In March 2013 Carlos Slim Helu was ranked the richest person in the world for the fourth year running, with an estimated $73 billion, ahead of Bill Gates at $67 billion. He was the first Mexican ever to hold the top spot. This page keeps that 2013 snapshot and shows where the names on the list stand in 2026.
Carlos Slim at a glance
- Full name: Carlos Slim Helu
- Source of wealth: telecoms and a broad portfolio of companies (self-made)
- From: Mexico, born January 28, 1940, in Mexico City to a family of Lebanese immigrants
- Education: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
- Net worth in March 2013: $73 billion
How he got there
Slim started as a stock trader after graduating in 1961 and set up his own brokerage in 1965. During Mexico’s economic downturn in the mid-1980s he bought a string of struggling flagship companies at very low prices, then built them back up. The core of the fortune is telecoms: he owns America Movil, which runs Telcel and operates across Latin America, and Telmex. His industrial and retail group, Grupo Carso, sits next to the financial arm Grupo Financiero Inbursa, and rising shares in both pushed the 2013 total up by $4 billion from a year earlier.
He ranked first from 2010 to 2013. In 2012 he also bought 30 percent stakes in the Mexican football clubs Pachuca and Leon.
The 2013 top 10, and where they are now
| 2013 rank | Name | March 2013 | Our October 2026 figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlos Slim Helu | $73 billion | Not sized here |
| 2 | Bill Gates | $67 billion | About $105 billion (our estimate) |
| 3 | Amancio Ortega | $57 billion | $118 billion |
| 4 | Warren Buffett | $53.5 billion | $160 billion |
| 5 | Larry Ellison | $43 billion | $146 billion |
| 6 | Charles Koch | $34 billion | No current figure |
| 7 | David Koch | $34 billion | Not tracked by us |
| 8 | Li Ka-shing | $31 billion | Left out |
| 9 | Liliane Bettencourt | $30 billion | L’Oreal stake held by Francoise Bettencourt Meyers and family: $91 billion |
| 10 | Bernard Arnault | $29 billion | $108 billion (with family) |
The 2013 column is the March 2013 snapshot, unchanged. The 2026 column comes from share counts in company filings multiplied by recent closing prices: Ortega holds about 59.3 percent of Inditex at 56.90 euros a share, Buffett about 196,000 Berkshire Class A shares, Ellison about 1.16 billion Oracle shares, and Arnault’s family about half of LVMH. Gates’s fortune is mostly private and spread across foundations, so it is an estimate.
At the top today, Elon Musk is worth about $1.21 trillion on our model, more than ten times what Slim or Gates had in 2013. Work hard and with a little luck you may not get that rich, but you can still have a good life.
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Who was the richest man in the world in 2013?
Carlos Slim Helu, with an estimated $73 billion in March 2013. He was ranked first from 2010 to 2013.
Where does Carlos Slim’s money come from?
Mainly telecoms: America Movil, Telcel and Telmex. He also has stakes in Grupo Carso, Grupo Financiero Inbursa and many other Mexican companies.
Who is the richest person in the world now?
Elon Musk, at about $1.21 trillion on our October 2026 figures, from Tesla and SpaceX shares.
How much is Bill Gates worth compared with 2013?
About $105 billion on our estimate, up from $67 billion in March 2013, though he has given away a very large share of his wealth.
Was Slim the first Mexican to top the list?
Yes. He first overtook Bill Gates in March 2010 and was the first Mexican to be ranked richest in the world.
Why does this article keep 2013 numbers?
They are a dated snapshot. We did not adjust them for inflation or growth, and the 2026 column is a separate calculation.
How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
For 2026 we multiplied share counts from filings by closing prices of October 23 and 26, 2026, converting euros at 1.1203 dollars. The 2013 figures are shown as they stood in March 2013.
Last updated: October 2026.
