While Microsoft's Bill Gates took the second position with a net worth of $64.4 billion, Amancio Ortega of Spain, who racked up billions faster than every one else, took the thrid position on the list with a net worth of $53.6 billion.

 

Ortega, the 76-year-old founder of Inditex SA, the world’s largest clothing retailer, which is known for its more than 1,600 trendy Zara stores, made more than $18 billion from the start of the year through October 5 -- or about $66 million a day. That windfall was more than enough for the Spanish tycoon to eclipse Warren Buffett -- who’s now No 4, with $48.4 billion, said Bloomberg.

 

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia was the richest in the Middle East region with a net worth of $22.9 billion. His wealth increased $5.6 billion  (32 per cent) year to date, according to the report.

 

Nine of the world’s 25 wealthiest people are retail moguls. Among them are Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad, four members of the Walton family that controls Wal-Mart and Stefan Persson, the largest shareholder in Swedish clothing giant Hennes & Mauritz AB.

 

Bloomberg News unmasked more than 30 hidden billionaires this year. Brazil’s Dirce Navarro de Camargo inherited her late husband’s industrial conglomerate, Camargo Correa SA, in 1994. Elaine Tettemer Marshall controls 15 percent of Koch Industries Inc., the second-largest closely held company in the US. With fortunes of about $12 billion each, both women remain billions shy of Gina Rinehart, the richest woman in the Asia-Pacific region. She's squabbling with her children over the family’s $19.1 billion minerals empire, the report said.

 

Bloomberg also revealed Zong Qinghou as mainland China’s richest man, who had a net worth of $20.1 billion. The once poor soda seller today commands the Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co. beverage empire. 

 

The top 20 richest as per the Bloomberg index 

1. Carlos Slim (Mexico)- net worth: $77.5 billion

2. Bill Gates (USA) - $64.4 billion

3. Amancio Ortega 

(Spain) - $53.6 billion

4. Warren Buffett (USA) - $48.4 billion

5. Ingvar Kamprad (Sweden) - $41.8 billion

6. Charles Koch  (USA) - $38.6 billion

7. David Koch (USA) - $38.6 billion

8. Larry Ellison (USA) - $37.2 billion

9. Christy Walton (USA) - $30.5 billion

10. Jim Walton (USA)  - $29.3 billion

11. Rob Walton (USA)  -$28.7 billion

12. Alice Walton (USA) - $28.2 billion

13. Li Ka-shing (Hong Kong) -$27.0 billion

14. Mukesh Ambani (India) - $26.0 billion

15. Liliane Bettencourt (France) - $24.7 billion

16. Stefan Persson (Sewden) -$24.7 billion

17. Jeff Bezos (USA) - $24.2 billion

18. Bernard Arnault (France) - $24.1 billion

19. Larry Page (USA) - $23.0 billion

20. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal  (Saudi Arabia) - $22.9 billion