Mexican Slim now world’s richest person

The Americans Bill Gates and Warren Buffet always seemed to be bobbing heads at the wire each year in the race for the title of world’s richest person, but this year a new winner has emerged: Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim. Slim bought the Mexican state telephone monopoly Telmex in 1990, and then developed American Movil, which has become the fourth largest wireless phone provider in the world.

Between his restaurants, hotels, stores, oil and other holdings, it is said that one can’t go a day in Mexico without giving Slim some of your money. His 2008 $250 million investment in the New York Times is expected to equate to a 16% ownership share at this juncture.

Foreign ownership of the American media continues to grow.

To get the whole skinny on Slim and the Forbes listing of the world’s richest people, click here.