Forbes rich list: Bill Gates retains top spot as two women find their way in the top ten

USA: Despite the world’s slow economic recovery Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has failed to feel the pinch being named the planet’s richest man after seeing his wealth soar.

According to American business magazine Forbes, the philanthropist saw his net worth rise to £51.5 billion in 2015 from £49.4 billion last year.

It is the 16th time in the last 21 years he has topped the list and the second year running he has held the title.

In second place is telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu, with a net worth of £50.1 billion who toppled Gates from the top spot in 2013.

Next is investor Warren Buffett, who moved up one slot in the past 12 months with a net worth of £47.2 billion.

In the 29th year of the billionaires list Forbes said there are now 1,826 who can claim to have more than £1,000,000,000 up from 1,645 in 2014.

However, according to a report five weeks ago by Oxfam International, the combined wealth of the 80 richest men and women is equal to the bottom half of the Earth's population - 3.5 billion people.

The charity's 'Wealth: Having It All and Wanting More,' findings were calculated using Forbes' list and only released at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January “By 2014, the 80 people who top the Forbes rich list had a collective wealth of £1.24 trillion,” Oxfam said.

It led Winnie Byanyima, the charity's executive director, to say: “Do we really want to live in a world where the 1 percent own more than the rest of us combined?

“The scale of global inequality is quite simply staggering, and despite the issues shooting up the global agenda, the gap between the richest and the rest is widening fast.”

Aside from Slim Helu and Zara founder Amancio Ortega - who are from Mexico and Spain, respectively - all the billionaires in the top ten are Americans.

The only Brit on the list is Tetra Pack boss Hans Rausing, who although born in Sweden has been a UK resident since 1982. He is ranked at 92 with a net worth of £8.14billion.

The first woman on the list is Christy Walton, the widow of John Walton, one of the heirs to the Wal-Mart retail empire.

She has been declared the richest woman in the world for five of the last six years by Forbes.

America’s Silicon Valley produced 23 new billionaires in the past 12 months including co-founders of car-hailing service Uber, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp.

Their first employee, Ryan Graves is also now a billionaire.

Despite his wealth Gates, 59, is also one of the most generous men on the planet donating hundreds of millions of pounds of his wealth to good causes.

Along with his wife, the computer boss has donated more than £18.23 billion to charity through the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation supporting such Comic Relief, Children with AIDS and the Earth Institute.

He recently took part in the ice bucket challenge to raise funds for ALS after his friend and fellow billionaire Mark Zuckerberg challenged him to take part.

The Gates have gone on record saying they would like to give away 95 per cent of their wealth to charity.

1. Bill Gates Net Worth: £51.5 B Source of wealth: Microsoft

2. Carlos Slim Helu & family Net Worth: £50.1 B Source of wealth: telecom

3. Warren Buffett Net Worth: £47.2 B Source of wealth: Berkshire Hathaway

4. Amancio Ortega Net Worth: £42 B Source of wealth: Zara

5. Larry Ellison Net Worth: £35.4 B Source of wealth: Oracle

6. Charles Koch Net Worth: £27.9 B Source of wealth: diversified

7. David Koch Net Worth: £27.9 B Source of wealth: diversified

8. Christy Walton & family Net Worth: £27.1 B Source of wealth: Wal-Mart

9. Jim Walton Net Worth: £26.4 B Source of wealth: Wal-Mart

10. Liliane Bettencourt & family Net Worth: £26.1 B Source of wealth: L’Oreal