: Am richer than you Bitch!!

Bill: so..is that all you called to..

Carlos:They call you fatty fat billy..LOL!

Bill: **grunt** am cutting the phone carlos..

Carlos: ok..okay..wait fatty fat billy

Bill: WHAT???

Carlos: I love MAC muthaf**ka!!!

[ddaw735 @ Jul 3rd 2007 9:48PM]

That made my day.
+1 for you.

[Adoniteking @ Jul 4th 2007 5:10AM]

Thanks...i was beginning to think that was a bad joke...lol!

[rokerovakero @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:52PM]

Who really deserves to be the richest guy in the world? The only thing you can really get out of this is that in the real world the most vicious and careless business will make it to the top, and I don't see in the top 100 richest any nice guys. hey Carlos how about to celebrate you give an iphone for each mexican citizen for free? great PR! we made you rich didn't we?

[jOAN @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:57PM]

Hey man, not everyone of us are diying to go there im just fine right here i just went to france they love us back there.
And yeah carlos slim make his fortune thanks to a corrupt president named "inombrable"

[Manuel @ Jul 3rd 2007 5:05PM]

oh you don't mean ...

[numo @ Jul 3rd 2007 6:07PM]

Salinas!!

[alex.zapata43 @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:02PM]

He also made his money the gangster way. This guy didn't earn his money by being smarter than anyone. He just knows people in high places and takes advantage.

I may not like Microsoft's business practices, but at least Bill earned his fortune through hard-nosed competition.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:03PM]

Hey Carlos, why not use that azz load of FU money to change the dynamic of your entire country (and the world for that matter). Specifically flipping the “Oiligarch Overlords” the bird and shifting to Bio Fuel production. Mexico has the potential to be the largest producer of bio fuels. Doing so would provide gobs and gobs of jobs (those 12 million would run home) and could enrich massive amounts of your countrymen. You would be next door to your biggest addict, er customer. And guess what else? As long as there is sunshine you will NEVER run out (unlike that Middle East supply).

Right now as much cash as you have, you are but a small fish in the BIG pond of human history. With this deed YOU WOULD GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS A HERO, A WORLD CHANGER and will ACHIEVE THE COVETED STATUS AS ONE OF HUMAN HISTORY’S IMMORTALS! Why vanish into historical obscurity when (as we all do) move on to the next life? DO IT MAN!

[Logik @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:51PM]

Mexico doesn't even produce enough corn to feed its own people, they import a good part of it. It is rather suicidal to use up the land for biofuel production.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:55PM]

Who said anything about corn? Corn has one of the worst yields! Read more then come back. Start here:
http://www.autobloggreen.com/

[Logik @ Jul 3rd 2007 11:21PM]

There's a saying in Mexico:

When times are hard in Mexico you can do without meat, but you cannot do without the corn tortillas.

Or something like it.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/02/12/u-s-ethanol-industry-raising-prices-corn-tortilla-prices/

[Ray-- @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:05PM]

his name is not the only thing about him that's gangster... if you catch my drift.

[Jonathan Worrel @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:05PM]

a mexican = richest person in the world?

and his name is Carlos..

[Craig @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:26PM]

I don't like this guy, for one simple reason. I read ages ago that he was asked if he would even do what Bill Gates is doing and donating large sums of his own money to help less well off people. He basically said that he didn't think that this was a solution to anything, which is basically no.

[Rick Taylor @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:36PM]

I don't understand - why does Mexico have a guy worth almost 70 BILLION DOLLARS, yet the rest of its population is so poor that they're literally dying to sneak into American tucked between the engine and hood of a truck, sewn into the seat of a bus or stuffed into a gutted tire to make a dollar a day picking strawberries?!

[Ville @ Jul 4th 2007 1:57AM]

You make the false assumption that every mexican wants to come to US. That is not true. I am sure Mr. Slim does not want to move to US. Why would he? 70B in Mexico buys a lot more than 70B in US.

[Manuel @ Jul 3rd 2007 5:26PM]

er... those are centroamericans... mexicans at least can afford to use drug tunnels.

[Gadget Chick @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:38PM]

its sad hes the richest man in the world while most of his country lives in poverty.

[lolec @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:50PM]

crap he has like 1,000 millions for each poor in mexico.

[Logik @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:14PM]

Lolec,

I see that your math skills can land you the job of "Economic Adviser", to the president of Mexico.